Old Independence Regional Museum is excited to announce plans for summer programming for school age children. “This year we are changing our summer programming for children. Instead of a week-long day camp, we will be offering a new series of programs called Mondays at the Museum,” stated Amanda Nikkel, Humanities Educator. Nikkel continues, “The museum is closed to the general public on Mondays, so students will have the museum all to themselves.” These programs will have a historical focus and will be filled with crafts, games, and lots of fun.
The Mondays in June (beginning with June 8th) will be for rising 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders. These will be half day programs beginning at 9 a.m. and ending at noon. The museum will provide a snack. The cost for the half-day program is $15 per student per Monday or $55 if you register your child for all four. Each Monday is limited to 25 participants. The themes for the Mondays in June are as follows:
June 8 – Native Americans
June 15- Little House on the Prairie
June 22 – Historic Toys and Games
June 29 – Taste of the Past
“Our Native American program has always been one of our most popular,” said Nikkel. During this program we will explore what life was like for the Native Americans who were native to Arkansas and those who were moved to the Arkansas territory. Students will have to opportunity to examine educational Native American artifacts that are in the Museum’s collection, learn some of their cultural traditions, make clay coil pots and effigies, weave a small basket, and sample foods.
“Children still love Laura Ingalls Wilder and her Little House books. We often get asked to present programs based on her life and experiences,” said Nikkel. On July 15th our day will be spent on the pioneer experience. In her book, Little House in the Big Woods, Laura describes making cheese. We will read short excerpts from the book and then will make and sample homemade cheese. Our big project for this day will be based on her trip to Kansas in the book Little House on the Prairie. In this book she describes life traveling in a covered wagon. Program participants will construct a small covered wagon to take home with them.
On June 22, students will have a day filled with fun and games. We will play 19th and early 20th century games, such as the game of graces and nine pins. Students will also make toys such as tops, thaumatropes, and Jacob’s ladders.
A Taste of the Past will be our theme for June 29th. Participants will be able to create and sample several recipes from different eras.
The Mondays in July (beginning with July 6th) will be for rising 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. These will be full-day programs beginning at 9 a.m. and ending at 4 p.m. The students should bring a sack lunch, and the museum will supply two snacks each day. The cost for the full-day program is $25 per student per Monday or $95 if the child is registered for all four Mondays. Each Monday is limited to 15 participants. The themes for the Mondays in July are:
July 6 – Westward Expansion
July 13 – Civil War
July 20 – Archaeology
July 27 – Creating a Living History Character
The first Monday in July will focus on the Westward Exploration and Expansion. Students will become familiar with the Lewis and Clark expedition and the lesser known Dunbar and Hunter expedition that was part of the same exploration commission by President Jefferson. During this study students will construct a wooden keel boat similar to the ones Lewis and Clark and Dunbar and Hunter traveled on. Students will also learn about the later movement of wagon trains west in the 1840s and 50s and play a game that will help them understand the challenges of life on the trail.
The Civil War continues to be an intriguing topic for many. On July 13th, students will examine what was going on in the Independence County region during the Civil War. Through living history presentations, hands-on activities and games they will also learn about what life was like in camp, on the battle field, and on the home front. Students will sample recipes from this time period.
On July 20th the 4th-6th graders will focus on Archaeology. They will learn about pre-historic and historical archaeology. Students will learn about the tools needed to be an archeologist. They will learn the importance of trash and what it tells us about the people who created and how to put together a story based on their findings. Finally, the students will participate in a small “dig” on the museum grounds.
On July 27th, students will have the opportunity to create a Living History Character. The day will begin with students choosing a historic character from Independence County. They will then learn how to use the museum’s resources to research the life of their chosen person. Then the students will write a short, compelling monologue based on the person’s life. They will then choose costuming for his or her character and in the end will perform as the character.
Old Independence serves a 12-county area: Baxter, Cleburne, Fulton, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Marion, Poinsett, Sharp, Stone, White, and Woodruff. Parts of these present-day counties comprised the original Independence County in 1820s Arkansas territory.
The museum is located at 380 South 9th street, between Boswell and Vine Streets in Batesville.
