Designed to be fun and entertaining, the Delaware County Historical Society has created a series of history-related activities for children in grades K-8. These include topics such as “What is an Artifact?”, Early Delaware County Pioneers, the 1913 Flood, Oak Grove Cemetery Scavenger Hunt, as well as “History Reading at Home.”
The Society also offers historic self-guided walking tours of the City of Delaware as well as a Delaware County Underground Railroad driving tour.
The Society’s Virtual Summer Camp is also for kids aged 6-12. The theme is “Who Came Down That Road?” and consist of six activities. Current projects available include a Bicycle Tour of Delaware’s Historical Markers, Weaving, A Walk-through Downtown Delaware, 19th and 20th Century Games, an Oak Grove Cemetery Walk, and how to make a Fraktur. In addition, there are projects on Letter Writing (before telephones or email), Delaware Flood Walk, Perkins Observatory – Star Charts and the Big Ear, keeping a Family Journal, and how to make Apple Head Dolls.
These engaging learning activities provide a variety of ways for children to participate such as walking, bike riding, or indoor events. Students can proceed through the list at their own rate of speed or skip around to accommodate their time and interests. Upon completion, students will be encouraged to share their project activities on social media with #DCHSLearnAt Home or @DelawareCountyHistoricalSociety. Participants will collect a merit badge for each activity they complete by printing them from their computer and saving them in a virtual camp backpack.
“Integrating Delaware County’s history into the learning experience is the goal of our team and we are supplementing school curriculum to include information about Delaware’s rich cultural past in a safe way” said Society Curriculum Support Committee Chair, Karen Hildebrand. “We hope to keep students and their parents engaged and involved in meaningful learning experiences this summer by keeping the love of local history alive and offering fun projects designed for adventures indoors and outside!”
This camp is aimed to inspire young people and/or families to become engaged in the history of Delaware County, Ohio.
To access virtual learning experiences, visit https://www.delawareohiovirtualhistory.com. For questions about an activity, background information, or the history of Delaware County, submit the question via email to the historical society at info@delawareohiohistory.org.
These activities are free, but donations are gratefully accepted.
For more information or for an interview, contact Donna Meyer, Executive Director, Delaware County Historical Society, director@delawareohiohistory.org or 740-369-3831 ext. 3.
The Delaware County Historical Society is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote, preserve and sustain interest in the history of Delaware County. The Barn at Stratford is operated by DCHS as an event venue for weddings, corporate meetings and other special occasions. To learn more, visit the venue and society web sites at barnatstratford.org and delawareohiohistory.org.
