August Adventures Lets Kids Become "Time Travelers" and "History Detectives" at the Connecticut Historical Society

In an effort to avoid end-of-summer doldrums, the Connecticut Historical Society introduces four August Adventures hands-on and creative programs for children age 5-12. Each session includes a variety of indoor and outdoor programming for children to discover Connecticut’s history, explore life in the past, “solve” history mysteries and explore some innovations and inventions created in the state. Registration for these August Adventures is taking place now through July 15, and full descriptions and registration forms can be found at www.CHS.org or by calling (860) 236-5621.

The two-day Time Travelers sessions welcome children age 5-6 to “visit” Connecticut from the 1600s - 1900s to experience how kids spent their days, what they wore, how they learned, what chores they had to do, and what they did for fun. The first session, which takes place 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. on August 16 and 18, includes time to explore the “Making Connecticut” exhibit. The second session, which takes place 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. on August 23 and 25, includes time at the new “Growing Up in Connecticut” exhibit.

The five-day History Detectives sessions allow children age 7-12 to investigate some of the greatest stories, legends and mysteries of Connecticut’s past. The first session, which takes place 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. on August 15-19, focuses on “solving” Connecticut’s history mysteries such as: Why is Connecticut called the nutmeg state? What really happened in the legendary Charter Oak? And how did Revolutionary War spies send secret messages during the war? Children will discover the answers to these mysteries and more through hands-on activities, role-playing, and crafts.

The second History Detectives session takes place from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. on August 22-26 and focuses on “Inventions and Innovations.” Children discover how technology -- from sewing machines, typewriters, bicycles and helicopters – has changed over hundreds of years, and they will look at Connecticut’s famous and not-so-famous inventions. Children also will experience what it was like to work in a 19th-century factory, try to type on an old-fashioned typewriter, and design inventions of their own.

Each Time Travelers session costs $60 for CHS members or $80 for non-members and each History Detectives session costs $150 for members and $200 for non-members. All August Adventures take place at the CHS on One Elizabeth Street in Hartford.