Chortles and shouts. Racing feet. Sticky fingers. These sights and sounds might seem unexpected in standard house museum environments. But this summer the Jekyll Island Museum aims to engage the youngest members of the community in the wonders of the past.
So this July kids on Jekyll Island are having a hoot. Whether throwing atlatls, making butter, racing with barrel hoops, becoming stained glass artists, manning windmills, building bridges, searching for architectural wonders, or jumping on pony hops, they are discovering Jekyll Island’s historic district as an active learning environment.
This July, the Jekyll Island Museum offers children’s programs every Wednesday morning at 9:30 and 11:00 am. Designed for children 6-12, the 60-minute programs each shed light on the history of Jekyll Island.
Museum interpreters lead children and their adult companions on a guided learning adventure through segments on Jekyll Island’s past. Individual programs touch on a variety of topics including art, science, architecture, food, and games.
“The programs are a fun way to excite children at a young age about history,†says Phyllis Gaska, a former elementary school teacher on the Jekyll Island Museum tour staff. “They are very concrete, and hands on, and active.â€
“Our children’s programs are designed to let kids ask questions, and touch things, and make things, and run around,†agreed Gretchen Greminger, the museum’s curator. “We want to give our younger visitors a chance to exercise their sense of curiosity and just have a great time.â€
The Hands on History segments include the following:
Old-Fashioned Butter-Making Take a whirlwind tour of a late 1800s southern kitchen at Club Cottage. Inspect and handle original kitchen items from the museum’s educational collection for an object-based learning experience, before heading outdoors for a lesson in old-fashioned butter-making.
July 2, 2008, 9:30 am.
Colonial Games Have fun learning the games the English, French, and African-American children of Jekyll Island might have played during the Colonial Period. July 2 & 30, 2008, 11:00 am.
Young Inventors’ Workshop Discover a few of the famous inventors who vacationed on Jekyll Island in the Club Era, then replicate the island’s experiment in “green energy.†Help your guide capture the wind, as you explore the story of Jekyll Island’s windmill. July 9, 2008, 9:30 am.
Club Era Games View rare archival images of Jekyll Island Club Members at play, then try the sports that were popular in their day. Explore the games and activities that both grown-ups and children a century ago liked to do for fun. July 9 and 23, 2008 at 11:00 am.
Architectural Scavenger Hunt Follow a series of clues, searching the historic district for notable architectural details, on this guided learning adventure with rewards for all. July 16, 2008, 9:30 am
Stained Glass Studio View two important works of American stained glass by Louis Comfort Tiffany, David Maitland Armstrong and Helen Armstrong inside of historic Faith Chapel. Be inspired to make your own masterpiece! July 16, 2008, 11:00 am.
Bridge Building Visit Hollybourne Cottage, a mansion built for Charles Stewart Maurice, a partner in a bridge building company. Discover how houses can be like bridges, learn about different kinds of bridges, and create your own bridge. July 23, 2008, 9:30 am.
Native American Life Jekyll Island has been a seasonal retreat for over 4,500 years. Learn about Native American culture on Jekyll Island, through such engaging supervised activities as atlatl target practice, pottery stamping, and bow drill fire-making. July 30, 2008, 9:30 am.
Program offerings are subject to change. Reservations are required. Admission for participants is $5 per person. Young children should be accompanied by an adult. Please call or visit the Jekyll Island Museum on Stable Road for details or for information about its other tour offerings, 912-635-4036.
The Jekyll Island Museum’s Hands on History programs provide children with the chance to engage in butter making and other lively activities in Jekyll Island’s historic district on Wednesday mornings in July.