Homeschool Days at the Connecticut Historical Society are programs specifically designed for homeschool families. These events give families the opportunity to enjoy engaging, educational workshops, tour our galleries, and connect with other homeschool families.
Short workshops around a variety of topics are taught throughout the day. Families may sign up for as many or as few classes as they like, and workshops appropriate for children ages 5 and up are available at each session. Workshops are hands-on and participatory, and many include a take-home element.
Upcoming Dates
- March 19, 2018
Cost
- Each workshop is $7 per student for CHS members and $10 per student for non-members.
- For the full day (three workshops), the fee is $15 per student for CHS members and $24 per student for non-members.
- Children 4 and under are free but must be registered.
- Up to two adults per family are admitted free of charge. Parents must remain in the building at all times.
- Maximum cost per family is $85.
Toddler Time
- Throughout the day, our auditorium space will be available with drop-in, self-led toys, crafts, and coloring sheets for siblings ages 4 and under. Families must register toddlers, and parents must remain with their toddler at all times.
Pre-Registration Required
- Enrollment is limited and families must pre-register by March 12 for the March 19th Homeschool Day. Full, non-refundable payment via credit card or check must be made at the time of registration to reserve your child’s place. Please contact Rebecca Gross at (860) 236-5621 x232 or email education_assistant@chs.org to register.
Program Schedule for March 19, 2018
Ages 5-7 – Please note that all three 5-7 workshops are sold out.
10:00 – 10:45 AM: Map Your World
Discover how maps can help us see the world around us. Using our interactive floor map and other maps in our exhibits, children will practice map-reading skills and make a scaled map of their world.
11:00 – 11:45 AM: Dressing Up the Past
What do people’s clothes tell us about the way they lived? Come discover what Connecticut kids wore long ago through stories, reproduction clothing, hands-on activities, and a take-home craft.
12:30 – 1:15 PM: Weird and Wacky Whimsies
Explore the weird and wacky objects the museum has collected over its nearly 200 year lifetime! Compare weird things from the past with objects from today, and create your own weird artifact inspired by the funky artifacts in our That’s Weird exhibit.
Ages 8-11
10:00 – 10:45 AM: Artifact or Artful Thinking?
Learn how and why museums collect artifacts, even when the artifacts seem weird or gross. Explore some of the CHS’s strangest artifacts in the That’s Weird exhibit, and design a museum exhibit of the future.
11:00 – 11:45 AM: Uncharted
Be a cartographer! Check out historic and modern maps from our collection and exhibits to see how people of the past represented the world around them. Then design and create your own map.
12:30 – 1:15 PM: Weaving Worlds
Explore the history of the ancient art of weaving here in Connecticut! Compare the techniques used by people from different cultures and times, from early Native Americans and colonists to 19th century factories. Then try your own hand at weaving.
Ages 12+
10:00 – 10:45 AM: The Science of Stitches
Go behind-the-scenes to our textile storage area, where you’ll investigate the stories behind needlework in our collection. Try out techniques museum curators use to preserve and analyze historic textiles.
11:00 – 11:45 AM: Codebreakers
We see symbols and logos everyday that represent different businesses, organizations, and ideas. But what happens when we see symbols that we don’t recognize? Use your detective skills as you decode and uncover some of the messages behind the museum’s most mysterious artifacts.
12:30 – 1:15 PM: Looking Upside Down
Is there a right way to view a map? Analyze unusual and mysterious maps from our collection to find out their stories, and discover the power of maps when we look at a familiar map in an unusual way.
