Inside the CHS

A typical day in the Education Department at CHS begins with educators teaching classes of students, both on-site and off-site, until midday. Then, we spend hours prepping materials for upcoming programs, (think—sorting through thousands of colorful beads for Native American bear claw necklaces, cutting out hundreds of pieces of paper—some sticky—for colonial hornbooks, and peeling…
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As I write this blog entry, two middle school classes are walking past my office. This is the third program that educators have done today—three different programs for students from three different schools. End of the year field-trip time keeps the CHS educators busy! It is during this time of year that I love my…
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Ah, summer. The time for all those summer kid activities: Camps, amusement parks, pools, education—SHHH! Bite your tongue, it’s summer! Well, just because kids are on summer vacation, doesn’t mean their minds need to shut down either.

Our exhibit, Making Connecticut, showcases over 500 objects, images, and documents from the CHS collection. “What is this?” posts will highlight an object from the exhibit and explore its importance in Connecticut history every other week. What is this object? What is the story behind it? To find out more,

Summer programs bring a lot of activity to CHS! By the end of August, we will have offered fourteen Story &Crafts at the Museum programs for toddlers and their caregivers. This has given me a lot of time to delve into the minds of 2, 3, and 4 year-old museum visitors. In an unofficial poll,…
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Fall is my most favorite time of the year – slightly cooler weather, fairs and festivals serving delicious pumpkin and maple flavored treats, and the changing of leaves from green to vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges. If it were up to me, (and I know a lot of you will be happy that it is…
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Every once in a while I come across a really poignant document in the midst of deeds and letters and other family papers that can be more mundane. That happened this week when I cataloged a collection of papers related to the Work and Smith families. Tucked in among the numerous deeds and family memorabilia…
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Winter in New England can be unpredictable. Connecticut has already experienced cold, rainy, icy, and snowy conditions (and it isn’t even really winter until December 21st!).  Although we were not hit as hard as some of the other spots throughout the country, Connecticut received its first, widespread coating of snow this week. Luckily, the roads…
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During our January FREE first Saturday family program, children and families were able to create their own indoor Winter Wonderland to take home. Our visitors revealed their creativity once again! Check out some of these awesome snowflakes:

Children and parents got to experience what it would be like to go back to school during colonial times at our family program last Saturday.

Celebrate the re-launch of our Free First Saturdays with photography fun at CHS!

How to create sun on a rainy day – that was the question I dealt with last week in preparation for Saturday’s family program.

The Legend of the Charter Oak can be a bit of an enigma for those who haven’t personally experienced this fantastic program.

CHS and Hartford Prints! are partnering for some printmaking fun! Families can make a card with some Hartford Prints! stamps, and then make their own buttons to bring home.

Don’t worry, the educators haven’t left – they’re just on the road teaching!

Come celebrate the holidays at CHS with our annual popper craft! These timeless favorites, filled with candy, paper hats, and fortunes, make great gifts, holiday party favors, or New Year’s Eve noisemakers.

What can you do with three hundred toilet paper rolls?

Calling all builders! Join other families at the CHS as we build our own community on our giant floor map.

Instead of buying your Valentine’s Day cards this year, join us to create unique and personal cards inspired by Valentines from long ago.

On February 7th, the Connecticut Historical Society (CHS), with support from Berkshire Bank, hosted a program for children and their families to create personal and unique Valentine’s Day cards inspired by Valentines from long ago. With snow falling on the ground, this event was well attended with many creative designs made.        …
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Join us for story-time to celebrate African American History Month. Children will listen to a story and make a simple craft to take home.

Help us celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday and Read Across America with a Dr. Seuss story and craft at CHS.

Join us for story-time to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day! Children will listen to a story and make a simple craft to take home.

Enjoy Free First Saturday at CHS with a historical twist on “arts and crafts time”!

Looking for a fun activity for the whole family to do over spring break? Come to CHS and experience what life was like for kids long ago.

Looking for a fun activity for the whole family to do over spring break? Come to CHS and experience what life was like for kids long ago.

Looking for a fun activity for the whole family to do over spring break? Come to CHS and experience what life was like for kids long ago.

Looking for a fun activity for the whole family to do over spring break? Come to CHS and experience what life was like for kids long ago.

By Corinne Swanson, Coordinator of Youth and Family Programs, Connecticut Historical Society I’m a huge fan of maps. When studying history, maps are essential for getting a visual, concrete understanding of the places where events take place. They can be incredibly powerful in influencing the way we think (Remember the episode of “The West Wing” where C.J….
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Where in Connecticut do you call home? Join us as we make a giant map of our favorite places in Connecticut.

Beat the heat this summer with a story-time program that’s great for our youngest visitors!

Beat the heat this summer with a story-time program that’s great for our youngest visitors!

Beat the heat this summer with a story-time program that’s great for our youngest visitors!

Beat the heat this summer with a story-time program that’s great for our youngest visitors!

Join us on the CHS lawn for all your favorite childhood games! Enjoy everything from hopscotch to hula hoop, and play them with your kids, parents or grandparents.

Calling all detectives! Decorate your own magnifying glass, then work with your family to figure out clues and search through the galleries to see how many objects and pictures you can find.

Discover the traditions behind West Indian carnival costumes and celebrations at this fun program for all ages!

Come see this pop-up exhibit featuring objects submitted by kids from all over Connecticut!

Join us for spooky storytime at the CHS!

Join us for Tellabration!, a world-wide celebration of storytelling from the Connecticut Storytelling Center that happens each November at sites around the state.