History Day Camps at Pamplin Park

Pamplin Historical Park & The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier combines learning, camaraderie, and fun at its three-day History Day Camps this summer.  Campers experience first-hand how people lived during the American Civil War, both as soldiers and civilians, and programs instill an appreciation of how teamwork and cooperation contribute to success. “This is […]

May 8, 2008; 10:45 AM • by brenda p

Pamplin Historical Park & The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier combines learning, camaraderie, and fun at its three-day History Day Camps this summer.  Campers experience first-hand how people lived during the American Civil War, both as soldiers and civilians, and programs instill an appreciation of how teamwork and cooperation contribute to success.

“This is a wonderful, hands-on/minds-on experience for both boys and girls, “ says Al Neale, Chief of Education and Visitor Services. “Our campers are fully immersed in learning by doing and their excitement inspires all who observe the program. This is an experience they will never forget and will surely want to repeat.”

Campers are mustered into military service, and they re-enact the life of a Civil War soldier in camp, on the march, on the battlefield, and at home on furlough.  The newly enlisted soldiers drill with wooden rifles, participate in cannon role-play, help prepare and aim a mortar, and conduct a full-scale military exercise.  Campers learn soldier skills, like map reading, sending messages with signal flags and Civil War survival techniques.  Sessions will include crafts, such as making a rifle cartridge, a soldier’s journal, and a tin-punched wall hanging.  Activities also include cultivating and planting a cornfield using 19th-century tools and methods, playing soldier games, and experiencing the fascinating, interactive exhibit, Duty Called Me Here, through the real-life story of 13-year-old drummer boy, Delavan Miller.

This year’s History Day Camp theme for 8-11 year olds is Farm Fields and Battlefields: Exploring Life During the Civil War.  The 12 and 13-year-old theme is Duty and Honor: A Civil War Camp of Discovery.  In addition to all the core camp activities, children ages 12-13 participate in an archaeological dig program, called From Dirt to Display, where they discover how Civil War artifacts are unearthed, cleaned and displayed. The 12 and 13-year-old session also allows campers to learn how Civil War-era newspapers were produced, focusing on how maps and photographs were transferred onto the printed paper, and they produce a print to take home.

“Children today don’t get to use their imaginations enough,” says Elizabeth Barnett, Education and Visitors Services Specialist at Pamplin Historical Park.  “History Day Camp allows the campers to really get into the fun of pretending and they love how real it can feel.  We have kids returning each year because they enjoy the experience and always learn something new.”

Pamplin Historical Park’s History Day Camp three-day session dates for children ages 8-11 years old are June 17 – June 19, June 24 – June 26, July 8 – July 10, July 15 – July 17, July 29 – July 31, and August 5 – August 7.  There is one two-day camp, July 22 – July 23, for children 12-13 years old. 

 Camp begins at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 4:30 p.m.  All activities take place on the campus of Pamplin Historical Park.  History Day Camp costs $100.00 for the three-day sessions and $75 for the two-day sessions.  The payment covers registration, craft materials, a 2008 History Day Camp tee shirt, Union or Confederate kepi (hat), harmonica, haversack, enlistment and discharge papers, and snacks.  Campers are responsible for bringing a lunch each day. 

If you are interested in registering a child for History Day Camp at Pamplin Historical Park, please visit www.pamplinpark.org and fill out the permission slip and medical release form, then mail or fax them to the Park.  For more information, or for paper copies of the forms, please contact Carol Wade, Marketing and Sales Specialist, at 1-877-PAMPLIN or cwade@pamplinpark.org.

May 8, 2008 10:45 AM 0