Which CW historic buildings good for kids?

Hi,

Within historic Williamsburg, any recommendations for which buildings or houses might be more interesting than others for 5 and 8 yr.-olds?

Jamestown is probably more interesting for kids, if you have any recommendations for what exhibits to see there too, it would be much appreciated. (:

Thanks!

Which CW historic buildings good for kids?

For CW, check the website or ask when you arrive, to see if specific activities are going on for kids: the Powell House used to have things set up for kids to do. When you go to Jamestown (the one with the ships), there will plenty of hands-on activities there. They will be able to get on the ships, climb the gun mounts at the fort, investigate the Indian village, etc.

Which CW historic buildings good for kids?

For CW, the peruke maker (wig-maker), printer, bookbinder, blacksmith, gunsmith, cabinet-maker - in short, in any of the trade shops that demonstrate how things were done (and are still being done in CW).

As always Zooey is on target about the trades, after our visit this past weekend our boys, who are a little older, also liked the Palace tour. Also check your calendar of events for the week and look for Revolutionary City and what children activities are being done (think marked in yellow in guide you get w/your tickets)

Jamestown is laid out so you make a loop to see all the exhibits as well they have a large indoor museum type exhbition but it is very well done even if the kids aren%26#39;t reading all the historical significance. Found the movies at all sites except the Williamsburg visitor center to be well done and informative for the kids.

Enjoy.

Yep, Jamestowne Settlement is great for kids....and adults!! I love it. If you go to Jamestowne Historic Island, try to stop at the glasshouse, which is right before you get to the island. The kids and you would probably like to see the glassblowers, very interesting. And maybe take the loop drive, you might see some bald eagles and lots of egrets.

Haha, I found 2boys comment funny, what%26#39;s the matter, you don%26#39;t like Jack Lord?? Book %26#39;em Danno!!! haha.

Anyway, saminats, have a great time.

We were lucky enough to visit the brickyard last June--kids could take off their shoes and slosh around in the mud to help prepare the mud for making bricks. Definitely a memorable experience! The new farm that they are working on right across from the Visitors Center was also a hit with your little ones, as well as the garden. And, although the Governor%26#39;s Palace tour got to be too long for our youngest (2), the gardens were a highlight.

Children in your age group will love a visit to the Powell House in CW. During this season it is only open on weekends but will be open daily when schools are out. Interpreters involve modern children in the lives of eighteenth century children by letting them work in the garden, help in the kitchen using period utensils, prepare for the midday meal, learn their lessons from the family tutor, or play period games in the afternoon. Mornings are the best times to visit. Its great fun for adults too.

A new program for kids called ';Rev It Up'; precedes Rev City at 3:00 p.m. each day behind the coffeehouse ruins. Usually a character from the past arouses kids%26#39; interest in the forthcoming events of Rev City. There are numerous programs each day for kids at the museums that involves them in touring the displays and in creating their own artwork. A program called Wee Folks is geared to the 5-7 year old group. Of course, as mentioned, many of the trade shops, like the foundry, have hands-on activities for children. CW is really making an effort to provide more interesting activities for children. In keeping with the portrayal of 18th century life, children have been neglected in the past at CW. In colonial days, children were seen and not heard and young children were kept at home and did not venture into the lives of adults. Since families are the focus of CW now, more programs are being produced to appeal to kids as well as adults. Except, of course, two/three year olds. They are just too young to be part of many activites anywhere, even BG or Disney, and parents should keep this in mind when planning their vacations. A two year old can spoil a vacation for the whole family if this fact is not kept in mind during planning.

We just returned from a visit to CW and the Jamestowns. We skipped tours of buildings unless we were in them for an activity we thought our children, 8 year-old boys, would enjoy. Their favorites were:

1. Yard of Geddy House -- swing just like in the book ';Mary Geddy%26#39;s Day,'; rope toss, hoops and sticks.

2. Music programs -- one in the Mary Stith House, the other in the Raleigh. The kids liked the first program better because the talks between songs were essentially the same at both even though the musical selections were different.

3. Kitchen, cellars, grounds (maze and ice house) and wheelwright at the Palace

4. Weaver behind the Wythe House (very engaging interpreter)

5. Wigmaker (hilarious interpreter: ';Exit through the rear door, if you please, I can%26#39;t have you going out the front with your hair chopped up like that...';

6. Gunsmith

7. Great Hopes plantation, especially the shingle maker

8. Brickyard

9. Gaol

10. Milliner

11. Cabinetmaker (harpsichord and watching wood being planed)

12. Blacksmith at Jamestown Settlement. We could hardly tear one of my boys away from this. The blacksmith at CW wasn%26#39;t as interesting because they were smelting iron in the yard rather than working at the forge the day we visited.

13. Fifes and drums

14. Animals, especially the sheep

15. Magazine

16. Business as Usual at the Raleigh program. Up close and personal with two pairs of interpreters. My kids enjoyed it but they%26#39;d just studied the colonial period in school -- others might not.

Other hits were the Crystal Concert and evening programs -- Papa Said, Mama Said; African-American Music at Great Hopes Plantation; and Dance, Our Dearest Diversion.

Great ideas! Thanks! Where are the coffeehouse ruins? I%26#39;m not finding that on a map.

The Coffeehouse ruins are at the east end of Duke of Gloucester Street, near both the Raleigh Tavern and the Gaol.

Hi,

We just returned from our Williamsburg vacation with our 3 boys, ages 6,8, and 9, and the BEST ';building'; at CW was the Brick Maker. It was a little off the beaten path, but the man giving the demonstration was the BEST and he was very interactive with the kids.