As the celebration of America’s 250th birthday continues, the Museum of the American Revolution is partnering with the Free Library of Philadelphia to host educational events for area children and their families.
The program, called “The Museum of the American Revolution presents Revolution at the Library!” includes sessions at libraries in Chestnut Hill, Andorra, Germantown and Cedarbrook. The workshops are designed to bring the American Revolution to life using “fun and curiosity-provoking object-, document-, and story-based activities.”
During a session this month at the Chestnut Hill Library, children got an up-close-and-personal lesson about their government.
“We at the museum, we really lean into hands-on learning, so we have some replica objects, one-for-one handmade replicas, exactly what people would be using back in the 1700s,” said Lukas Elisii, a visitor engagement associate with the museum. “What better way for kids to learn about history than to give them a replica of something that somebody was actually using back then and to be able to see it today?”
Elisii, who leads museum tours for children in fourth grade and up, brought various items to share with the children such as copies of the Declaration of Independence, musket ball molds, and Benjamin Franklin’s signature hat. In an hour-long program, Elisii used these items to educate the children on what the Declaration is, why it was created in 1776, and its significance today.
An upcoming session, “Spies of the Revolution,” is geared towards children ages 7-12, and will dive into the history of seemingly ordinary residents who were secretly double agents for the government. Featuring fun puzzles, secret messages and history lessons, the session is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 4, in Chestnut Hill, and will be an exciting look at many of the American heroes that often go unseen.
“Everyone at the museum takes their job really seriously in the work we do,” Elisii said. “Our big goal is to just get kids interested in history, get them exposed to this, and make it something enjoyable for them that’ll hopefully last many, many years into the future.”
More upcoming sessions will be 1 p.m. Aug. 14 at the Wadsworth Library, 1500 Wadsworth Ave., in Cedarbrook; and 1 p.m. Aug. 15 at the Andorra Library, 705 E. Cathedral Road. For more info, visit freelibrary.org and amrevmuseum.org.
