When we went to the Sharon Woods Heritage Village last month, my ten-year-old daughter admitted that she liked field trips with an "old-timey" theme to them. Needless to say, I've been on the lookout ever since for opportunities that might spark her interest in history even more.
Now that the weather has warmed up some more, we have all be itching to get out and do some things that don't involve baseball.
GRASSY RUN HERITAGE RENDEZVOUS
One event I've intended to go to for several years is the Grassy Run Heritage Rendezvous. One nice thing about this event is that it is held in our home county, so we don't have that far of a drive. Another nice thing is that they have a school day set aside so that local students can come and learn history in a more hands-on way. Kids will learn about life in 1700's Ohio and will see all sorts of crafts and costumed interpreters taking part in this living history encampment. Living History encampments are pretty cool, as we witnessed when we attended Days of Knightslast fall, since the folks all have a passionate interest in their area of expertise.
The school day for this year will be Friday, April 24 from 9am to 3pm. The website doesn't specify if there is a discount on admission for the school day. However, regular admission is $5 for adults (over age 14), and $2 for children between the ages of 6 and 14. The general public can attend on the weekend. All information and directions are at the link above.
On a more personal note, this event is held very close to the area where my father-in-law's ancestors settled in the early 1800s, so I'll be sure to point out the family history connections to the kids.
BUTTERFLY SHOW @ KROHN CONSERVATORY
We have gone to the butterfly show at Krohn a few times in the past. I personally love walking into the conservatory that has been turned into a butterfly house and having beautiful insects flitting around me; however, some of the kids are not as fond of the experience as I am.
Cate thoroughly enjoyed the experience a few years ago, so I thought we'd go back this year. The theme this year is Butterflies of the Philippines. The show, which began on April 3 and will go until June 21, is open daily from 10am to 5pm. Admission is $7 for adults and $4 for children over the age of 4. Homeschool groups (of 10 or more) can register online to get a slight discount ($1 off admission for students). However, it might be easier for individual families to download the coupon which gives $1 off any admission and is good for up to four people. Directions and other information can be found at the link at the top of this section.
OTHER PLACES OF INTEREST
- Fort Ancient ($6/$5, closed Mondays, see site for hours)
- Sunwatch Village ($6/$4, closed Mondays, see site for hours)
- Armstrong Air and Space Museum ($8/$4, see site for hours)
- U.S. Grant birthplace ($3/$1.50, open April-Oct. Wed-Sun. see site for hours)
- Harriet Beecher Stowe House (FREE! open May-Nov. 10am-1pm)
- William Howard Taft National Historic Site (FREE! )
- Ohio History Center ($10 (over 12)/$5 (6-12), Wed.-Sun., see site for hours, consider a membership to gain access to other sites throughout Ohio for free)
OUT OF TOWN
This weekend I'm heading to Atlanta for a baseball tournament with one of the boys. If we have time between games, I'm hoping to meet up with a homeschooling friend and check out some of the trips suggested by Tricia over at HodgePodge.
We visited Stone Mountain a couple of years ago when we were there for a week-long tournament, so I doubt we'll repeat that. We might hit the World of Coca-Cola since there will only be two of us, or maybe we'll take a gander at one of the many Civil War battlefields in the area. Naturally, this all depends on the game schedule!
Next month we're heading to Grand Park, in Westfield, IN. Many years ago, sometime during our first years of homeschooling, I took the kids to Conner Prairie. This interactive history park is a really cool place to visit and since it's only about twenty minutes from the baseball venue, I am seriously thinking about visiting again. It is kind of spendy at $16 for anyone over age 12, and $11 for kids 2-12. For our family, it would be reasonable to just purchase a family membership. I'm always on the lookout for fun and interesting place to visit when we're on a baseball road trip.
What are some of your favorite places to visit?
