Living History Experiences
What is “Living History?”
A Living History experience is a thoughtfully planned immersion into a specific time period or event in to help students truly experience a moment in history.
What are the Elements of a Living History Experience?
There are a few elements for making a successful living history day. Not all are required, but these really do make an experience come alive.
Period dress
Setting or location transformation
Being addressed as persons from that time
Activities to reenact those of the time
Whether you go on a field trip or recreate a moment in history at home, dressing yourself and the environment is a way for them to connect visually. Students can really see and feel the contrast between the time they are studying and the time they live in. It’s really fun to use special names of the time, most children find it silly but will remember for years to come. And, of course, there are many hands-on activities that will reinforce learning, participation and excitement.
Where to Find Living History Experiences
The perfect living history experience can be found by searching near you, at specific historical locations, or by creating your own! Here are some tips for finding already planned experiences that you can join:
Check museums, historical landmarks, historical venues, and privately owned properties that may offer living history experiences
Search “living history” and your location on the internet - you may get some results with places offering experiences
Search the internet for a specific historical time period or event and add living history to see if there are offerings
Using the elements above, you can design your very own living history day for your family, friends or co-op! We suggest searching for inspiration on Pinterest!
3 Reasons Why Living History is a Favorite:
There are 3 simple reasons why Living History are a favorite experience for our children. They are:
Fun!
Memorable
Reinforces learning
Ideas for Living History Experiences
Now, we have some fun ideas for you to consider for your homeschool!
Gold mining - pan for gold, set up a miners camp, eat a miners meal around the fire
Civil War Reenactment - have someone teach about the lead up to the civil war, discuss both sides, have students choose a side, pick a battle to reenact
Colonial Days - learn about the early colonies, discuss life leading up to the revolution (loyalist or patriot?), candle dipping, cider pressing, play period games
Greek Olympics - dress the part, chariot races, track & field events: long jump, running, javelin toss, discus throw, eat Greek food
Wild West Experience - visit a ghost town, go on the Grand Canyon Train, visit a working ranch
The possibilities are endless! We hope you create some amazing memories in your homeschool.
