American Village

Good morning, friends!

One of the many blessings we’ve enjoyed with homeschooling has been the field trippin’! Some years we get in more field trips than others, but we’re always glad when we do work them into our school year. Fall and spring are our favorite times of the year to plan these fun and educational outings.

Last week some families from our umbrella school went to American Village in Montevallo, Alabama. It’s an easy day trip from where we live so I like to go every couple of years. This was a third visit for my kids and me, but we’ve had a different tour and program each time, so we never tire of it. Each visit there has been absolutely wonderful! This particular day was pretty overcast so my pictures are a little on the gray side.

Besides being a history lover, one of the big draws to American Village for me is the amazing replicas of historic buildings, my favorite being George Washington’s home of Mt Vernon! I visited the real Mt. Vernon several times growing up, and Joel and I have taken our kids once. Visiting American Village always makes me hungry to go back to the real thing!

The grounds at American Village are beautiful and expansive. Our tour took us throughout the entire property and inside most of the buildings.

And speaking of the tour, it was fantastically engaging for children of all ages! Our little group spanned ages six through fourteen and nobody was bored (moms included!)! In fact we were grouped with a couple of other small school groups, one of which had preschool students who took in every bit of the lesssons as well.

During our tour, reenactors dressed in period costume didn’t just present the facts, but pulled students into the scenes to make them a part of the story.

Our kids became patriot spies, threw tea overboard at the Boston Tea Party, and rode along with Paul Revere in warning the minutemen that the British were coming! Incredi-Boy was super excited to be one of the minutemen who fought off the redcoats.

We marched through the cobblestone streets chanting with our tomahawks, “Raise your axes! Tell King George we’ll pay no taxes on his foreign tea!”

This is where history really comes alive for me! Growing up, most of our family vacations were to historic locations. I do love to read, but I honestly remember more from those historic tours than from the text books. There was something about stepping back in time, putting on my mob cap, and becoming a girl from that time period, utilizing all my senses, that really made an impression on me! If I could feel it, see it, taste it, smell it, and hear it…I was all there! I’ve been told by more than one person that I was born in the  wrong century. Heehee!

Ok, back to the tour. The attention to detail in the building designs was really impressive!

Oh, and I loved this barn!

Part of our program included colonial games on the lawn. The students learned about trap ball and hoop rolling.

It’s harder than it looks! They had relay races and it got pretty funny.

When our formal program was complete, we were allowed to explore the grounds, visit the gift shop, and enjoy our picnic lunch. And what a gorgeous spot for a picnic!! The other school groups had cleared out and we had the whole area to ourselves. It was perfect for letting the kids run off some energy before packing back in the van for the trip back home.

I’m leaving you with my favorite photo of the day! I love everything that this scene has to offer! The architecture, the scalloped picket fence, the boxwood garden, and the spring buds on the trees!

Another mom and I commented on how lovely it would be to sit in that garden all afternoon with a book and cup of tea. Non-taxed tea, of course!

*****

Thanks for field trippin’ with us today. Tomorrow’s post is all about strawberries!! And have I got some recipes for you!