Recommended Website:
Colonial Williamsburg, Kids’ Zone
(Note: Younger children will need help reading the text.)
Did you ever wonder what life was really like in Williamsburg in colonial
days? Wonder no longer! At this Colonial Williamsburg Foundation website,
founded in part by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., you can try the “Games &
Activities” to chase chickens and sheep, write with a virtual quill pen, and
play a matching game with Hodgepodge cards (that feature characters
contorting themselves into the shapes of 24 of the letters of the alphabet).
Save a colonist from the stocks by winning at Hangman and try other games
and activities as well.
Older students can go to “Explore and Learn” (located on the horizontal menu
at the top of the page) and click around. In this section, you can:
- Listen to re-created interviews with many different people who lived in
Colonial Williamsburg. - Look at photos of many places and learn their historic significance.
- Study some actual maps made in colonial times.
- Enjoy a variety of slideshows, including a fashion show, the seasons,
colonial games, scenes from various trades, and the steps colonists took to
turn a live gobbler into a mouth-watering dish.
You can also try the daily colonial scene jigsaw puzzle, listen to colonial
history-related podcasts (or view the transcripts), download some
picturesque wallpaper, or add Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, and period
music ringtones to your cell phone (or listen to them online). More
interactive games can also be found under “Multimedia.” There is plenty here
to explore… and learn!
Note: The electronic fieldtrips videos which can be viewed onsite for free
are actually promotional ads to encourage schools to purchase access for
their students. This site also features a museum store.
Enjoy!
