What Will Your Family Build at the History Clubhouse?

History isn’t always a favorite subject among kids. It’s no wonder – classroom textbooks tend to be pretty dry, and rarely make the people and places of the past come alive in a vivid way that intrigues today's kids.   
 
But at the Missouri History Museum, history is anything but boring. The museum boasts a variety of programs and events geared specifically to children, and they are all designed to engage even the youngest visitors through hands-on activities and adventures.
 
And as part of 250 in 250 – St. Louis’ very special birthday celebration – the Missouri History Museum is working on a brand new project, one that St. Louis families get to build themselves.  
 
A Project Just For Families
 
The History Clubhouse gallery, where children will be able to explore different aspects of St. Louis history – without getting bored – is scheduled to open at the Missouri History Museum in 2015. Five of the St. Louis area’s favorite places will be featured: Cahokia, the Mississippi River, Soulard Market, Forest Park and downtown St. Louis.
 
What exactly will be included in the gallery? Well, that’s up to us, because St. Louis kids and families are invited to help build it. From March 29 through October 6, 2014, a History Clubhouse: Let’s Build It! exhibit will be open during regular museum hours, and five special Let’s Build the History Clubhouse weekends are scheduled throughout the year.     
 
“During each of the five Let’s Build the History Clubhouse weekends, families will enjoy music by Radio Disney and other local musicians, movement workshops, museum-wide scavenger hunts, label-writing workshops, crafts, mural paintings with St. Louis artist Cbabi Bayoc and more,” says Lindsay Newton, the Missouri History Museum’s Youth and Family Programs Manager.
 
“These weekends are 100 percent geared towards children and families, as is the History Clubhouse: Let’s Build It! exhibit,” Newton continues. “We are celebrating different areas of our city and providing opportunities for them to connect to history through fun and interactive experiences – nothing about the gallery or the weekend events is hands-off at all!”
 
Newton notes that these weekends are designed for families with kids ages 10 and under, and indicates that while certain activities will be more suitable for big kids, others will be great for preschool age. All kids who attend will also receive collectible hard hats and stickers for helping with the project.
 
History Clubhouse Weekends: Dates and Details
 
Each of the History Clubhouse weekends will focus on a different St. Louis place to be featured in the gallery, and will give families an opportunity to learn about St. Louis history in a fun, hands-on way. Families can bring their own pictures to be matted and hung, and various community organizations related to each location will be present. Much of the artwork and projects that kids complete during these weekends will hang permanently in the History Clubhouse gallery.  
 
All events during the History Clubhouse weekends are free, but high attendance is expected, so arrive early and don’t be surprised to find a crowd. Opening weekend festivities celebrating Downtown St. Louis are set to kick off on March 29 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and continue on March 30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
 
Some of the special events scheduled for the upcoming Downtown St. Louis weekend include:  

• Visits from team mascots like Fredbird and Louie.
• Vehicles from around the city – like fire engines, street sweepers and food trucks – will be invited to park outside the museum for Touch-A-Truck.
• Organizations like the Arch and Campbell House will be on hand.
• Kids will get to help create a skyscraper out of cardboard boxes as a recycled art project.
• Make-and-take workshops, mural painting workshops and dancing, singing and games with Radio Disney will all be part of the fun.

 
Other History Clubhouse weekends scheduled for 2014 are:
 
May 3 and 4: Mississippi River. Learn all about steamboats and life on the Mississippi in the mid-1800’s.   
 
June 20 and 21: Forest Park. This weekend celebrates Forest Park during the time of the 1904 World’s Fair, so expect ice cream cones, carriage rides and ragtime piano music as part of the fun.
 
 July 18 and 19: Soulard Market. Fresh produce, representatives from local farmer’s markets, farm animal puppets and a petting zoo are all part of this weekend, which celebrates the rich history of the Soulard Market.
 
September 6 and 7: Cahokia. This weekend commemorates the ancient city of Cahokia. Interactive presentations by experts from Cahokia Mounds will be among the highlights.  
 
“We literally can’t wait to see what families come up with during these weekends,” says Newton. “We’re excited to hear their ideas and see what’s created.”
 
To learn more about each of the Let’s Build the History Clubhouse Weekends, and see how your family can participate in this amazing project, visit www.mohistory.org.