Registration To Begin For Summertime At The Village

by Melissa Allen, Student Newswriter

Children, ages 3-18, can participate in a variety of fun programs during Summertime at the Village at Baylor University's Gov. Bill and Vara Daniel Historic Village. Open registration will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, April 13. A special registration day is available for members of the Strecker Associates on Friday, April 12.
Barnyard Buddies, which introduces the wonder of the animal life on a farm, is for children 2 to 3 years old. Classes will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. June 17-21 and again on June 24-28. Participants will visit with the various village animals and participate in games, crafts, singing, finger plays and stories. Each child must be accompanied by an adult. The fee for Barnyard Buddies is $40 and is limited to 10 participants.
Life on the Farm, for children in pre-school through kindergarten, will be held from 9 to 11:30 a.m. on June 3-7 and again on June 10-14. Children will be able to experience life on an 19th-century farm by working in the garden, planting seeds and churning butter. Crafts, plays and singing also will be available. Parents will be invited to an ice cream social and tour on the last day of the program. The fee for Life on the Farm is $60 and is limited to 10 participants.
A Visit to Pleasant Lawn gives children entering the second through the fourth grade the opportunity to experience what life was like for the residents of the Historic Village more than 100 years ago. The program will be held from 9 to 11:30 a.m. on June 3-7 and again June 10-14. Participants will receive a desktop-published book featuring photographs and text which they have written chronicling their adventures. The fee is $75 and is limited to 10 participants.
Summer Days is for children entering the first through the fourth grade and will be held from 9 to 11:30 a.m. on June 17-21 and again June 24-28. Children will be able to enjoy the carefree days of a Victorian summer, by crafting 19th-century toys, fishing from the dock, making beanbags, stenciling marble bags and painting corncob checkers. The fee for Summer Days is $60 and is limited to 12 participants.
Children will experience a week-long discovery trek through the various methods archaeologists, architects, historians and museum curators use to document and interpret our cultural heritage during Keepers of the Treasure. The class will be held from 9 to 11:30 a.m. June 3-7 and is open to children entering the fifth through the seventh grade. Participants will conduct an archaeological dig and learn how to "read" a historic building to discover its age. The fee for Keepers of the Treasure is $60 and is limited to 14 participants.
Huckleberry Summer, geared for children entering the fourth through the sixth grade, will explore life along the river in a Texas rural farm community. The class will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on July 8-12. Program activities will include making home-made ice cream, learning about bee-keeping, making a gourd birdhouse, tending the garden and sampling the harvest. The week ends with a country picnic that parents are invited to attend. The fee for Huckleberry Summer is $90 and is limited to 14 participants.
Melodrama Theater Camp is for children entering the fifth through the eighth grade. This three-week class will be held from 9 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. on July 8-12, 15-19 and 22-26. Participants will join a cast of characters who will recreate a late Victorian style drama. The class will culminate with a public performance of the play in the Historic Village on Friday evening, July 26. The fee for Melodrama Theater Camp is $150 and is limited to 12 participants.
The Heritage Society is for young adults ages 12 to 18. Three sessions of the three-week class will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Each class is limited to 15 participants. This junior volunteer program was developed by the Gov. Bill and Vara Daniel Historic Village. It is designed to provide opportunities for the young adults to assist in the museum's educational programs, special events, summer camps and historical interpretation. There is no charge for participation in the Society, but it is limited to 15 people. Selection is competitive and is based on applications, references and an interview. Applications are due by May 15.
Payment for all the summer programs can be made in cash or check to the Historic Village. All participants enrolled in the programs will receive a camp T-shirt.
Registration can be made in person at the Gov. Bill and Vara Daniel Historic Village Town Hall, 1218 S. University Parks Dr. To register by mail, reservations and payment must be postmarked between April 13 and May 21. Registration is confirmed upon the receipt of the registration form and payment.
For more information about the summer programs or the Heritage Society, contact the Gov. Bill and Vara Daniel Historic Village at (254) 710-1160.