Civil War Living History Lesson

This is one of our crazy-busy seasons, and I just noticed I've missed posting some of our fun. At the end of March we took the kids to Camp Ford, a Civil War POW camp which is now a historic park. There was a "living history" weekend happening, and we all enjoyed seeing the exhibits. The first stop was a bit creepy -- it was set up to show the tools used by field medics. The kids asked, "Why is your apron so bloody?" "What is that big knife for?" "Why is there a pile of bleeding arms and legs next to the table?" "Why is there a big plastic fly on that big plastic poop?" The man dressed as a doctor answered all of the questions.

All four kids enjoyed the table that showed Civil War era toys for children. The added bonus was that they were allowed to play with them, too. Maddie was fascinated by the different types of dolls, Jon enjoyed swinging a toy with a weight that made chicks seem to peck at seeds, Will swung a wooden axe, Ben spotted the toy guns. 

 There were some cannons at the camp that the men set off every couple of hours. Here is one of the soldiers watching and waiting for the bang.

Here are my kiddos waiting for the bang (... and not too thrilled with the noise.)

Though most people dressed the part, the highway is right behind the fence. The oil tankers and SUVs driving by reminded us that this is definitely a different time-period.

All in all, it was a great way to spend a few hours on a Saturday morning. The event was free, it was educational, it was quality time outside in beautiful weather. We may just have to add it to our calendar for next year, too.