60 Ways to Have a Historical Summer

☀️ 60 Ways to Have a Historical Summer: ☀️
Here are sixty ways to sneak some history into the summer season.

1. Visit your local town or county museum.
2. Visit your local historical society and ask the docent, volunteer, and/or staff person to give you a tour.
3. Conduct an oral history interview with a family member (I have a $4/PDF download for this if you need one, here: https://thehomeschoolhistorian.com/the-heritage-legacy-project/ ) Here is a free resource from the Smithsonian: https://siarchives.si.edu/history/how-do-oral-history
4. Start a family tree on FamilySearch or Ancestry.
5. Take a genealogy class (online, or through the library or your local college).
6. Become familiar with a famous historian. Find out what their contribution is/was to the field of history. (Check out this article for help: https://www.historytoday.com/historians-historians) Read one their most famous works.
7. Look up the history of your house. (Use this for help: https://ask.loc.gov/genealogy-local-history/faq/304931)
8. Memorize the US Presidents in order. (There are several apps for this in the App Store, and you can also order flash cards from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/merka-United-States-Flashcards-Presidents/dp/B08YHB1H5X)
9. Watch The Men Who Built America show (and the Frontiersmen season) on the History channel (also available on YouTube).
10. Locate important trails on a map of the United States. Visit one if you can! (https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationaltrailssystem/national-historic-trails.htm)
11. Visit a museum you’ve never been to before: https://whichmuseum.com/place/united-states-2682
12. Find out where you can see a historical reenactment: be sure to ask the re-enactors questions. https://www.livinghistoryarchive.com/events
13. Visit a Renaissance Faire near you. (Note: They aren’t always the most historically accurate, but they can still be really interesting experiences.)
14. Go to a historical (or archeological, sociological, etc.) lecture at a local library or college.
15. Attend a powwow or indigenous event open to the public. (If you do attend, read this first: https://www.uchealth.org/today/what-is-a-powwow-celebrate-indigenous-culture/)
16. Visit as many historical markers as you can! Many are right along your normal routes. (https://www.hmdb.org/) Find out about what happened in places you visit every day.
17. Become an expert in a historical person, place, or event. Read about it, watch documentaries, and look up primary sources. For inspiration, check out: http://www.whateveryamericanshouldknow.org/
18. Learn about primary sources. What are they? Why are they important to historians? (https://library.shu.edu/primarysources )
19. Take a summer history class a local community college. If you’re still a minor, ask your local historical society what opportunities you may find in your community. Some examples include a living history camp (yes, they exist!) or a local club.
20. Visit the local archives and learn about how—and why—materials are archived. For more information, visit: https://www2.archivists.org/about-archives
21. Ask family members to show you their family photos, especially the oldest images. Learn about the people in them. Make copies using your phone and upload them to an online database (like Ancestry or FamilySearch) for future descendants.
22. Start a journal (and be sure to date it)!
23. Ask your local historical society staff to tell you about the founding members of the town, or notable citizens who have died. Visit them at the local cemetery.
24. Speaking of cemeteries, STOP AT THEM. Look for the oldest headstones. Try to find the most interesting names or epitaphs. Imagine what was happening at the time in which they were alive. (For help doing this, visit: (https://www.gsa.gov/real-estate/historic-preservation/explore-historic-buildings/explore-by-timeline )
25. Interview an elderly person in your family, church, or community. Ask them about their experiences, especially as it relates to specific moments in history. For more information on oral history, visit: https://siarchives.si.edu/history/how-do-oral-history
26. Go antiquing! Specifically, look for items you don’t recognize and ask about them. What was the item used for? Is there a modern equivalent for it? (I have an entire post devoted to using antique stores for educational opportunities here: https://www.facebook.com/share/VYL99tD5RCvjqfWG/?mibextid=WC7FNe )
27. Write a memoir about yourself: https://writers.com/how-to-write-a-memoir
28. Write a biography about someone else: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-a-biography
29. Visit a battlefield—and learn about it before you go. https://www.battlefields.org/visit
30. Read a historical biography: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/historical-biography
31. Watch a historical documentary on something you’ve never heard of before.
32. Learn about the VFW: https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/vfw-magazine/history Reach out to your local VFW and find out ways to support, learn about, and help veterans of foreign wars.
33. Choose a (history-related) international day (or week) to learn about or celebrate from the list of dates from the UN website: https://www.un.org/en/observances/list-days-weeks
34. Make a historical recipe! (Make several and blog about it: you’d be surprised how many people are interested in this subject.) Get inspired here: https://www.theeternaltable.com/historicalrecipes I also recommend the YouTube channels:
    -Tasting History
    -Townsends
    -Great Depression Cooking
    -Historical Italian Cooking
    -How to Cook (Ann Reardon)
    -Glen and Friends
    -MyNameisAndong
    -Ancient Recipes with Sohla
    (And so many more!)
35. Speaking of YouTubers, watch every single video throughout the summer of one of the following (some of my favorites):
    -The Daily Bellringer
    -Adam Norris
    -Heimlers History
    -Ryan Reeves
    -Kings and Generals
    -Fall of Civilizations
    -Mark Felton
    -History with Cy
    -Historia Civilis
    -Epimetheus
    -GeoHistory
    -The Operations Room
    -Extra History
    -Jocz Productions
    -Tom Richey
    (And many more)
36. Learn about the religious history of your town. Which church was established first? How has religious played a role in your community? How has this changed over time? Which denomination is most prevalent? (Bonus: Interview local ministers about their churches, their individual histories, and the way in which their church impacts the place you live.)
37. Start listening to a history podcast. (This is on my personal summer bucket list, and here are a few I’m interested in listening to. Disclaimer: I can’t vouch for these personally yet, and they may not be appropriate for children.)
    -Revolutions (Mike Duncan)
    -The Oldest Stories
    -Fall of Civilizations
    -In Our Time
    -History Hit (I love this network)
    -The Rest is History
    -Conflicted
    -Lions Led By Donkeys
    -A Short History of…
    -The History of Rome (Mike Duncan)
    -History That Doesn’t Suck
    -Ridiculous History
    -You’re Dead to Me
    -Hardcore History (Dan Carlin)
    (And more)
38. Visit the oldest building in your community.
39. Create a time capsule.
40. Learn a handicraft (you know, things people did before screens): weaving, pottery, crochet, knitting, cross stitch, wood carving, calligraphy, embroidery, sewing, macrame, leather working, doll making, etc.
41. Read a classic book, such as one found here: https://www.bookbub.com/blog/classic-books-to-read-in-lifetime-challenge
42. Visit a state fair, then, find out its history: how has it changed? Does it have permanent buildings? When were they built? (For more about fairs, visit: https://fairsandexpos.com/history-of-fairs/ )
43. Learn about the American Charters of Freedom (the most important historical documents in the USA): https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs
44. Find out about the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp) and its importance during the Great Depression. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Civilian-Conservation-Corps Then, find a CCC project in your area! (Note: Chances are, you’ve already benefited from one.) https://www.nps.gov/search/?query=civilian+conservation+corps&sitelimit=%2F&affiliate=nps
45. Try a hairstyle (or makeup look) from another time period.
46. Play a “vintage” childhood game. (I cringe at this because I played a lot of these and I’m 39.)
    -Cops and Robbers
    -Hopscotch
    -Freeze Tag
    -Duck, Duck, Goose
    -Kick the Can
    -Marco Polo
    -Hide-and-Seek
    -Four Square
    -Hula hoop
    -String games (cat’s cradle, etc.)
    -Jumping rope
    -Hand clap games (Mary Mack, Down By the Banks, etc.)
    -“Telephone”
    -Jacks
    -Four Corners
    -London Bridge
    -Red Rover
    -Or, play a vintage video game for free here: https://www.retrogames.cc/ (These only work on a PC.)
47. Watch an old movie, and research the time period in which the story unfolds. (Then, learn about the lives of the stars who acted in it.) My favorite movies include:
    -Meet Me in St Louis
    -Oklahoma
    -Singing in the Rain
    -Casablanca
    -Gone with the Wind
    -The Shop Around the Corner
    -The Godfather (not appropriate for kids)
    (And many more: https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/g18753561/best-classic-movies/)
48. Make a family recipe from scratch.
49. Listen to music from a different time period. (Check these out for inspiration: https://www.activehistory.co.uk/spotify/top_songs.php )
50. If you can’t travel, take a virtual field trip to historical sites: https://www.bookshark.com/blog/american-history-virtual-field-trips
51. Learn where some of the most famous historic sites are located on a map: https://theplanetd.com/best-historical-places/
52. Learn about some of the World Heritage Sites (UNESCO): https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/
53. Camp out in a tent in the backyard—-with no technology—-and tell one of these (not so scary) stories: https://www.campfiremarshmallows.com/campfire-stories/
54. Visit a local car show and check out some vintage cars (just don’t touch!): https://carshowradar.com/ Learn more about the history of the car, visit: https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/automobiles
55. Take a vintage train ride (or visit a local train museum).
56. Press your own wildflowers: https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/kids/activities/preservewildflowers.shtml
57. Start a historic book series, such as Little House on the Prairie, Ann of Green Gables, Little Women (Little Men, Jo’s Boys), The Boxcar Children, etc.
58. Watch an epic/historical movie, then fact-check it. (Note: The following titles may not be appropriate for children, and some include adult language and/or violence. Some are based on real people and/or stories, while some are a combination of several.)
    Examples may include:
    -The Gladiator
    -The Ten Commandments
    -Cleopatra
    -The Patriot
    -Ben-Hur
    -The Imitation Game
    -Gettysburg (1993)
    -One Life (2023)
    -The Passion of the Christ (2004)
    -Flags of Our Fathers (2006)
    -To Kill a Mockingbird
    -Lawrence of Arabia
    -Belle (2013)
    -Titanic
    -Patton
    -Lincoln
    -Last of the Mohicans
    -All Quiet on the Western Front
    -Harriet
    -The Last Samurai
    -The King’s Speech
    -1917 (one of my favorite movies)
    -The Dirty Dozen
    -Hidden Figures
    -Free State of Jones
    -Black Hawk Down
    -Darkest Hour
59. Visit a national park, and learn about their history and importance here: https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/hisnps/npshistory/timeline_annotated.htm
60. Spend a day in a decade! “Summer in the year __” is a fun experiment to see what it was like to experience summer in a particular year. (The easiest and best way to do this is ask someone much older than you what summertime was like for them growing up. Then, try to mimic as many of those elements as possible.) For example: I was born in the mid—80s. A typical summer day for me in the 90s would be to play in the sprinkler and/or slip and slide, eat a popsicle outside, play on the playground, walk to the gas station for a candy bar, read on the front porch, go roller blading, watch cartoons, etc. Someone who grew up in the 1950s would have had a different experience.

Have a GREAT historic summer, everyone!
-The Homeschool Historian