School Programs

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Colonial Kids

Program Length: Varies; each activity runs approximately 20-30 minutes
Grade Level: K - 2

Choose from any of the four activities below to create your in-class program. Activity decisions cannot be changed on the day of your visit.  

  • Colonial Games: Though life in the colonial era was much more difficult than it is today, children still had downtime between schoolwork and chores to play games! Students will have the opportunity to compare and contrast the games they play today with those of the colonial period through discussion with the museum educator and hands-on play time with Historic Huguenot Street’s collection of reproduction colonial games.  

  • Investigation Station: Through thoughtful questioning and the use of (almost!) all of their senses, students will investigate a collection of reproduction, colonial era household objects in order to determine their purpose and uses in the average 18th century home. This activity will culminate in a discussion about the objects’ uses, how they differ or compare to modern household tools, and how students were able to determine the purpose of each object. Use of sight, hearing, touch, and smell highly encouraged for this activity. Use of taste strictly prohibited.  

  • Life Before New Paltz: Through the hands-on analysis of reproduction Indigenous cultural items, students will have the opportunity to learn all about the lives and culture of the Esopus Munsee people of the Lenape nation. The reproduction items will guide students through a discussion with the museum educator about the social and political structure of Esopus Munsee tribes, the responsibilities delegated to different members of the community, how their day to day activities shifted with the seasons, and the consequences of colonization and displacement on this group following European contact. Students will also have the opportunity to look at a replica Esopus Munsee wigwam, the dwelling traditionally lived in by this group. 

  • Virtual Stone House Tour: Through first person footage, students will have the opportunity to step inside this three hundred year old stone home and learn about its inhabitants in the mid-1700s, including the Hasbrouck family and four enslaved Africans. Students will have the opportunity to answer and pose questions during the tour, directly engaging with one another and the museum educator in order to learn about life in colonial New Paltz as it compares to their lives today.  

*Adaptations and modifications are made for the needs of your class depending on age and ability.     

Standards and Common Core Alignment

NYS Social Studies Standard 1
NYS English Standards 1, 4
W.CCR.4: Production and Distribution of Writing
SL.CCR.1: Comprehension and Collaboration