Cabinet of Curiosities
A popular 19th-century decoration was the Cabinet of Curiosities. The cabinet would generally hold natural artifacts displayed together and intended to be taken out to show visitors. While exploring our grounds, find natural artifacts to put into the class cabinet of curiosities that can be taken with or left at Davies. This activity is a great way to talk about interacting with nature as well as introducing a fun 19th-century hobby. Additional $2/ student material fee if taking "cabinet."

Ages: Any

Adult Participation: Required

Group Size: Any

Time: 15 minutes

Natural Journal
Explore our 37 acres by taking plant rubbings and drawings of the world around you. Discover the differences between various plants and learn a little about what people thought these plants could do to help them. Each student will be given a simple journal and a pencil to take rubbings and drawings in as they go from station to station about the grounds highlighting specific plants and objects as well as any other plant or object they find that they wish to record. Additional $1/ student material fee.

Ages: Any

Adult participation: Required

Group size: Any

Time: 20-30 minutes, would do this instead of a simple ground tour

Bees!
We have three hives of bees at Davies that we will introduce to you. Using our observation hive, students will get a look into the busy beehive while discussing the important role of bees in nature.

Ages: Any

Adult Participation: None

Group Size: Any

Time: 20-30 minutes

Pioneer Fiber Arts Presentation
Starting with the cottonseed, we take students through all the steps from seed to clothing. We give students a handful of cotton to aid the demonstration and ask them to try to get the seed out while discussing the difficulty early farmers had and the inventions that make it so much easier today. Then we demonstrate the methods of carding, spinning, and weaving that eventually bring us to cloth production.

Ages: All, may go more or less in-depth with age

Adult Participation: none, (generally find interesting)

Group Size: Less than 40

Time: 20- 30 minutes

Twig Looms
This activity can be done with the Pioneer Fiber Arts Presentation or as a single activity. These are looms made out of twigs and yarn that can be taken home at the end of the trip. There is an additional $1/ student materials fee.

Ages: 8 and up

Adult Participation: Limited

Group Size: Less than 30 students

Time: 10- 20 minutes

Upcycled Drop Spindles
This activity can be done with the Pioneer Fiber Arts Presentation, the Twig Looms, or both. We will present students with a homemade drop spindle and describe how it was made. Then the students can attempt to spin yarn for themselves. It is not as easy as it looks.

Ages: 8 and up

Adult Participation: Limited

Group Size: Less than 30 students

Time: 10- 15 minutes

Whirligig
A whirligig was a toy made for children in the nineteenth century out of colored paper or cardboard cut in a spiral and tied to a string that, when spun around, makes interesting shapes in the air. We use paper plates with the spiral pre-drawn on them. The students color whatever design they wish and then either cut on the line or get assistance doing so, hole punch a hole, and tie a string to it.

Ages: 8 and under

Adult participation: Limited, cutting and hole punch

Group Size: Any

Time: 15 minutes

Button Spinners
A button spinner is a button threaded on a string that can be made to move in an almost hypnotic fashion.

Ages: 8 and under

Adult Participation: Limited

Group Size: Under 40

Time: 10 minutes

Parlor Games
What did people do for entertainment before the internet or tv? In this activity, we will lead your group through some vintage parlor games. Both children and adults will enjoy these whacky games.

Ages: Any

Adult Participation: Preferred

Group Size: Any

Time: 25-30 minutes

Making Music
Pioneers often made their own musical instruments to pass the time, especially in the middle of winter when there was nothing else to do. In this activity, children will get to try making their own instruments out of objects we'll provide. All "instruments" are simple enough that they can be made at home again at a later date.

Age: Any

Adult Participation: Preferred

Group size: Any

Time: 20-25 minutes

Lincoln Logs
A great way to discuss different pioneer building practices, we generally set these up in view of the multiple outbuildings. This allows guides and teachers to point out the different methods of construction and allow students to attempt some building themselves.

Ages: Any

Adult Participation: Limited

Group Size: Less than 25

Time: 15- 20 minutes

Writing with Quills
For this activity, students get to try writing with quills. It can be combined with the Letter Writing activity as well or done on its own.

Ages: Any

Adult Participation: Limited

Group Size: Any

Time: 20 minutes

Letter Writing
Letter Writing is a possible continuation of Writing with Quills. For Letter Writing, students first write a letter with a quill pen and then are shown how the letter would have been folded and then sealed with wax to send it. We provide sealing wax and stamps. To clarify, sealing letters with wax requires melting the sealing wax. The sealing wax has wicks that must be lit to melt it- this would need teacher participation to light all the wicks.

Ages: 9 and up

Adult Participation: None

Group Size: Any, but groups 50+ need over a month of notice to ensure we have a supply of the sealing wax

Time: Additional 20 minutes to Writing with Quills

Pioneer Chores
We can offer a hands-on look at some of the chores pioneer children would have done. This works especially well if the class is reading a specific book that mentions chores. Chores like laundry, darning, gardening, and others can be done. If there are other specific chores, please ask if we would be able to offer them, as we may be able to work something out.

Ages: Any

Adult Participation: Limited

Group Size: Any

Time: Depends on the number of chores

19th Century Kitchen
We will make one "dish" together to look at the many steps required in cooking in this time period. Generally, this will include making butter and a simple baked good to go with it. We will also look at other facets of cooking, as the need for wood and the different types of stoves used throughout this period. Additional $3/ student materials fee.

Ages: Any

Adult Participation: Required

Group Size: Under 20

Time: 30-40 minutes

Corn Can
Follow the journey corn could make. We start with ears of corn that children feed through our cornhusker. Some are fed to animals on the grounds, some are saved for planting, and some go on to become lunch. Try using a mortar and pestle to grind the corn and then taste some corn-based foods to finish. $2/ student materials fee.

Age: Any

Adult Participation: Preferred

Group Size: Under 50

Time: 20-25 minutes

Civil War Trunk
For those visiting Davies learning about the Civil War, we offer out Civil War Traveling Trunk. Available on its own (see Traveling Trunk brochure), the Civil War trunk can be set up during a field trip to provide hands-on materials relating to the Civil War as well as other discussions about the war.

Ages: Any

Adult Participation: Limited

Group size: Any

Time: 15- 20 minutes

Book Spotlight
If a specific book is your reason for visiting Davies Manor, we do have areas where your group can sit and discuss the book. This can be combined with lunch or as its own activity. Generally, our guides would step back and let the group or groups discuss by themselves, moderated by the adults of the group.

Ages: Any

Adult Participation: Required

Group Size: Any

Time: Depends on the depth of analysis

A Discussion of Slavery
Available for any age but best suited for middle to high school groups, this activity would use our new exhibit "Omitted in Mass" for an in-depth discussion about slavery here at the manor, in the region, and in the South in general. This discussion can be limited to a discussion or can also be supplemented with copies of slave documents from our archives. This can also be combined with the next activity, Oral Histories.

Ages: Any

Adult Participation: Limited

Group Size: Any

Time: 20 minutes discussion

40 minutes discussion and documents

Oral Histories
Using some clips from our oral history archives, we discuss what role oral histories play in historical research and discuss the chosen theme of the clips. Some themes include how the area has changed, the racial divide in the 1950s and 1960s, and other possible topics as well.

Ages: 10 and up

Adult Participation: None

Group Size: Any

Time: 30-45 minutes

Lunch
We have a couple of picnic tables as well as several picnic spots in shade or sunshine where blankets can be laid. This does not necessarily have to be an activity during the tour; it can be done at the end as one group. We just ask that the students are watched, so they do not endanger themselves, others, or the grounds.

Ages: Any

Adult Participation: Required

Group Size: Any

Time: Depends