A few months ago, Groupon posted a great deal on a hotel by Colonial Williamsburg. I've been wanting to visit, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity to make the three hour drive, though I felt a little apprehensive about whether or not the kids would like it.
Luckily, Colonial Williamsburg is wonderful with children. Upon arrival, kids receive an adventure map, every time they visit one of the sites on the map a worker hole punches it for them. For children aged 3-6 years old, after they receives four punches they can turn in their maps and receive a free keepsake pin (older children need more stamps to receive the pin). My kids all enjoyed "working" towards the goal of the pin. And Dan and I loved the beautiful scenery and wonderful character actors. I've read so many books from long ago where people talk about walking "to town", so I really enjoyed seeing the layout of a historical town and the size of the plots of land. So depressing to learn that slaves made up 50% of the population in this birthplace of democracy.
A truly wonderful place to visit. If you're interested, tickets cost $39.95 for adults and $20.95 for kids 6 and older (younger children are free). Multi-day tickets are also available for not much more money. Click here for more info.
We opted out of taking the bus and instead started our tour by walking into town. On the upside, this decision allowed us to visit the Great Hopes Plantation, which was very similar to the Frontier Culture Museum and Claude Moore Colonial Farm. The actor in the slave cabin didn't pull any punches, he talked a lot about how awful life was for slaves and women. On the downside, starting an adventure off with a long walk in the heat is a sure way to fussify children.
After arriving in town, we spent a lot of time at the Wythe House, home to a random signer of our Constitution (check it out, his signature was very large). The house set up some basic science experiments and a table for painting, which made the kids happy and curious.
We also played colonial games, bought dolls and hats, and toured the grounds of the Governor's mansion. Eventually a huge storm rolled in so we headed back to the hotel. A good day.
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