This site is an archive of ChiotsRun.com. For the latest information about Susy and her adventrures, visit the Cultivate Simple site.
Thank you for all your support over the years!

Historic Zoar Homeschool Days

April 28th, 2012

Yesterday I met my sister and my nieces/nephew down in Historic Zoar Village for their homeschool days. The kids had a great time and really enjoyed the educational exhibits. The blacksmith shop was a huge hit, the kids were especially interested in that process (probably since there was fire involved). They also visited the wagon shop, the bakery, the garden center, the historic center and the dairy. Here are some of the things we saw:















The kids especially loved the hands on nature of the day, they got to use their hands for: kneading bread, wool rug hooking, using a manual lathe, making bird seed pine cones and so much more (head on over to Flickr for more photos of the day). Zoar has so many wonderful festivals and interesting things going on throughout the year, they also offer classes on everything from blacksmithing to weaving. Behind the Fences is their annual garden which I’d love attend, but I always seem to be booked for the date and haven’t been able to make it. Someday perhaps, I’ll just head down to walk around the town looking at the lovely gardens.

If you had to pick a manual trade to do for the rest of your life which would it be? I’m pretty sure you know mine would be gardening, though baking would come in a close second.

11 Comments to “Historic Zoar Homeschool Days”
  1. Deb on April 28, 2012 at 5:54 am

    What time period is this? I do first person living history interpreting for 1847 near where I live. I’ve been volunteering for 8 yrs. now in the house doing 1847 things which I have done in real life as a child mostly, but I’ve never forgotten.
    Love it.

    Reply to Deb's comment

    • Susy on April 28, 2012 at 8:04 am

      The original Zoar Village was founded in 1817. It was a village of separatist Zoarites and this was their communal living village. Every time we go (which we do several times a year) we learn more and more about their history. I’ve never seen the dairy or blacksmith shop before so it was great to be able to see that during this trip.

      Reply to Susy's comment

  2. daisy on April 28, 2012 at 6:28 am

    What a fascinating place! That’s one of the things I look forward to visiting when we move further north, is these type of historical places. Nothing like that here.
    I’m curious about the barrel turned on it’s side…what’s that used for?
    Washing machine? Giant butter churn? Do tell…

    Gardening, basketry or carpentry all suit me!

    Reply to daisy's comment

    • Susy on April 28, 2012 at 6:40 am

      Giant butter churn, now I could make some serious butter in that!

      Reply to Susy's comment

  3. Kathi Cook on April 28, 2012 at 6:36 am

    I love visiting these kinds of places. In Mass. my favorite one is Sturbridge Village (re-creation of a mid 1800’s village). I have still never been to Plimouth Plantation in Mass,but it is on my to do list.Nice pictures. Great place to bring kids,it makes it so much more enjoyable.

    Reply to Kathi Cook's comment

  4. Tonya @ The Traveling Praters on April 28, 2012 at 10:29 am

    I visited Zoar Village several years ago with my children for the homeschool day. We all enjoyed it and yes, the blacksmith shop was a favorite for my family as well. Beautiful pictures! Glad to see that your outing was fun and educational! :)

    Reply to Tonya @ The Traveling Praters's comment

  5. stefaneener on April 28, 2012 at 10:59 am

    Looks like a lot of our homeschooling adventures. Hands-on learning is always more fun.

    Reply to stefaneener's comment

  6. KimH on April 29, 2012 at 9:12 am

    How fun.. I’ve never been to Zoar, but the Geauga Co Historical Society have very much the same type of presentation at the Apple Butter Festival every year. There isnt as much hands on though.. only in the weaving house that Im aware of. Its one of our favorite fall excursions.

    If I had to do one manual trade, it would be a healer/gardener.

    Reply to KimH's comment

  7. Josie on April 29, 2012 at 2:00 pm

    Three cheers for homeschool…
    I would be a as close to what I am with more land and chores. I would be a farmers wife and if I needed to earn an income outside that I would be a dressmaker.

    I maintained a kitchen garden for a living history fort in NE years ago and really enjoyed the expierience.

    Reply to Josie's comment

  8. Jill on April 30, 2012 at 12:33 am

    Can you tell me what the woman in the picture after the oven is doing? We drive through Zoar several times a year making the trip from SE OH to NE visiting DD1 at college but have never had the chance to be there during a scheduled event, now I want to make a special trip!

    Reply to Jill's comment

    • Susy on April 30, 2012 at 6:47 am

      I’m assuming you mean the wood fired oven? She was just demostrating how they put stuff into the ovens for the kids (they wouldn’t actually bake until the fire had died down).

      If you’re referring to the woman in front of the big copper kettle, she was demonstrating their cheese making system and the pulleys and things they used for their hugs batches of cheese.

      Reply to Susy's comment

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

Admin
Read previous post:
Friday Favorite: For the Birds

We love the birds that frequent the gardens of Chiot's Run. I love watching them at the birdfeeder in winter,...

Close