Last week we got to go on a field trip to a Pioneer Village and learn about how Pioneers lived in the mid 1800's.
Here is the group my daughter was in getting ready to head off on their tour. It turned out that all her American Girl friends were in a group together and we were in another group. So one of the other mom's graciously offered to take her with her friends. :^) (It was weird for me not having her with me, but I got to focus on my boys which was fun too!)
Here is a spinning wheel from one of the cabins. I would love to have one of these someday!
My daughter really liked the topsy-turvy doll in this picture. A topsy-turvy doll is a rag doll that is 2 dolls in one. This one for instance when you flip it over is a black doll on the other side. The tour guide told my daughters group that they believe these dolls came about during slavery. Slave owners would not allow the slaves to play with black dolls. So the mothers would make topsy-turvy dolls and when they slave owners were around it would look like a white doll, but they could flip it and have a black doll. I thought this was SO fasinating! When I was a child I remember playing with topsy-turvy dolls. The ones I remember though were something like litte red riding hood on one side and the big bad wolf on the other. When we got home I did a google search for topsy-turvy doll images and indeed found many that are black on one side and white on the other. You can see an excellent example here of one with china faces and here you can see a rag doll version.
Here is an interesting history of the Topsy-Turvy doll I found online.
I also want one of these someday!!! When all my kids are grown I want to turn one of their rooms into a loom room! LOL
A family of 10 slept in this one room cabin! We think we are roughing it with 3 bedrooms and 2000 square feet for a family of 5! LOL
This is a hair weaving. I would have made one of these if I would have been a pioneer! I can totally relate to these womens NEED to create! I can only imagine of I couldn't get to my local JoAnn's on a regular basis I would be saving up everyone's hair to create something! LOL
This was the kitchen/dining are of one of the cabins. I likes how it was a separate building. Also, they had pegs on the walls to hang the chairs when they were not using them. Love that idea!
My little man ringing the dinner bell!
The Blacksmith shop. My 14 year old noticed right away that there was a old tin of Borax near the window on the left hand side. We thought that was so cool since we have been to the Borax mine in California! He asked the blacksmith what it was used for and he said it was flux.
The Blacksmith
The Blacksmiths fire pit. My 5 year old really liked this! He is all about tools and making things so this was probably his favorite part of the tour. (Although he liked it all.)
Okay, guess who fell in LOVE with this? Oh my stars, I HAVE to try to make one of these! I think it's made pretty much the same as the raffia baskets I did. I thought I had gotten basket making out of my system, but I really want to make a woven bird house. Stay tuned!
A little mini log cabin for drying herbs,
The Grist Mill Sadly it was out of order. We will have to go back so we can see it work. :^)
Inside workings of the Grist Mill
I took this one to show how short the doorways were in the cabins. My 14 year old is taller than the doors! Of course I had plenty of head room walking under the doors! LOL
My little man raising his hand to ask a question. He pretty much had his hand up the whole tour! He was fascinated with it all and asked a zillion questions.
My boys
My little man loved the Tee-Pee! Since we I just finished reading all the Kaya books to his sister he listened in on most of them. So he is all about Native American's right now. :^)
Here we were learning about how they made candles.
Playing in the Chicken Coop!
Pumping water from the well.
Here is my daughter with a couple of her friends after we caught up with them at the end of the tour. I think you can tell by their faces that they had a great day!
This is my favorite time period! My youngest 3 loved it as well. We volunteered 2 summers at a place similar to the one you visited and learned so much while we were there. Yup! I've got my own spinning wheel, a little loom, and all sorts of wonderful skills and tools from that time period. I took a wonderful walk down memory lane through your pictures! Thanks!
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An extremely dense, vertically developed cumulus with a relatively hazy outline and a glaciated top extending to great heights, usually producing heavy rains, thunderstorms, or hailstorms.
It turned out that all her American Girl friends were in a group together and we were in another group. So one of the other mom's graciously offered to take her with her friends. :^) (It was weird for me not having her with me, but I got to focus on my boys which was fun too!)
A topsy-turvy doll is a rag doll that is 2 dolls in one. This one for instance when you flip it over is a black doll on the other side. The tour guide told my daughters group that they believe these dolls came about during slavery. Slave owners would not allow the slaves to play with black dolls. So the mothers would make topsy-turvy dolls and when they slave owners were around it would look like a white doll, but they could flip it and have a black doll. I thought this was SO fasinating! When I was a child I remember playing with topsy-turvy dolls. The ones I remember though were something like litte red riding hood on one side and the big bad wolf on the other. When we got home I did a google search for topsy-turvy doll images and indeed found many that are black on one side and white on the other. You can see an excellent example here of one with china faces and here you can see a rag doll version. 
When all my kids are grown I want to turn one of their rooms into a loom room! LOL
We think we are roughing it with 3 bedrooms and 2000 square feet for a family of 5! LOL
I would have made one of these if I would have been a pioneer! I can totally relate to these womens NEED to create! I can only imagine of I couldn't get to my local JoAnn's on a regular basis I would be saving up everyone's hair to create something! LOL
My 14 year old noticed right away that there was a old tin of Borax near the window on the left hand side. We thought that was so cool since we have been to the Borax mine in California! He asked the blacksmith what it was used for and he said it was flux. 
My 5 year old really liked this! He is all about tools and making things so this was probably his favorite part of the tour. (Although he liked it all.)
Oh my stars, I HAVE to try to make one of these! I think it's made pretty much the same as the raffia baskets I did. I thought I had gotten basket making out of my system, but I really want to make a woven bird house. Stay tuned!
Sadly it was out of order. We will have to go back so we can see it work. :^)
Of course I had plenty of head room walking under the doors! LOL
He pretty much had his hand up the whole tour! He was fascinated with it all and asked a zillion questions.
Since we I just finished reading all the Kaya books to his sister he listened in on most of them. So he is all about Native American's right now. :^)
I think you can tell by their faces that they had a great day!
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