Saving Albany’s stories one brick at a time
Are you isolating and trying to find ways to entertain and educate the younger members of your family?
We’ve been compiling a list with resources from local organizations and some of our own ideas! Feel free to share and if you have any items to put on the list email us info@historic-albany.org so we can keep helping each other out.
Haf’s Ideas & Resources
Alphabet Architecture Bingo
Give the children something with a camera (a phone, tablet, ipad) Have them take one picture of a part of the house for each letter of the Alphabet. Write the alphabet on a sheet of paper and cross off each one they find. Bonus points for x and z! For example A: attic, B: basement, banister, C: column, D: door, E: escutcheon, F: fireplace). You get the idea! Here’s an architectural dictionary to help
Paint Your Own Birdhouse
Order a plain birdhouse and encourage your children to paint your home or their dream home!
Clue Around the House
Use family photos for the ‘people’ cards, kitchen tools and toys for weapons, and walk around your house for rooms. ‘Cards’ can be made by printing photos of everything or doodling the toy/tool on an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper.
The crime? Stealing your kids cookies, of course!
Scavenger Hunt with Shapes, Letters & Colors
Set a timer for 5 minutes & have the children either them take photos or collect as many of the same shapes as possible (see image for ‘circle’) through the house. Repeat looking for rectangles, ovals, triangles and any other shapes you may have throughout the house. You can also have kids collect items that start with a certain letter, are a certain shape, or are a certain color, or draw/write their findings!
Local Resources
Albany Institute of History and Art Lessons
The Institute has a variety of resources available online for youngsters of all ages, including coloring pages of their collections, Capital Region in 50 Objects (a collection of 18 lessons including worksheets), and lesson series on both Ancient Egypt and the Hudson River School: Art & Environment.
Albany Pine Bush Activites
The Albany Pine Bush has some fun activities to check out including videos, a word search and a crossword.
Historic Cherry Hill
Historic Cherry Hill has the super fun, printable Hudson River Trading Game. "When you play, you will pretend that you are a captain, sloophand or passenger traveling on a sloop (a giant sailboat) on the Hudson River. Sailing on the river during the 1700s was unpredictable, and you will find that the game is too...All we can say is stay safe and good luck!”
New York State Museum Lessons
The NYS Museum has many pre-planned lessons & teacher guides available on their website on a whole range of topics from the ice age to the Adirondacks
National Resources
ArchKIDecture
ArchKIDecture has some super fun ideas for architecture projects and curriculum for all ages, from building a cardboard house to recommended toys and more traditional lessons.
15 Free Historical Coloring Books and Pages to Download
Thanks to the National Trust for putting together these great historical coloring pages!
National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust have so much incredible online content - including fun, educational activities! Click the button below for ideas.
10 Free High-Interest Lessons - Architecture for All Ages
Thought.co has gathered up 10 awesome, architecture-based lessons sure to entertain kids of all ages.