Education Programs for Youth

Scroll down for information about becoming a Time Travelers camp counselor.

Time Travelers Summer Program 2010 Have fun with history at The Hermitage! Each weeklong session is a new adventure, where kids will experience the past through a variety of hands-on activities, music, games, and projects to bring home. Time Travelers is a co-ed program for children age 7-11. Space is limited, and registration is required. 

For the 2010 Time Travelers Camper Enrollment Form: click here.

Session 1: Rebels and Redcoat, July 19-23, 2010. Travel back to the 1770s to find out what it was really like to live at the time of the American Revolution. Learn about colonial life through different activities, including writing with a quill pen, candlemaking, and cutting silhouettes. At the end of the week, discuss what the “troubles” with the King were all about, and visit with soldier from George Washington’s army.

Session 2: Civil War Era, July 26-30, 2010. Step into the shoes of a child living in the mid-1800s. Learn about the time when “cotton was king” with different activities, including building a simple machine, spinning and weaving, and playing that “new” game, base ball. At the end of the week, visit with a living history re-enactor who will bring the past to life.

Session 3: History Detectives, August 2-6, 2010. Get out your magnifying glass and help solve some of history’s mysteries. Discover the art and science of history by constructing a time capsule, working in the historic Hermitage gardens, and participating in a simulated archaeological dig. At the end of the week, visit with a preservation expert and learn about simple things to do to preserve your family history.

Session 4: Victorian Visions, August 9-13, 2010. Step back into the “Gilded Age” and find out what it was like to live at The Hermitage in the 1890s. Learn about Victorian life through different activities, including watercolor painting, creating a crazy-quilt collage, and experiencing the Victorian fascination with nature and sports. At the end of the week, visit with a Victorian character in costume.

Tuition is $175/child for a single week: $150/child each additional week. Sessions run Monday - Friday, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. A light snack is provided. Payment must be in the form of a check payable to: Friends of the Hermitage, Inc.

Volunteer Counselor Program

Counselors play an important role in the Time Travelers summer program for children by helping to engage children in discovering American history in fun and exciting ways; to promote an appreciation for history in our community; and to connect  children to the history of where they are growing up.   

To download a counselor application form (2 pages), click here.

Please discuss the forms with your parent/guardian and return them to us before June 10, 2009 . You will note that there are four week-long sessions of camp, from July 19 to August 23, each day from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. We welcome your participation at any or all of these sessions. Please indicate your availability on the application form. 

As it is for all high school student volunteers at The Hermitage, our goal is to provide a meaningful and interactive learning experience for you. We will be happy to supply you with service credits and/or letters of recommendation. Counselors work closely with the museum’s professional staff during camp.  The minimum age to be a counselor is 14 (in June 2010).

In early June, the museum’s staff will review applications and invite a select number of applicants to become counselors.  If you are selected, you will be required to attend one of the two counselor orientation meetings that will take place sometime in June and July.

Again, thank you for your interest in the Hermitage National Historic Landmark!

Scout & After-School Programs

Become a history detective with our hands-on programs for Scouts and other after-school groups!

Using objects, documents, and inquiry-based learning strategies, students will delve deeply into the past and learn to see the events and people of history in a meaningful context.

• Listening to the Past: Explore the everyday life of a middle-class Victorian family on a tour of The Hermitage. Students will learn to "read" an object to gain insight into the past.

• Architecture: Uncover the secrets of  the Gothic Revival Hermitage. What do the details of the architecture tell us about the different periods in which the house was built or added to? Students will explore The Hermitage inside and out (weather permitting) to discover the clues hidden in wood, stone, and plaster.

• Local Lore: Learn about New Jersey’s participation in the American Revolution and the Civil War and what life was like at The Hermitage during those periods.

• Lenape Life: Using artifacts and reproductions, students will investigate the lifeways of the Lenape before and after European settlement in Bergen County.

• Women through Time: Learn about life as a woman in the colonial, Victorian, and modern eras.

Programs are 1 hour long and are available on weekdays beginning at 3:30 p.m. or 4:00 p.m., September through June. All programs are held at the Hermitage Education & Conference Center.

Please call the Education Department for current rates and available dates.

Click here for answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Scout & After-School Programs.

Birthday Parties

Celebrate in Historical Style! The Hermitage offers birthday parties for young historians, recommended for children ages 6-10. 

Parties are available Monday-Friday, 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. A base fee of $175 includes lemonade or iced tea and activities/crafts for 10 guests; $15 per each additional guest; maximum total of 18 children and 2 adults. (Family to provide cake or cupcakes.)

Victorian Tea Party

Discover the roots of modern childhood in the nineteenth century! Guests will make a calling card, tour the historic house, and decorate a small stuffed bear.

Colonial Party

Spend a birthday in the eighteenth century! Guests will practice writing with a quill pen, tour the historic house, and decorate a wooden toy to take home.

Please contact the Education Department at The Hermitage at 201-445-8311, ext. 33, for details.