Hands-On Holiday Workshop

This past Saturday, as part of the Museum’s continuing Family Programming, the Education Department held a workshop designed to recreate what a war-time holiday season might have looked like through the medium of popular 1940s crafts and toys.  During the Second World War, American children’s letters to Santa would have looked much different than those of today.  With metal, rubber and plastics deemed vital for the war effort, toy production almost completely ceased:  meaning no new bikes, dolls, sling-shots or wagons.  This scarcity of material meant that, for four years, young people had to be creative to create fun out of things they found around them in their everyday lives.  Nevertheless, while there may have been a limit on the amount of things to go around during World War II, participants in Saturday’s workshop learned that there exists no ration on the amount of fun you can have when you get ‘hands-on’ and use your imagination.

 During the course of the workshop, children and parents used scrap fabric to create rag dolls or – in the case of some participants – rag warriors or wizards.  Using small hand-mirrors, empty cardboard mailing tubes quickly became periscopes for young people to spy around corners and get the drop on ‘enemy agents’ (or mom and dad).  Even empty wooden sewing spools were converted into ‘wartime service’ as rolling dam-busters with the simple addition of a rubber-band, pencil and match-stick.  By engaging in the construction of some of the same crafts and toys popular with children over 70 years ago, participants in the family workshop had fun while also learning important lessons about World War II history. 

 Several of Saturday’s participants were repeat visitors to the Museum’s Family Programming. This programming is one of many great reasons to get your family a museum membership.  Many fun filled and educational family events like this one are planned throughout 2012, so please make sure to check out the What’s On Calendar for further details.

This post by Red Ball Express Coordinator Collin Makamson