Homeschool Programs

Strawbery Banke welcomes families to step into the past in-person and virtually for learning and discovery in the historic neighborhood of Puddle Dock. Explore traditional arts and crafts such as basket weaving and woodworking, learn how to write a historical fiction book, solve mysteries using documents, images, and objects, and so much more!

Strawbery Banke offers financial assistance through the History Within Reach fund to make programs accessible to as many families as possible. Please fill out the form via the button below to apply.

History Within Reach is sponsored in part by the Georgia-Pacific Foundation and the generosity of individual donors

Traditional Trades Homeschool Day

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Venture back to the early days of the USA and discover how people made everyday items by hand. Register for the interactive guided tour Work It Out, learn about imports and exports, life as a sailor, put together a simple post & beam model, and discover how an apothecary made medicines. Older students can join a staff member on a guided tour discussing historic preservation and how buildings were made. Younger students with an adult can take the self-guided tour, where they can meet a cooper making wooden containers, try weaving, and explore an 18th-century tavern and shop.

$15.00 per workshop. 10% off each additional workshop or for each additional child registered. One adult per family is admitted free. Extra adults will be charged $10.00 at the door.

  • Colonial Dress Up and Play

    9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
    12 PM - 1 PM

    Dress in 18th-century costume and visit the hands-on Walsh House for the chance to pretend and play in a kitchen, bedchamber, dining room and parlor. Designed for ages 5-7.

  • Victorian Dress Up and Play

    9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
    12 PM - 1 PM

    Visit the Goodwin House and garden to try on 19th-century clothes and learn how to play Victorian lawn games. Designed for ages 5-9.

  • Work It Out Workshop

    9:30-11 AM
    12-1:30 PM

    Step into the shoes of an 18th-century apprentice to learn about imports and exports, life as a sailor, put together a simple post & beam model, and discover how an apothecary made medicines. Designed for ages 8-12.

  • 18th-century Hearth Cooking

    9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
    12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

    Experience what life was like for children in the 1700s while using an historical recipe and baking over hot coals using 18th-century tools and techniques. Designed for ages 8-12.

  • Historic Preservation and Architecture Tour

    10 AM-11 AM

    Join a staff member on a guided tour discussing historic preservation and how buildings were constructed. Designed for ages 13+.

  • Self Guided Tour

    10 AM-4 PM

    Students of all ages can take the self-guided tour with an adult, where they can meet a cooper making wooden containers, try weaving, and explore an 18th-century tavern and shop. Designed for ages 5-13+.

Check back soon for more information about registration for Fall 2025 programs!

Fall Programs

  • Stories Alive

    Wednesdays, September 10, 17, 24 & October 1, 2025
    9:30 AM - 11:30 AM

    Venture into the past using books as the time machine! Each day of this class begins with a lively picture book about an amazing individual or historical event, which sets the scene for expeditions through Strawbery Banke’s gardens, houses, and grounds. Kids will activate their imaginations by meeting roleplayers, playing games, and making historical crafts. Activities will include examining fossils, science experiments, simulation games, and more! Campers will bring home their picture book filled with artwork, recipes, and great memories at the end of this action-packed series of classes. Designed for ages 5–8. 

    Price: $80 for one child, 10% off for each additional child.

  • Archaeology Adventure

    Wednesdays, September 10, 17, 24 & October 1, 2025
    9:30 AM - 12:30 PM

    Uncover the secrets of the past left behind by people from long ago. Students learn the basics of archaeological investigation as they take part in a realistic simulated excavation. Discover how to use the tools and equipment that archaeologists use in the field. Then get an up close look at real artifacts as you examine and help to clean objects uncovered at some of the museum’s archaeological sites. Designed for ages 9–12.

    Price: 1 Child - $80.00, 10% off for each additional child

  • Living on Turtle Island: Abenaki Heritage Past and Present

    Wednesday, October 29, 2025,
    10 AM - 12:30 PM

    Discover New Hampshire’s Indigenous heritage by exploring Abenaki culture! Try your hand at storytelling, learn how to care for New England’s natural resources, build a model of a wigwam, make delicious pemmican, and play a traditional guessing game.  Students will visit three historic buildings, including the People of the Dawnland exhibit. Topics include cultural traditions, New England history, geography, foodways, communication, and conservation. Designed for ages 7-11.

    Cost: $15.00 for first student, 10% off each additional student. One adult per family group is allowed to attend.

  • A History of Thanksgiving for Homeschoolers

    Wednesday, November 19, 2025,
    1 PM - 3 PM

    Discover how Thanksgiving transcended time, place and culture to become the uniquely American holiday celebrated today. Try old-fashioned cooking, talk with costumed roleplayers and make a Victorian charity basket. In small groups guided by a museum educator, participants find the common themes of this holiday over four centuries: charity, gratitude and the celebration of family and community. Designed for children ages 6-12. Those ages 6 to 8 years old must be accompanied by an adult. 9-12 year olds can participate without an accompanying adult.

    Price: $15.00 for first student, 10% off each additional student.

Rumblings of Revolution Homeschool Day

Tuesday, October 14, 2025, 10 AM - 2 PM

Experience what life was like for people who lived through the American Revolution. Join Museum experts and professional Museum educators as they share their passion and ignite curiosity through a series of hands-on workshops and site-wide activities. Create coded messages like one of George Washington’s spies, take the Minute Man Challenge, become a history detective, and much more.

$15.00 per workshop. 10% off each additional workshop or for each additional child registered. One adult per family is admitted free. Extra adults will be charged $10.00 at the door.

Rumblings of Revolution Homeschool Day Workshops

  • Minute Man Challenge

    10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
    12:30 PM - 1:15 PM

    Learn about the role of Minute Men in the Revolutionary War and participate in the Minute Man Challenge race. Designed for ages 5-9.

  • Colonial Dress Up & Play

    10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
    12:30 PM - 1:15 PM

    Hear a read-aloud of Sybil’s Night Ride by Karen B. Winnick, then dress up in 18th-century clothes and play in a house from Sybil’s time. Designed for ages 5-9.

  • Home and Hearth: Colonial Cooking

    9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
    12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

    Experience what life was like for children in the 1700s while using an historical recipe and baking over hot coals using 18th-century tools and techniques. Designed for ages 8-12.

  • Trade and Maritime History: At the Doorstep of the World

    9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
    12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

    Follow New England sea captains on their global trade routes, while braving the dangers of warfare, weather, and the shifting balance of trade. Designed for ages 8-12.

  • History Mystery: Tory or Tavern Keeper?

    9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
    12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

    Discover the revolutionary history behind the William Pitt Tavern and use your detective skills to learn about the political leanings of the man who owned it. Designed for ages 13+.