summer ENRICHMENT &
HOMESCHOOL PROGRAMS
adventures in time
Adventures in Time, our Summer Enrichment Programs for Families at the North Andover Historical Society.
These popular programs will return for the Summer of 2025.
Suggested Age range: 7 and up
2025 Summer Crafting & Program Schedule:
Hands on, low stakes, relaxed lessons on a variety of crafts.
Open Crafting - From 10am to 2pm, the educator will be hosting a historical craft or project that can be joined and left at will. The craft can be taken home. Donations are appreciated.
Open Games - From 10am to 2pm, the educator will be hosting either outdoor colonial and Native American field games or indoor (in case of rain) colonial parlor games that can be joined or left at will. Donations are appreciated.
Open Theater - While Open Crafting or Open Games are running, the theater will be open and playing family and educational programming. Donations are appreciated.
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June
26th - Summer Quilting Open Craft - Learn how to sew, stitch, and embroider as we build a quilt throughout the Summer.
27th - Old Center Walking Tour (12:00pm) - We go on a two-hour tour through historic houses, cemeteries, and around the old center as we learn about Andover 101.
July
1st - Spinning Jewelry Open Craft - Learn how to spin and braid your own bracelets and necklaces from wool or plant fibers. Once your bracelet is made, add some beads for extra decoration.
2nd - Revolutionary History Walking Tour (12:00) - We tour the first and second burial ground and talk about the Old Center of Andover's role during the American Revolution while visiting the graves of soldiers who served.
4th - Open Games on Common (10 - 2) - Come play colonial and Native American games before, during, and after the 4th of July festivities.
5th - Open Saturday at the P.B. (11-2) - Join us for a tour of the P.B. House and historic games in the garden.
8th - Summer Quilting Open Craft - Learn how to sew, stitch, and embroider as we build a quilt throughout the Summer.
9th - Spinning Jewelry Open Craft - Learn how to spin and braid your own bracelets and necklasses from wool or plant fibers. Once your bracelet is made, add some beads for extra decoration.
10th - Open Games on Common (10 - 2) - Come play colonial and Native American games on The Common.
15th - Old Center Walking Tour (12:00pm) - We go on a two hour tour through historic houses, cemeteries, and around the old center as we learn about Andover 101.
16th - Summer Quilting Open Craft - Learn how to sew, stitch, and embroider as we build a quilt throughout the Summer.
17th - Open Games on Common (10 - 2) - Come play colonial and Native American games on The Common.
23rd - Spinning and Knitting Wool (12 - 4) - We will be spinning wool by hand, drop spindle, and spinning wheel. After you have spun some thread, try your hands at knitting with it!
24th - Outdoor Wool Dying Workshop at the JCC (10 - 2, Weather Permitting) - Join us as we show the lengthy (and sometimes smelly) process of dying wool with natural plant dyes.
25th - Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (7pm, Family Friendly) - Celebrate Christmas in July with this classic silly Sci-Fi movie in our full sized and comfortable movie theater!
31st - Beaded Corn and Spinning Jewelry Open Craft - Look forward to the harvest by making lucky charm bead corns then earn how to spin and braid your own bracelets and necklaces from wool or plant fibers. Once your bracelet is made, add some beads for extra decoration.
August
1st - Summer Quilting Open Craft - Learn how to sew, stitch, and embroider as we build a quilt throughout the Summer.
2nd - Wool Dying in the P.B. House Garden (11-2) - Join us in the P.B. house garden where between tours of the house you can see how the early settlers relied on their garden and their own ability to dye, spin, and weave in order to make their own clothes.
8th - Summer Quilting Open Craft - Learn how to sew, stitch, and embroider as we build a quilt throughout the Summer.
9th - Open Games on Common (10 - 2) - Come play colonial and Native American games on The Common.
12th - Summer Quilting Open Craft - Learn how to sew, stitch, and embroider as we build a quilt throughout the Summer.
13th - Spinning Jewelry Open Craft - Learn how to spin and braid your own bracelets and necklasses from wool or plant fibers. Once your bracelet is made, add some beads for extra decoration.
14th - Revolutionary History Walking Tour (12:00) - We tour the first and second burial ground and talk about the Old Center of Andover's role during the American Revolution while visiting the graves of the soldiers that served.
19th - Summer Quilting Open Craft - Learn how to sew, stitch, and embroider as we build a quilt throughout the Summer.
19th - Star Party and Astronomy Lecture with North Shore Amateur Astronomy Club (7:30) - Join us as we hear about the history of Astronomy presented by Brewster LaMaccia and then walk out under the stars to gaze into telescopes and up into the sky.
20th - Rug Braiding Open Craft (10 - 2) - Come learn how to make your own coaster, trivet, matt, or rug with this simple but deep folk craft utilizing scrap cloth.
21st- Old Center Walking Tour (12:00pm) - We go on a two hour tour through historic houses, cemetaries, and around the old center as we learn about Andover 101.
27th - Beaded Corn and Spinning Jewelry Open Craft - Look forward to the harvest by making lucky charm bead corns then earn how to spin and braid your own bracelets and necklasses from wool or plant fibers. Once your bracelet is made, add some beads for extra decoration.
28th - Summer Quilting Open Craft - Learn how to sew, stitch, and embroider as we build a quilt throughout the Summer.
29th - Summer Quilting Open Craft - Learn how to sew, stitch, and embroider as we finish our Summer Quilt.
To sign up, email the educator at least one week prior to the program(s) your family would like to attend. Please include student’s ages and how many student’s will be participating.
The following programs can be scheduled for groups of 6 or more students by contacting David, The Educator.
Illumination & Energy:
An Overview of Human History with a Spotlight on Energy
Five-Day Course: Monday - Friday: 1:30 - 3:30 pm
$100 for Five-Day Course
In this exciting overview of human history we go from the discovery and use of fire 2 Million Years ago to the invention and use of solar panels today. The course blends history, sciences, philosophy, and engineering to tell the story of how we humans light up the night and continue innovating how we use energy. Hands on activities include - experiments in thermodynamics, making ceramic oil lamps, candle making, engineering with water & steam, understanding electricity, & constructing solar powered cars.
sheep to sweater:
The North Andover Textile Legacy
Three Day Course:
Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday: 1:30 - 3:30 PM
$60 for three Day Course
We continue the North Andover and Stevens Family legacy of textile production with this hands-on exploration of every part of textile manufacturing. Students will be able to card, spin, dye, and weave in a variety of different ways as we learn about our town's & New England's broader textile legacy.
Archaeology and Poetry:
What is archaeology,
how do scientists study the past,
and what’s poetry got to do with it?
Single Session: 1:30 - 3:30 PM
$20/Student
We learn archaeology 101 and see how different ways and different sources can be used to study the past. This includes a discussion on primary, secondary, and tertiary sources of information using local poet Anne Bradstreet as our case study. It features a walking tour and a hands-on activity in developing our own primary sources by writing slice of life poetry with ink quills.
homeschool academy
During the School Year we offer programs for homeschooling families with students ages 7 and up. Cost is $15/Student, minimum of 6 students to begin a program.
Each program includes a lesson componant in our State-Of-The Art Worden Theater: a full sized movie theater utilizing surround sound for an immersive and engaging lecture experience.
Each program also includes a hands-on experiment or crafting component, from which students will frequently leave the lesson with something they can take home.
Current Programs
Illumination & Energy (6 Week Course): In this exciting overview of human history we go from the discovery and use of fire 2 Million Years ago to the invention and use of solar panels today. The course blends history, sciences, philosophy, and engineering to tell the story of how we humans light up the night and keep innovating how we use energy. Hands on activities include - experiments in thermodynamics, making ceramic oil lamps, candle making, engineering with water & steam, understanding electricity, & constructing solar powered cars
The History of Writing (4 week Course): Over the duration of this program we will discuss early writing and alphabets, cuneiform & hieroglyphics, lost languages, the materials we write on, the dyes and inks we use to write, and the invention and use of movable type and press printing. Hands on activities may include - clay tablet making, paper making, ink making, and stamp making
From Sheep To Sweater (4 Week Course): We uphold the textile rich legacy of North Andover as we go from shearing the sheep to making a sweater in this hands on exploration of wool cleaning, carding, dyeing, spinning, and weaving.
The Archaeology of Poetry (Single Session): By looking at the life and poetry of local hero and “America’s first poet,” Anne Bradstreet, we explore the ways that we understand events in the past and write history. We explain the differences in informational sources and learn the basics of how archaeologists study the past.
Child’s Play (Single Session): We explore deeper into the themes of our “Child’s Play” exhibit and look at the life of children before the mandate of attending school. We see how Indigenous and European children shared similar toys and games which prepared them for adulthood. Students will explore our exhibit, play old European and Indigneous games, and experience what children would be doing in the home when they weren’t outside playing.
If you would like a program not listed above, please email the museum educator and we can discuss the development of a program that fits your group and your schedule.
Past topics include: Indigenous history, rug braiding, exploring the First Burial Ground, the science of bridge building, and more.
The North Andover Historical Society is dedicated to fun and engaging programs that educate and inspire students of all ages, from 7 to 700.
Enrichment programs can be booked for homeschooling pods, scouting troups, clubs, and other groups. To discuss developing a program for your group, please email the museum educator.
We continue to preserve and promote textile history, following in the tradition of the American Textile History Museum.
However, The Stevens Center is now a Net Zero Energy Use building and we are happy to include STEM education in addition to our history education.
A trip to the North Andover Historical Society offers families an experience in which they can investigate the world they live in by exploring history, science, arts and culture.
Support the Educational Programs of The North Andover Society by making a donation. As a non-profit, we rely on programs like these and donations like yours to continue delivering top quality education to our community.
David Blauvelt
Museum Educator
educator@northandoverhistoricalsociety.org
David is an educator, historian, and archaeologist with a passion for synthesizing and sharing everything he has learned. He is a graduate of Boston University and earned an MSci. from the University of Edinburgh. His archaeology work has sent him excavating across the East Coast and in Ireland and the U.K. David has worked across academia, private and public archaeology, historic sites, museums, schools, and camps; always with an eye toward delivering engaging, accurate, and up to date interpretation. As the Secretary of the Northbridge Historical Commission, he will be extending his care for historic properties and imaginative approach to program development to The North Andover Historical Society. When David isn't teaching, writing, or reading he can be found cooking, needle felting, sculpting, or working with his multimedia analog art collective.