'Playing the Past' Badge Program

Become a real 1820 American girl during this 2.5-3 hour program designed to earn the “Playing the Past” badge. You will tour the historic 1820 Col. Benjamin Stephenson house and experience life for a girl in the 1820s.  A variety of hands-on experiences and demonstrations let you step back in time to early Illinois and life at Stephenson House. 

Activities Include: 

Brief House Tour – to kick things off, you’ll be taken on a quick tour of the house to introduce you to the two families who lived here in the 1820s. We won't load you down with lots of facts because we want to get to the fun stuff!

Dressing in 1820 – learn about the clothing worn by women and girls from the undergarments to the outer garments. At the end of this session, each girl will pick out a dress they can wear over their modern clothing for the duration of the tour.

Cooking in the Kitchen: Bread OR Butter – Troop leaders may pick one of these sessions: ‘Making Bread in 1820’ or ‘Churning Butter.  With either session, you’ll get your hands dirty. Making bread required a live yeast known as ‘barm’ and it took a lot longer to prepare. Churning your butter was a regular activity on the farm that provided for the household table.

Toys & Games – several historical games are learned from group activities to individual play. The games presented are weather dependent; if the day is warm and the ground dry, yard toys such as rolling hoops, Graces, and trap ball can be played on the front lawn, otherwise, this session is moved inside where smaller parlor toys (marbles, pick-up sticks, jacks, whirligigs, and nine pins) are presented.

Writing with Quill & Ink – a lesson on the proper way to write with quill and ink. A variety of quill pens offer the opportunity to see which style was easier to use and how much practice was needed to master these writing instruments.

Cost: $20 per girl (Minimum of 6/Maximum of 12), $9 per adult. 

• Badges not included and must be purchased separately through the Girl Scout Council.
• Reservations are required at least 1-month in advance of desired date.
   

*PLEASE NOTE: This program is for registered Scout members only. We enjoy visitors of all ages but ask that non-troop members, such as younger siblings or friends, not accompany the tour. Our space is limited, and the program is organized to accommodate only those registered for that day’s sessions. A $20 fee will be charged for each additional child not registered.