Hands-on-History
Paul Orselli jumped at the chance to team up with Christina Ferwerda of Ferwerda Creative Services to design a brand-new set of educational activity kits for the Hands-on-History Center at George Washington’s Mount Vernon. https://www.mountvernon.org/plan-your-visit/special-childrens-activities
Working together with Mount Vernon’s Education staff, Ferwerda and Orselli developed a lineup of interactive activities that let young visitors explore everything from Revolutionary War spies to the estate’s celebrated gardens to George Washington’s surprising second life in pop culture.
Every kit is built to be touched, not just looked at. Pairing bold, dynamic graphics with hands-on components that include reproductions of historic documents and objects, the activities draw children and families right into the life and times of Washington and the world of Mount Vernon.
Special thanks to Kim Wagner for graphic design and to David Muller and DCM for specialty fabrication.
Crack the Code
Visitors piece together clues and step into the shadowy world of Revolutionary War spies.
Dinner as Diplomacy
Discover how George Washington turned dinners at Mount Vernon into a tool for shaping a young nation.
Hands-on History for Every Age
Grown-ups and kids discover the past side by side in the Hands-on-History Gallery.
(Photo credit: The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association.)
Washington, Gardener-in-Chief
Young learners dig into George Washington’s interest in plants and horticulture in the Hands-on-History Gallery.
(Photo credit: The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association.)
Washington Goes Pop
The exterior of the “Washington and Pop Culture” Hands-on-History activity box.
Women of the Revolution
A closer look at the custom fabric gameboard spotlighting the pivotal roles women played during the American Revolution.
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