Helping kids learn about Queens’ past

A new gallery space created at the Bayside Historical Society (BHS) is now giving young visitors a chance to learn about what life in Queens was like around 1906.
Children are able to learn about the past through photographs, toys, tolls, kitchen utensils, puzzles and literature. There is also a Victorian dollhouse. Kids also have the opportunity to dress up in period clothing.
“The whole idea behind designating an area just for children stems from experiences I had with children who visited this building on class trips. They would come in and marvel at the beauty of the place, the size of it, but there wasn’t much for them to do here,” said BHS Vice President of Education Denise Johnson. “They loved the building, but that wasn’t enough. We wanted to create an area where children could be engaged. And we now have that – a place where they can explore history through play, because after all, that is how they learn.”
BHS already holds children’s programs that focus on the turn of the century, which is why that period was selected for the new gallery. In addition, Johnson said using 1906 helped show the contrast between what Queens was like then and what it is like today.
“If we would have chosen a year, say, a decade later, things changed drastically in terms of fashion, music, invention. This was the perfect year to teach children about the simple life, the rural life in Queens,” she said. “By engaging in self-exploratory activities in this room, they’ll have some concept of what life was like for children at that time… History begins at home and, in order to understand the present, we have to know about the past where we came from.”
The space will be open in the spring on select weekends.
BHS will celebrate its opening with a reception and Victorian Valentine workshop from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, February 6. The cost to attend is $5 per child or $10 per family. Advanced registration is required and can be done by calling 718-352-1548.
BHS is located in Fort Totten Park. For more information, visit www.baysidehistorical.org.