Kids will have an opportunity to travel back to the American Revolution this weekend at Jockey Hollow on Tempe Wick Road in Morristown as the National Park Service presents National Junior Ranger Day.
The family-oriented event will offer special programs and activities for children and adults at parks across the United States.
All activities offered during National Junior Ranger Day in Morristown are free.
“It’s a great opportunity for families to get outdoors this spring, and experience everything we have to offer a Jockey Hollow,” said Andy Danneker, park ranger for Morristown National Historical Park.
The event at Jockey Hollow begins at 10 a.m. with a Junior Ranger Hike. Led by a park ranger, the 2.25 mile round-trip hike will include a scavenger hunt that encourages families to search for objects that will help them gain a better understanding of the park and its history.
The Junior Ranger Hike will be offered again at 1p.m.
“Some of my best childhood memories are from when my parents would take me to events like this at Gettysburg or local museums,” Danneker said.
From 10 a.m. until noon, children will be invited to play with a variety of 18th-century toys. “What kid doesn’t like playing with toys?” he said. “It’s our way of giving them a hands-on lesson in what it was like to grow up during that time period.”
At noon, kids can become new recruits and try their hand at Kid’s Drill, using wooden muskets under the direction of the drill sergeant at the park’s Wick House.
“It’s always a really popular event, and has become something people look forward to,” he said.
From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., families are invited to partake in old-fashioned fun by participating in some of the games played by soldiers and the Wick family, including nine-pins, quoits, trap-ball, nine-man morris, fox and geese, and other popular 18th century games.
“Visitors will see that some of the games people played during the American Revolution aren’t so different from the ones kids play today,” Danneker said.
From 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., a park ranger will lead a hands-on activity to teach participants how gloves and socks were made during the American Revolution. The Spin History program invites families to learn how to spin yarn from a drop spindle.
“It gives visitors a very interesting insight into how people lived their lives on a day-to-day basis back then,” Danneker said.
Children will also have an opportunity to complete the park’s brand-new Junior Ranger booklet, and earn their official Morristown Junior Ranger badge.
National Junior Ranger Day kicks off National Park Week, which offers residents an opportunity to visit local sites like the Ford Mansion and Jockey Hollow with free admission.
“We want people to have a good time, but we also hope to help enlighten our visitors and give them a sense of stewardship so they can develop a deeper appreciation for national parks,” Danneker said
