The Newtown Historical Society is giving children ages 8 through 10 the chance to immerse themselves in colonial living by hosting its annual Newtown Summer History Camp.

The week-long day camp will take place at the Matthew Curtiss House on Main Street from July 15 through 19.

“This coming summer will be our fifteenth year,” Newtown Historical Society Trustee Gordon Williams said.

Mr Williams helped originate the camp and says its theme focuses on “Americana” but has a variety of specific eighteenth century elements, too.

“This unique camp gives modern-day children the opportunity to explore the life of a colonial child living in Newtown back in 1750 through lots of hands-on activities as well as interactive lectures, discussions, and demonstrations,” the Newtown Historical Society website describes.

Campers will learn how to make ice cream, lemonade, and butter the old-fashioned way and use the Matthew Curtiss House’s hearth to make blueberry and apple pies using older recipes.

Mr Williams said the group will even take a trip to The Meeting House (formerly the Congregational Church and the Puritan Church) to learn about how religion and government interacted together in Newtown’s history.

There will also be plenty of activities like gunny sack races, fighting fires with the bucket brigade, making tin lanterns, and making colonial outfits.

“The children wear their normal summer clothes [to camp], then we make the costumes,” Mr Williams explained.

Boys cut out their vests and sew buttons on it, while the girls are given mob caps and aprons to decorate with feathers and buttons.

“It’s a wonderful experience,” Mr William said of Newtown Summer History Camp.

For more information on Newtown Historical Society’s Newtown Summer History Camp, visit newtownhistory.org. There is a $175 camp fee. To register for camp, contact Gordon Williams at 203-405-6392 or by e-mail at gmwllw@charter.net.