Make-Your-Own Easter Toys 1912 style

Happy Easter!

With Spring finally arriving (promise I'm not trying to jinx it with a fifth Nor'easter or anything...) and Easter weekend upon us, how did you prepare? Some of us make colored eggs of varying artistic talent or hunt for plastic eggs filled with goodies.

Everyone has their own traditions to celebrate, some of which may eed a few instructions or you might end up with brightly colored hands when dying eggs...or you still might....pink and blue are lovely Spring shades to wear anyway, right?

Here's an example of some of the ideas for how children could help out with celebrating in the Girls' Make -At-Home Things book. Yes, the picture shows the title as Boys' Make-At-Home Things - that's because the author made sure not to leave the little guys without some projects too....but Easter ideas only made it into the girls book, both of which were written in 1912 and luckily a copy of each is housed within the museum's collection.

The author, Carolyn Sherwin Bailey, was born in 1875 in Hoosick falls and earned her childhood education from her mother (also an educator and author of children's books) as well as from Lansingburg Academy.

So, if you'd like to try out some early 20th century ideas, check out the chapters that had suggestions for the girls to enjoy.

Hopefully the girls will share their Easter toys with the boys; they might have to just make do with their turning lathes and whittling tools...and wireless receiving station. No really, these are the items listed for boys to make at home, hopefully with some adult supervision.

But these things are actually really cool too so don't feel too bad about the guys being left out of the loop with Easter toys.

Click HERE to check out the chapter on making a wireless receiving station.


                                    Enjoy your Easter!

Don't forget to check out what's coming up in April at the museum by taking a look at our website calendar - docent training, canal clean sweep, and pancake breakfast are all on their way!