Southminster celebrates Colonial Day

Southminster Day School recently celebrated Colonial Days, where teachers, students and parent volunteers dressed in traditional colonial attire as the school was transformed into a different era.   

As part of the program, first- through fifth-graders learned to write with a feather quill pen and ink. They also saw a spinning demonstration, learned to knit a scarf and played games from the period. 

One highlight included a visit from Melissa Allphin from Coop and Caboodle. She presented herself as “Clara McClucky” straight off the boat from Scotland (accent and all) from the early 1600s. She described the role that chickens and children played in early America, as well as teaching the children very interesting facts about raising chickens. 

Colonial children were responsible for caring for the family chickens. The work included feeding, protecting, gathering, washing and selling eggs. She even described how to tell time by laying hens and how they need 14 hours of light before they will lay. The children loved her stories and the several large chickens and six baby chicks they could see and pet. 

Scarf-making was part of the program’s textile demonstration. Children were shown how to spin wool into yarn, as well as how to knit, crochet and stitch. Instructor Amy Splawn described each of the activities and the importance they played in early American life. She went on to point out that each person brought something different and special to the first Thanksgiving. She gave every child a different piece of yarn or fabric, and then asked the kids to bring their pieces forward. Splawn then taught them how to tie the strands together and make a scarf. It reminded the students that everyone is special, different and beautiful. 

Collectively, they made more than 50 scarves that will be donated to a shelter for local women and children.