Old Sturbridge Village provides fun during winter break

Date: 12/20/2011

SPRINGFIELD — Old-fashioned fun for kids of all ages will be on tap at Old Sturbridge Village (OSV) during December school vacation week (Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, 2012), both indoors and out.

The fun includes ice skating (weather permitting — bring your own skates), sledding on 1830s-style sleds, and sleigh rides (snow permitting). A special two-day Discovery Adventure for children ages 6 to 17 will focus on using the spices and sweets of the 1830s to create tasty dessert delights and associated crafts. And OSV’s ongoing exhibit, “By the Fireside: Decorating the New England Parlor Hearth 1790 to 1840,” sets the decorative scene of a 19th-century home for visitors of all ages.

School vacation week visitors can meet the OSV oxen, help the farmers use a two-man saw, learn to whisk cream 1830s-style with birch twigs, and dip candles the old-fashioned way at the Freeman Farm. Shadow puppet shows and family-friendly entertainment will be performed daily throughout the week, and children can participate in lots of free “make and take” craft activities, such as making a wonder turner toy or a spice bag of cinnamon, cloves and allspice for mulling cider.

A variety of additional crafts are available for $5 to $10, including making a clay pot, a game board and pieces for the ancient game “Nine Men’s Morris,” and a pair of tin snowflake ornaments.

In addition, OSV is offering a two-day Winter Discovery Adventure on Dec. 28 to 29, open to children ages 6 to 17. Kids will use “Sugar and Spice and All Things Nice,” such as orange, chocolate, ginger and cinnamon, to make early 19th-century desserts. They’ll also work on related crafts such as chocolate mills and tin spice graters, tour the village, and participate in festive dancing.

Discovery Adventure hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with extended day care available until 5:30 p.m.

For details, visit www.osv.org or call 1-800-733-1830.