Concord Museum (in the 3rd grade)

I went on a really great field trip.
All of my kids have taken this trip in third grade and come home raving about everything that is Concord-fantastic.
Recently my sixth and final child brought home the field trip permission slip for the Concord Museum.  I decided this might very well be my last opportunity to experience Concord in the third grade.
Let me report: The Concord Museum is a desirable destination. The staff there caters perfectly to third graders. And chaperone-moms. The trip was everything they said it would be, and MORE.

 If you don't live near Concord, Massachusetts, put it on your short list of places to explore. Besides the Old North Bridge (the shot heard 'round the world?), Louisa May Alcott's house (Little Women fans?) and a quaint New England town FULL of history that makes you want to wander in and out of little shops and have tea and crumpets, the Concord Museum is the crown jewel of this historic area.  I can't believe until now, I managed to miss this experience.

 I loved the hands-on parts of the day.  Each student was allowed to touch and explore colonial period artifacts, 

 try their hands at the art of apprenticing with a tinsmith, 

put together a model of a colonial town, 

sew a simple project 

and they helped cook an entire meal over an open fire in a working colonial kitchen. 

They even ate the food and washed the dishes.

 The experience left me so enthused about colonial life I was ready to move in and set up shop.

...AND...

I learned something NEW on my trip to Concord.

The very famous statue of the Minuteman 

(picture is of the museum replica)

was an early sculpture by Daniel Chester French.

The very same man who, later in life, 

sculpted the Lincoln Memorial.