Self-Guided Homeschool Activities

Below are several self-guided, in-park activities geared towards homeschool families. Each activity is primarily designed for children of reading age, but they can all be done as a family unit or with older siblings to scaffold for younger learners. Please click on the links below to print out each activity. The PDF documents are screen reader-friendly.

Soldiers and camp followers at Muhlenberg's Brigade NPS Photo / B. Dhunjisha

Setting Up Camp

Activity Location

Encampment Tour stop #2, Muhlenberg Brigade

Learning Objectives

Through this activity children will have a better understanding of how the winter encampment at Valley Forge was laid out. Children will learn the amount of resources needed to build the soldier huts. They will also gain a better understanding of how camp affected area farmers and families.

Best suited to:

learners of any age. Younger learners may need some assistance with reading and basic multiplication and division.

Enslaved household staff talk outside Washington's Headquarters building. NPS Photo / B. Dhunjisha

Wayside Scavenger Hunt

Activity Location

Encampment Tour Stop #5, Washington’s Headquarters

Learning Objectives

Through this activity children will learn not only about encampment history, but also park history as they search for answers on the multiple waysides (informational signs) located in the Washington’s Headquarters tour stop.

Best suited to:

learners who pay attention to details or are competitive (make it a race between teams or siblings).

The Grand Parade Trail system runs through meadow habitat like this. NPS Photo / B. Dhunjisha

Navigating the American Revolution

Activity Location

Encampment Tour Stop #8, Varnum’s Quarters. This activity travels through several areas of the park including Varnum’s Quarters, Conway’s Brigade, and Maurice Stephens’ house via the Grand Parade Trail system. It will require several miles of walking over mainly mowed paths in the meadows.

Learning Objectives

Children will learn the basics of map making and orienteering while trying to navigate from various locations using landmarks as guides.

Best suited to:

learners who can walk around 2 miles on mowed paths and pay attention to their surroundings as this skill will be needed to complete the activity.

Where this belongs

• Valley Forge National Historical Park

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