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Inspiring Young Preservationists10 Ways to Get Kids Excited About Preservation

Ask kids to investigate places that are significant to their family history. Look at old photographs if you have them, and visit these places if they’re still around. Compare the significance of these places from when they were built and today.

1. Explore family history.

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Encourage kids to talk to neighbors who have lived on their street for a long time. Find out what they remember about living there and about the people who have moved on. Maybe they have old photographs of how the street and houses used to look.

Tip: Consider recording the conversation. Oral histories are an invaluable resource and provide a tangible link to our past. Plus, this is good interview practice.

2. Talk to neighbors.

These authentic and traditional commercial districts are full of historic buildings and shops that are vital to the community. Take this time to begin a discussion about why buying local is important.

3. Take a walk down Main Street.

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Take kids to a historic site in your area, or stop by the local historical society or museum. Talk about what stories are told at these places. You may be able to find an original map of the surrounding area -- make a project out of comparing the old map to the current surrounding area. What’s changed? What’s stayed the same?

Don’t forget to check if there is a historic site of the National Trust or a Partner Place near you.

4. Visit a historic site.

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Assign a group history report and ask students to research various aspects of their city -- architectural styles, changes in neighborhoods, stories of well-known families and political leaders, construction of important historic buildings like City Hall, and more. What about each of these elements makes your city unique?

5. Research your city.

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Ask your historical society or local preservation organization if there are any projects that your kids can get involved in. Help clean up and repair neglected buildings, plant trees in or around historic areas, or clean headstones in a local cemetery.

6. Participate in a community project.

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In our last toolkit, we laid out various steps to take when lobbying for preservation. Ask kids to write to (or email) a member of Congress about a certain historic place and explain what makes it special and worth preserving.

7. Write letters to public officials.

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Brainstorm the items that should be included in a historical record, like photographs, construction dates, architectural styles and features, and stories of who lived there or used the building and for what. What kinds of things would someone want to know about this place in 50 or 100 years? Then, put together your own historical record.

8. Create a historical record.

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Volunteering at a historical society or museum can offer kids an opportunity to organize historical records, set up displays, and create exhibits by collecting photographs and artifacts or writing label descriptions. You can also look for opportunities to become a junior docent at a historic site, or help with research, such as title searches at the county courthouse.

(Some of these activities might be better suited for an older age group.)

9. Volunteer.

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Ask kids what places they think are historic. Draw a map of where these places are and create a tour that you would bring a visitor on. This is a great way to get kids thinking about what buildings are historic and why.

10. Create a historic walking tour.

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Ten on Tuesday features ten preservation tips each week. For more tips, visit blog.PreservationNation.org.