WDM hosted their winter activity A Christmas Long Ago with lots of interactive learning experiences in their museum on Dec. 10th.
“This morning, we hosted our first public program A Christmas Long Ago, which is a program we have had here at our museum for about the last six years. This one is open to the general public,” WDM education programs coordinator Karla Rasmussen said.
She says lots of different age groups and demographics with several children, some middle-aged folks as well as some seniors came to attend the program.
Through this program, she wants diverse groups of people to understand the traditions and celebrations of Saskatchewan known – past and present. She believes a lot can be learned from these kinds of events. “I really like to see the eyes light up when someone recognizes something, or they understand why we do things a certain way,” Rasmussen said.
She also said the Chamber of Commerce was instrumental in bringing lots of new folks within the community of Moose Jaw to this program and this could them learn about Canadian traditions from the late 1800s all the way to the early 1900s. “It’s quite a nostalgic program for many of them who did not grow up in 1910 but heard stories from their parents or grandparents about those times.”
The program started with a story at grandmother’s house with lots of interactive Christmas gift box openings that contained wooden toy cars for children, long sock leggings for girls, mittens from the early 1900s, and a razor sharpener for shaving beard which are still being used this day. The program then follows to the toy station where many old toys are displayed - wooden toys of various kinds like the chickens that peck grain, cup n’ ball and Jacob’s Ladder with a series of bricks held together with ribbons that flip-flap back and forth. The program ends with an interactive session of Christmas gift card making with buttons and yarns at the craft station. The attendees were able to take their gift cards home when they finished making them.
Rasmussen thought this was a neat little way for everyone to work on craft projects together and have a lot of fun.
WDM will host this activity again on Dec. 17 with their first session at 10 a.m. and the second session at 2 p.m. A virtual session will also be held on Dec. 23 at 7 p.m. Anyone who missed today’s session can join on the following dates.
“I really like the reactions from the varied audience,” Rasmussen said.
