Destrehan Plantation offers new summer camp

This summer students will have the opportunity to explore history through hands-on activities when Destrehan Plantation hosts it’s first Past Times Summer Camp.

The new summer camp will be held July 20-24 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Open to participants 7 to 12 years old, the camp will include indoor and outdoor activities as the children explore history from the earliest inhabitants to the Civil War.

Plantation Heritage Education Coordinator Rachel Allemand said because the plantation had to cancel its annual Heritage Day in May, she had the idea to use the already purchased supplies and offer an outlet for children to explore and learn this summer.

“I used to be teacher,” she said. “I actually retired from the St. Charles Parish School System, and I kept thinking about how we could do some of the things we had planned for Heritage Day for kids and also provide some learning opportunities and a way for them to improve their reading and writing skills.”

Allemand said the camp will be run by people experienced and skilled in working with children.

Each day, campers will utilize the 30 acres of extensive grounds and buildings of Destrehan Plantation as the backdrop for learning. The camp will include presentations by staff members and volunteers, along with numerous hands-on activities to make history come alive.

Some of the activities planned include making and playing with old-time toys and games, butter making, candle making and rope making. There will also be daily opportunities to read, write and talk about Louisiana history.

Destrehan Plantation administrators are actively monitoring the health recommendations being issued by state and local government officials regarding the coronavirus pandemic and will operate Past Times Camp in accordance with the guidelines in place at that time. Allemand said the campers will be divided into small groups to ensure everyone’s safety.

Past Times Camp is funded, in part, by the United Way of St. Charles. Camp tuition is $175 per camper, which includes all supplies needed to complete numerous hands-on activities. The completed registration form – available at www.destrehanplantation.org – and payment is due by June 30.

Registration is open now. For more information, contact Allemand at 985-764-9315, ext. 102.

 

About Monique Roth 919 Articles
Roth has both her undergraduate and graduate degree in journalism, which she has utilized in the past as an instructor at Southeastern Louisiana University and a reporter at various newspapers and online publications. She grew up in LaPlace, where she currently resides with her husband and three daughters.

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