Join the Continental Army, dress up and live like the founding fathers in new play area at Museum of the American Revolution

Kids can learn about the American Revolution with hands on activities in a new immersive play area at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia that opens on June 9.

Revolution Place is aimed at families with children ages 5-12 and is included with the price of museum admission. The area features four different environments: a tavern, military encampment, home and meeting house/church.

Each environment has its own touch screen activity and provides a chance for children to role play, whether that's enlisting in the Continental Army, wearing a uniform and "sleeping" in a tent or giving an impassioned speech in the meeting house as family members sit in pews.

Children will learn about trade and the impact that had on the colonists in the years leading up to the war. They'll see where sugar came from and go through newspapers to see how much it cost at the time. There is also an outhouse, where families can learn about how the colonists discarded trash (among other things).

Activities within Revolution Place include story times and art and craft projects.

Just because the experience is aimed at children and their parents, doesn't mean it shies away from the problems of the time period. When trade is discussed in the tavern section, slavery is included to show that at the time people sold others just as they did sugar and tobacco.

In the parlor portion, there are cards to help families have conversations about topics that Revolutionary War families would have discussed. It doesn't shy away from difficult conversations either.

One such conversation card talks about how in 1778 Pennsylvania passed a low that let the state take goods and items belonging to Loyalists and those who didn't take sides (such as the Quakers). It then asks: "How do you think people who disagree with the majority should be treated?"

Another card tackles the events of the Boston Tea Party, where the Songs of Liberty threw tea into the harbor. It asks: "Do you think it is okay to destroy property to make a political point?"

It's all geared to getting people talking, which is part of the goal of Revolution Place.

"We want to encourage conversation," said museum curator Mark Turdo.

So while there are many opportunities to play, there are also spaces for more meaningful interactions within a family.

"This space is written for families, so it's for kids and adults," Turdo said. "It's not a place where you drop your kids off and go see the museum. You're all here together.

As for the tough topics -- it goes hand in hand with the way the museum treats its subject. In the core exhibit area, it doesn't shy away from slavery or how women were not treated as equals at the time. It shows how diverse the revolutionaries were and the challenges they faced.

"We worked very hard to tie what you see down here [in Revolution Place] with what you would see in our core exhibit upstairs," Turdo said.

Revolution Place is located in the museum's John M. Templeton Jr. Education Center, which also includes two classrooms. It's open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 9-Sept. 3.

Revolution Place is the result of a partnership with FamilySearch International.

Admission for Revolution Place is included in museum admission, which is $19 for adults, $17 for seniors, military members, students and teachers, $12 for youth (ages 6-17) and free for children aged 5 and below. The Museum of the American Revolution is located at 101 S. 3rd St. in Philadelphia. For more information visit amrevmuseum.org.

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