Laura Ingalls Wilder Day Showcase
Laura Ingalls Wilder Day
Saturday July 26th, 2008
“I wanted children now to understand more about the beginnings of things…what it is that made America as they know it.”
Laura Ingalls Wilder
On July 26th Laura Ingalls Wilder’s classic Little House books will come to life. Activities include making bullets, woodworking, stuffing mattresses, baking Jonny-cakes, rug braiding, historic games, as well as new hands on activities to engage young and old alike. New and repeat visitors will catch a glimpse of the pioneer life that Laura wrote about!
Look a Like Contest
A look a like contest will take place at 11:00 am and 3:00pm so be sure to dress as a character in one of Laura’s books!
New this year is a special appearance by guest author, William Anderson, Laura Ingalls Wilder biographer and historian.
William Anderson is a Director of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home and Museum in Mansfield, Missouri. Appearing with William Anderson will be guest illustrator, Renee Graef, who has illustrated several Little House Books. They will be signing books at Town Hall from 10:30 am-12:30 pm. Visitors can choose from a large selection of titles available for purchase at our General Store also located at Town Hall. You will also be able to view artifacts from the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home and Museum.
Below you’ll find excerpts from the books in which Laura described growing up in the late 19th century. The activities in these excerpts will be taking place in our historic buildings throughout the day.
Readings from Laura’s letters and books will be held at the Victorian Bandstand at 11:00am and 3:00pm.
Immediately following the readings, we will have look-alike contests at the Victorian Bandstand, so if you’ve dressed as a character in one of Laura’s books, we hope you’ll participate.
Special Appearance by guest author, William Anderson, Laura Ingalls Wilder biographer and historian.
William Anderson is a Director of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home and Museum in Mansfield, Missouri. Appearing with William Anderson will be guest illustrator, Renee Graef, who has illustrated several Little House Books. They will be signing books at Town Hall from 10:30 am-12:30 pm. Choose from a large selection of titles available for purchase at our General Store also located at Town Hall.
Join William Anderson for a presentation in our Educational Center at 2:00 pm.
You will also be able to view artifacts from the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home and Museum.
Concessions are available in Tank Barn from 11:00am-2:00pm. The gift shop in the Education Center and Town Hall has bonnets, toys, pottery and other historic items for sale.
As you journey through the park, we hope you enjoy seeing Laura’s stories come to life! See below for examples.
Fur Trader’s Cabin Making Bullets-Demonstration
“Pa melted the bits of lead in the big spoon held in the coals. When the lead was melted, he poured it carefully from the spoon into the little hole in the bullet-mold. He waited a minute, then he opened the mold, and out dropped a bright new bullet onto the hearth….There would be a shining pile of them on the hearth before Pa stopped.”
Little House in the Big Woods, p. 45.
Cotton House Heart-Shaped Cookies-Demonstration
“Mary and Laura pulled out two small packages. They unwrapped them and each found a little heart-shaped cake. Over their delicate brown tops was sprinkled white sugar. The sparkling grains lay like tiny drifts of snow… Laura nibbled a tiny nibble from underneath, where it wouldn’t show. And the inside of the cake was white! It had been made of pure white flour, and sweetened with white sugar.”
Little House on the Prairie, p. 249.
Hospital Historic Dancing-Interactive Activity (1:00pm-3:00pm)
“Then Pa took his fiddle out of its box and began to play, and all the couples stood in squares on the floor and began to dance when Pa called out the figures. “Grand right and left!” Pa called out, and all the skirts began to swirl and all the boots began to stamp… Laura watched Ma’s skirt swaying and her little waist bending and her dark head bowing, and she thought Ma was the loveliest dancer in the world.”
Little House in the Big Woods. p. 144-145.
Hospital Making Corncob Dolls-Interactive Craft
“Mary was bigger than Laura, and she had a rag doll named Nettie. Laura had only a corncob wrapped in a handkerchief, but it was a good doll. It was named Susan.”
Little House in the Big Woods. p. 20-21.
Schoolhouse School Lesson- Interactive Activity
“Early on the First Day of School Laura and Carrie set out. They wore their best sprigged calico dresses…and carried their school books under their arms, and Laura carried their tin dinner pail.”
Little Town on the Prairie, p. 124.
Company Kitchen
Grinding Coffee- Interactive Activity
“…Ma measured coffee beans into the coffee-mill and Mary ground them. Laura filled the coffee-pot with the water that Pa brought, and Ma set the pot in the coals…The coffee boiled, the cakes baked, the meat fried, and they all smelled so good that Laura grew hungrier and hungrier.”
Little House on the Prairie, p. 30.
Officer’s Quarters Cooking Jonny-Cakes- Demonstration
“A Big kettle of cabbage and meat was boiling on the stove: a big pan of beans and a jonny-cake were baking in the oven… . Ma put on the boiled potatoes and cabbage and meat, the baked beans, the hot jonny-cake and the baked Hubbard squash, and she poured the tea.”
Little House on the Prairie, p. 226-227.
Blacksmith Shop Blacksmithing- Demonstration
Blacksmithing was a common and important trade. Pa would have visited the blacksmith to repair tools. Visit with the blacksmith as he demonstrates his trade.
Town Hall – General Store General Store- Historic items available for purchase
“The store was full of things … All along one side were shelves full of colored prints and calico, … kegs of nails, and kegs of round, grey shot, and there were big wooden pails full of candy … Laura could have looked for weeks and not seen all the things in that store. She had not known there were so many things in the world.”
Little House in the Big Woods. p. 168-170.
Hose Company Rug Braiding-Interactive Craft
“Mary had cut worn-out woolen cloth strips, and Ma had put each color in a separate box…Mary was braiding the rag-stripes together in a long braid that coiled down in a pile beside her chair. When she came to the end of a strip, she chose the color she wanted and sewed it on.”
The Long Winter. P.144.
Library Yarn Dolls- Interactive Craft
“Mary was bigger than Laura, and she had a rag doll named Nettie. Laura had only a corncob wrapped in handkerchief, but it was a good doll. It was named Susan”
Little House in the Big Woods, p. 20-21.
Village Green Hoops, Giant Jackstraws and Spinning Tops
This area features late 19th century games Laura may have played.
Belgian Farmhouse Making Butter- Interactive Activity
“When the cream was ready, Ma scalded the long wooden churn-dash, put it in the churn, and dropped the wooden churn-cover over it. The churn-cover had a little round hole in the middle, and Ma moved the dash up and down, up and down, through the hole…When Ma took off the churn-cover, there was the butter in a golden lump, drowning in the buttermilk…”
Little House in the Big Woods, p. 32.
Belgian Farmhouse Laundry- Interactive Activity
“Ma brought the wooden pannikin of soft soap…kilted up her skirts and rolled up her sleeves, and knelt by the tub in the grass. She washed sheets and pillow cases and white underthings, she washed dresses and shirts, and she rinsed them in clear water and spread them on the clean grass, to dry in the sun.”
Little House on the Prairie, p. 42-43.
All Times and activities are subject to change.