Life was not easy for the American pioneers, who had to master a number of survival skills.
They had to build their own shelter, make their own clothing and get and prepare their own food.
Mistletoe State Park hopes to relive some of those early days during their Indian and Pioneer Junior Rangers Program.
Slated for Nov. 23, during Columbia County schools' weeklong Thanksgiving vacation, the program is part of the Georgia State Parks' Get Outdoors campaign.
During the program, children ages 6-12 will be given a glimpse of the life and times of children during the period when American Indians and pioneers lived on the frontier. The program will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
"Children will step back in time as they experience how pioneer and Indian children lived," program assistant Brenda Bettross said.
During the Indian and Pioneer Junior Rangers program, participants will not only learn about building shelter and making fire, but they will hike and learn how important wildlife and plants were to American Indians and pioneers in their everyday life.
Most adults are familiar with Little House on the Prairie , the 1974-83 television series that chronicled the life of the Ingalls family in the mid-1800s. The Ingalls personified a 19th-century western American family where the children were given chores, which included preparing meals, watching over the family's animals and making butter.
Much like the responsibilities of the Ingalls children, the participants in Mistletoe's Indian and Pioneer Junior Rangers program will learn to make butter, a candle and candle holder, and a whistle, all of which they will take home with them.
The cost of the one-day program is $20 per child, with pre-registration required by Friday. For information or to register for the program, call Bettross at (706) 541-0321.
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