This year's Summer Children's Workshops at the Fredericksburg Area Museum & Cultural Center will focus on content in the new exhibits to be unveiled this fall in the Museum's expanded galleries. During the Sneak a Peek: The Museum is Growing summer workshop series, children ages 6-12 will experience hands-on interactive learning that will introduce them to years of Fredericksburg history.

The series begins on June 19 with The Virginia Indians. Children will gain an appreciation of the vibrant culture that lived here long before Fredericksburg existed and begin to understand how American Indian cultures are alive and well. Activities will include flint napping, crafts and games. On June 26, Matthew Dodd will present songs and stories from the railroad in Old Railroad Days. Dressed in period clothing, Dodd will take listeners back in time to show what it was like to be a rail splitter, track layer, passenger, engineer, brakeman, switchman or railroader's wife or child in the days of steam trains.

The series resumes on July 10, with The War Comes Home. Museum educators will discuss how 19th-century children participated in supporting the efforts of soldiers during the Civil War. Children will have an opportunity to write letters and create care packages that will be sent to some of today's soldiers. The African American Legacy in Fredericksburg will be explored on July 17 through stories of the African American experience in the local area. Using quotes from John Washington, a slave who grew up in town and escaped to Union lines during the Civil War, children will learn what it was like to be a slave in Fredericksburg and what it meant to strive for freedom.

At The Rappahannock River program on July 24, staff from Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR) will teach children the importance of taking care of the river. Participants will experience hands-on learning to discover the river's value as a resource and will plant grass seeds to take home. The series concludes on July 31 with Fredericksburg as Community. While interacting with Museum education staff and engaging in hands-on activities, children will learn about the diverse community in which they live.

The Fredericksburg Area Museum & Cultural Center's mission is to collect, interpret and present the history of the Fredericksburg region. All Summer Children's Workshop programs begin promptly at 10 a.m., are free of charge and are held in Fredericksburg's historic Market Square, located directly behind the Museum at the corner of Princess Anne and William streets. Each participant is encouraged to bring a hat and water bottle. In the case of inclement weather, please call the Museum at (540) 371-3037 for alternate arrangements.