WEST SPRINGFIELD – So many of the things we use today were created in the 19th century. This summer, children will have an opportunity to learn more about those inventions in a fun and creative way at the Storrowton Village Museum.

Invention Week, which runs from July 30 to August 3, is a STEM-inspired week that takes children back in time to look at some of the inventions created during the 18th and 19th century. The week consists of learning about how these inventions were made, the young inventors who created them and how they’ve evolved into modern-day uses.

The main focus of the session is to be “kid-oriented,” explained Director of Storrowton Village Museum Jessica Fontaine.

“Every day we’ll talk about a different inventor. With this inspiration from STEM, there will be an inventor that is science-related, technology-related and so on,” she said. “It will also tie all of that into kids – whether it’s a kid inventor, or a kid activity that kids would enjoy doing within that theme.”

One of the inventors to be highlighted during the week is Louis Braille, a Parisian native who developed the braille system of reading at 15-years-old.

The session will engage problem-solving and teamwork skills through activities like toy boat building and an ice cream making challenge.

Overall, the goal is to “play, learn and unplug,” explained Fontaine.

“We want kids to have fun while they’re learning, with an opportunity to unplug from 21st century technology,” she said.

Invention Week is part of the Museum’s Early American Summer Days Program, in which Storrowton seeks to provide 21st century children – aged 7-12 – a hands-on approach to history, and teach them what it was like to be their age in the 1800s. On top of the activities provided during Invention Week, the participants will have a chance to do the general activities featured in the Summer Days Program. They will visit the blacksmith shop to learn about science, explore the Village via a Geometry Walk and Scavenger Hunt, write in hand-decorated journals, make pottery and paint mosaics.

The children will also learn about “old timey” homesteading activities – such as hearth cooking, butter churning, candle dipping, seed planting, soap making, yarn craft and weaving – and make connections to how these jobs are still done today. The Museum offers 19th century clothing to the kids so they can “immerse themselves” in a “realistic experience.”

“Early American Summer Days is a longstanding tradition for many families who came as children themselves, and now are bringing their own kids or grandchildren to come,” said Fontaine. “It’s an opportunity to have a lot of fun in a unique way – there aren’t many camps where you can go and dress up as a part of the camp. We provide space for lots of personalities and interests in a way to keep their brains moving in the summer.”

This is the first year the program is offering Invention Week, and plans on offering another session, called Toys & Games Week in August. Toys & Games Week focuses on what kids did when the school day was over and all the chores were done.

Registration for Early American Summer Days is due by July 20.

You can register online at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfmLQnodmO0OO7nmE5VvKqJW-EX_8YZcajwxhPMIffaKr5KkA/viewform.    For more information about prices and hours, head over to https://www.storrowtonvillage.com/p/learn/summer-days.