Are your kids not thrilled about learning history? Try immersing them in history by visiting a local museum with a mummy exhibit, The Brooklyn Museum or Metropolitan Museum of Art are two nearby, or watch one of these movies or play one of these games about history to supplement learning.
Mummies, Up Close and Personal
Long Island-based Egyptologist Bob Brier, also known as Mr. Mummy, correctly says that kids and adults alike can get fixated on ancient Egypt and its allure. Fortunately, two of our area museums have real-life mummies to marvel at.
Cartonnage of Nespanetjerenpere; Egypt, provenance not known, probably from Thebes Third Intermediate Period, Dynasty XXII-early Dynasty XXV (circa 945-653 B.C.); Cartonnage (linen or papyrus mixed with plaster), painted, with eyes and eyebrows inlaid with glass and lapis lazuli; 69 3/4 in. (177 cm.) high; 35.1265, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund; Brooklyn Museum Collection
The Brooklyn Museum is renowned for its world-famous Egyptian collection, which includes more than 1,000 objects in the permanent exhibition Egypt Reborn: Art for an Eternity. Visitors will encounter a huge stone sarcophogus; wooden tomb statues; a long-term installation about the importance of cats in ancient Egypt; and a mummy case made for a man named Nespanetjerenpere, which features richly painted decoration that is almost perfectly preserved. Find activities for children (deciphering hieroglyphics, decoding statue poses, and educational materials that enhance a museum visit) at brooklynmuseum.org/egypt.
Manhattan’s Metropolitan Museum of Art might seem like a cavernous, high-culture place to bring young kids who you don’t imagine want to stare at paintings all day—but it needn’t be so intimidating. Why not venture for an hour or so and explore just one country? The museum’s holdings from ancient Egypt are diverse and appeal wonderfully to all ages, and a family itinerary for children 5 and older can be found at metmuseum.org/visit/itineraries/family-egypt. All the stops on the itinerary have family audio messages to make your trip more fun, and children are encouraged to bring paper and pencils for sketching. Popular Egyptian exhibits include the Temple of Dendur, a 2,000-year-old ‘house for gods’; the Coffin of Khnumhotep, which (yes!) protects a mummy; and the Sphinx of Hatshepsut (we bet kids will think it’s weird that this female pharaoh has a beard—why?). A stopover at Nolen Library lets the kids decompress, dive into picture books, and rev up their imaginations.
Movies and Live Theater
All the President’s Men (PG): Although there are occasionally intense moments with foul language, this movie tells the tale of Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, who were at the heart of the Watergate scandal.
Apollo 13 (PG): An all-star cast including Tom Hanks and Kevin Bacon tells the story of the aborted 1970 Apollo 13 lunar mission, depicting how an on-board explosion that deprives the spacecraft of most of its oxygen supply and electric power turns the somewhat ordinary moon mission into a rescue assignment.
Les Misérables: Set in early 19th-century France, Victor Hugo’s historical novel follows a peasant as he searches for redemption after serving nearly two decades in jail for stealing a loaf of bread. The 2012 movie (PG-13) stars Anne Hathaway, who many youngsters will recognize form her early Princess Diaries films, while the current revival on Broadway (age 9 and older) may appeal to the American Idol fans in your household, as powerful singers step into the spotlight one after the other in this stage production. Both provide a mesmerizing introduction to life during the French Revolution—and a lesson in the universality of emotion, heroism, and justice across time.
Newsies (PG): Starring Christian Bale, the 1992 movie centers on the New York City newsboy strike of 1899.
Games
This Day in History: Designed for two to four players, this history board game tests knowledge about historical events. During each turn, players arrange up to eight cards in chronological order to determine how far around the game board they can travel. (Ages 12-15; $34.99)
Way Back When in History: Travel through U.S. history with this game that requires you to answer questions about history before advancing around the board. Topics include explorations, colonization, revolution, politics, and more. (Ages 8 and older; $35)
Presidents Challenge: This app encourages children to memorize the names of the presidents in order. Choose to tackle specific eras or the entire list; children will also find biographical and background information about each president. ($.99)
