25th annual Pony Express Museum Day Camp brings history to life for children

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- The Pony Express Museum is hosting its 25th annual Pony Express Museum Day Camp for the summer.

This year's theme is "Harness the Trails," where kids from pre-school age to seventh grade are participating over three days.

Campers will make crafts, learn songs, practice archery and explore the history of the Pony Express. The main goal is to educate the next generation.

"We need to get them in our door, we take them to the museum, but we teach them other things like crafts, singing and we're hoping somewhere along the line they like history," said. Cindy Daffron, executive director of the Pony Express Museum. "We find out that they think history is okay when before they didn’t like it."

Daffron is hoping the kids understand that kindness, working together and meeting new friends are important.

"We found out that their deer family, elk or a bear. You know what that means a lot to them to be one of those people," she said. "They feel like they're involved in there, somebody that really cares for them and each of these volunteers and teachers love these kids."

Parents notice that their kids learn a lot of history from the camp.

"Take me on a tour and they know far more than I do. You guys have done a fantastic job in teaching because they absorb it and that’s what we want," Daffron said.

The camp brings history to life through hands-on activities designed to make learning fun.

"We try to find activities and we keep them busy. Making a compass, being able to take leather and hand do it make a pouch to do it. Teaches them that’s the skills they had back then," Daffron said. "We hope that some of the things we teach today at the museum would teach the children some life skills."

Lunch and T-shirts are provided for the camp. Any parent interested can visit the Pony Express Museum to enroll their child