"Pioneer" Living Programs

There are almost an infinite variety of potential programs based on life skills and trades of the 18th to 19th Century American pioneers.  At present, MVEP has fully developed only the log cabin building techniques and the toys and games programs, but other programs under development are listed below.

Wood Cutting and Log Cabin Building

Ever wondered how to build a real log cabin?  Ever hear fables about wood-cutting and life?   We can show you how, in costume and character, using original tools.  This program is good for kindergarten through 6th grade.  Click on highlighted text to see photos of the Cabot Frontier Festival 1999 below.

Kent Goff spinning a tale to the crowd.

Two young ladies cutting a log.

Young lady using a drawknife to debark a log.

Pioneer Toys and Games

What did children play with in the 1800s?   Were there toys before electronics?  This makes a good companion program to the above and is most appropriate for kindergarten to the 3rd grade.

Home chores

What did kids do to help out arund home?  Washing clothes and shelling corn are two examples along with stories of early Arkansas life that help kindergartners to 3rd graders understand the life of their ancestors.

Programs Under Development

A sample of what we started, but need a booking to justify completion:

Kent Goff demonstrating 19th Century shoemaking at the Ozark Folk Center