Oberlin History for Kids
Historic Games--For fun old-time games to play, check out some of these. You probably already know some other historic games--kids have been playing tag, hopscotch, London Bridge, and baseball for a long time!
Games About History --Play "modern" games about history. (Coming soon.)
Historic Crafts--Directions for how you can make the same sorts of crafts kids were making in the 1880s!
Recipes--Recipes for some typical "Oberlin foods" through the past century and a half. (Coming soon.)
Stories from the Past --What kind of stories were kids reading in the 1800s? What were schoolbooks like? (We'll tell you right now that they're pretty different from Harry Potter!) Check them out here!
Kids in Oberlin--What was it like to be a kid in Oberlin? Take a trip through time and space and meet some real Oberlin kids from the past! (Coming soon.)
Fun Links--See our page of links to fun websites about history and discovery!
History Day Resources--Thousands of students throughout the United States are participating in History Day! History Day is a nationwide program in which students research and create history projects related to an annual theme. The theme for the 2008 competition is Conflict and Compromise in History. Students in grades 6 through 12 can participate by creating an exhibit, performance, documentary, or paper. Students can then compete at a local, state, and national level. The Oberlin Heritage Center has a variety of resources that students may find useful when researching projects for State and National History Day competitions. Please visit the following links for more information about the state and national competitions, and what resources the Oberlin Heritage Center has to offer.
Oberlin Heritage Center: We have a variety of online resources than can be accessed at Oberlin History Resources and Oberlin Genealogy Resources. Primary resources that we have here at the Heritage Center include census records, tax records, city directories, telephone books, and genealogical information on a variety of individuals. One of our best primary resources for twentieth century history is our collection of oral histories. These wonderful resources include discussions of Oberlin families, buildings, race relations, city politics, transportation, growing up in Oberlin, going to school, celebrating holidays, working at businesses and farms, keeping house, living through the Depression, going to war, and more. We have an architectural inventory of many of the buildings in Oberlin. The Resource Center includes a collection of books about the history of Oberlin, Oberlin College, the Civil War, African American history, Westwood Cemetery, and a variety of historical topics.
If you are interested in visiting the Oberlin Heritage Center to talk to our staff or look through our photographs, documents, books, oral histories, or collections please make an appointment. You can email tourinfo@oberlinheritage.org or call (440) 774-1700. Please be aware that staff are more than happy to guide students to resources, but there may be a fee for photocopies and any extensive research done by staff members.
Oberlin College Archives: The archives contain many primary resources dating from the founding of Oberlin to present times. Some of these resources can be searched online but most will have to be seen at the archives. See their website for visitor information and online finding guides.
Oberlin College Library and Oberlin Public Library: Be sure to search through the holdings of the libraries in Oberlin, especially for secondary resources, popular magazines, and newspapers.
National History Day in Ohio - The Ohio Historical Society: This site contains information about what history day is, when competitions are held in Ohio, how teachers can get involved, and where students can find resources. There are many "How To" pages for students and teachers participating for the first time.
National History Day: This is the site for the national program and includes information about the competition, guidelines for projects, and examples of previous work.
For More History Fun--If you are interested in history, check out some of the resources listed on this page. We think you'll like them--we sure did! (Coming soon.)