It’s almost summertime again. And that means summer camp time. It’s time to step back into the days of the Mississippi frontier as Historic Jefferson College offers its annual Pioneer Camp, Tuesday June 9 through Friday June 12.

During that time, youngsters ages 7-12 will learn to do things as they were done 200 years ago.

This educational program gives today’s youth an opportunity to get hands-on experience of how the children of pioneer Mississippi actually lived.

Pioneers who settled in the Mississippi wilderness brought with them many of the skills needed to make the tools, furniture, clothes and everything else necessary for survival in a hostile environment, passed down from the parent to the child. Pioneer children had to learn these skills simply because knowledge of them was needed for daily living.

Our present day pioneers will learn “new,” but forgotten skills as they watch local craftsman demonstrate their craft. Providing food for the family was one of the main priorities of the early pioneer family. Our young pioneers will make their own ice cream and eat it. They will spend time in a primitive camp where they will learn how camp fires were started with flint and steel and how to throw a tomahawk. They will eat bacon and sweet potatoes cooked over the campfire. They will also learn some of the ways that pioneers imitated the Native American ways in order to survive on the frontier such as how to make a drill.

Pioneer families worked hard and endured many hardships to survive on the frontier, but they did not spend all of their time working. They made time to enjoy life and have fun. Since music, games and stories were an important part of their daily lives, the camp will offer these to our pioneer campers, including a watermelon seed spiting contest!

Other activities during the camp include a visit from a mustang and live corn snakes.

Pioneer Camp will meet Tuesday-Friday from 9 a.m. to noon.

Participants should wear tennis shoes and bring their own snack. Bottled water and light refreshments will be provided.

The cost is $20 per child and payment must be received in order to reserve a spot for your child.

A limited number of financial scholarships are available.

Pioneer Camp is already starting to fill up, so parents should register children as soon as possible.

For more information or to obtain a camp registration, please call 601-442-2901 or e-mail hjc@mdah.state.ms.us. Historic Jefferson College is located in Washington, off U.S. 61, 4 miles north of Natchez.

It is administered by The Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

Kay McNeil works at Historic Jefferson College.