Youngsters from Birmingham to New London took part in the first of three historical scavenger hunts scheduled for this summer in Chadds Ford Township. The hunts are open to kids 9-14 years old.
The first hunt was held at the Chadds Ford Historical Society on June 3. Those taking part had to answer a list of questions — 17 in all — based on the various displays at the society’s Barn Visitors’ Center. Participants would pore through the exhibits to get the answers. Those who got all the questions correct received a certificate of achievement and a small “Trophy of Knowledge.”
“It was fun. It’s really nice to learn all this stuff,” said Sarah Zrebiec, 11, of Birmingham Township.
Sarah said the event was just as informative as it was fun. Specifically, she learned more details of the Battle of Brandywine and how people lived during that time in history.
Ashley Zrebiec, 8, said it was interesting to learn that people used springhouse cellars to keep their food cool before the age of refrigeration.
Steven Zrebiec, also 8, said he learned about the battle and the cellars.
Since the John Chads springhouse was later used as a schoolhouse, Steven also compared that to today’s schools.
“It was small and didn’t have a lot of things…not like our school,” he said.
The scavenger hunts are sponsored by the Phyllis Recca Foundation.
Phyllis Recca said she and her husband, Gene Pisasale, enjoyed taking part in similar events themselves at other museums, but she was also looking for something new for her foundation.
That foundation was established in 2000 and was paying bills for some needy families whose children were patients at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
“My foundation has to be children related, any money I donate, mostly to CHOP, but I thought to do some local things,” said Recca.
She said she approached CFHS, the Brandywine Battlefield Park and the Chris Sanderson Museum, all of which were eager to have some events that were children oriented.
She and Pisasale talked about what they could do and decided on the scavenger hunts that they had enjoyed.
“[The kids] could learn history in a fun way,” Recca said.
She added that the foundation made a $1,000 donation to each site to host a hunt.
The next scavenger hunt is scheduled for the battlefield park on July 22. It will be indoors, in the Visitors’ Center. This prevents the event from being rained out. The third and final hunt of the series is scheduled for Aug. 19 at the Sanderson Museum. Both go from 1-4 p.m. The question and answer format for the next hunts will be the same as the first.
Participation costs $3, with the money going to the hosting site.
-- By Rich Schwartzman
Photo caption: In the John Chads springhouse — which was also used as a schoolhouse — Sarah Zrebiec, 11, of Birmingham Township, reads from the “Eclectic First Reader” to get an answer to one of the scavenger hunt questions at the Chadds Ford Historical Society. (Photo by Rich Schwartzman)
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