WASHINGTON, Conn.—Many states, including Connecticut, are on pause and parents are faced with the challenge of keeping their children occupied. Most experts suggest that setting up a routine is important because it makes children feel safe. Staying active and finding activities that educate and entertain at the same time is an important step in the right direction.

With that in mind, the Institute for American Indian Studies, 38 Curtis Road in Washington, Conn. has created “Inside with IAIS,” a series of online video programs that will make the most of quarantine for adults and children alike. Thanks to technology, spending time with the Institute and its educators is something that you and your family can do through May on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, at 2 pm on Facebook, from the comfort of your home.

Museum educators have been hard at work making new online videos that show everything from survival skills using Native American techniques to gardening and traditional storytelling. Programs on survival skills will show what tools Native Americans made and used to survive in the Eastern Woodlands, with many of these methods still used today. Viewers will also learn about the origin and importance of the three sisters’ garden that is grown every year on the grounds of the museum. There will be tips on how to start your own three sisters’ garden right in your own backyard.

And then there is storytime, perfect for the whole family. Native American stories have been handed down generation to generation for centuries to preserve their culture. Darlene Kascak, a traditional Native American storyteller, who is a member of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation explains the cultural importance of these stories and why they have inspired her and countless others. Traditional Native American stories present essential ideas and values in simple and entertaining ways that show both the positive and the negative. These stories always, teach an important life lesson about things like love, leadership, honor, our connection to the earth, and our relationship with animals that are often depicted through storytelling.

Not to be missed are the programs with an archeological flavor. There will be several fascinating programs on the importance of different artifacts in the museum’s collection and how they relate to and connect cultures all across North and South America. In another presentation, viewers will dig into the past as they learn about Templeton archeological site, Connecticut’s oldest Paleo-Indian site, located minutes from the museum. An additional program on the process of archeological excavations and a virtual scavenger hunt are sure to intrigue and entertain and are also on the schedule.

About The Institute for American Indian Studies

Located on 15 acres of woodland acres, the Institute For American Indian Studies preserves and educates through archeology, research, exhibitions, and programs. They have the 16th c. Algonquian Village, Award-Winning Wigwam Escape, and a museum with temporary and permanent displays of authentic artifacts from prehistory to the present that allows visitors to foster a new understanding of the world and the history and culture of Native Americans.