Time Travelers’ Speed of Light Tour

(Recommended for grades 7-8)

Day One

Morning - Experience soldier life demonstrations, military reenactments and living history programs at Valley Forge National Historical Park.  Meet a step-on guide to tour the 3,600-acre encampment site where General George Washington forged his Continental Army into a fighting force, during the difficult winter encampment of 1777-78.

Lunch - Need to build in a lesson on supply and demand, state’s rights or the capitalist economy?  Next stop: King of Prussia Mall.  Grab a bite to eat in the Food Court, and let the kids forage for supplies.

Afternoon - Head to Herr Foods for a Snack Factory Tour, learn how your favorite snacks are made, and stock up on supplies.

Dinner - Enjoy excellent food, large portions and a student-friendly atmosphere at Peppers Italian Restaurant. 

Evening - Work off those potato chips at the Philadelphia Rock Gym, the area’s first and only full-service rock climbing facility, offering introductory classes and team building activities. 

Day Two  

Morning - Tour museum exhibitions and activities designed for students at The Academy of Natural Sciences.  Step into a Time Machine that magically transports you to the Mesozoic – the time of dinosaurs.  Walk among herds of Ceratopsians, Tyrannosaurus on the prowl, and chicken-sized Compsognathus.  Then, escape to explore the birds, small mammals and reptiles in the Live Animal exhibit.

Afternoon - Take an 80-minute adventure aboard Ride the Ducks, a land and water sightseeing tour. It offers an entertaining introduction and some surprising historic tidbits about Philadelphia, in the days when it was our nation’s first capital, and the two centuries since.

Evening - Join the fun at Philadelphia’s spectacular ballpark, Citizens Bank Park, where the Phillies’ fastballs almost reach the speed of light! Enjoy an outfield entertainment area, kids’ games, bullpen viewing area and authentic Philly foods.

Day Three

Morning - Travel back two hundred years, where Elizabeth I is Queen and the squabble over that unruly colony across the sea still exists at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire. Carouse with peasants and noblemen alike, cheer on your favorite knight during the jousting competition and feast upon delicious foods.  Open August through October.  Please see www.parenfaire.com for other events throughout the year.

Evening - Return to the 21st Century at Arnold’s Family Fun Center, the largest indoor entertainment venue in the area, with 120,000 square feet of fun.  The facility includes Bumper Cars, Duck Pin Bowling, Crazy Cars, Inflatable Bounces and Arcade games.