• Image of the reconstructed stockade at Fort Vancouver and Pearson Air Museum looking northeast from the Land Bridge.

    Fort Vancouver

    National Historic Site OR,WA

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  • Information on Pearson Air Museum

    Information about Fort Vancouver National Historic Site assuming direct operational responsibility for Pearson Air Museum. More »

Kids Digs

Image from Kids Dig special event

At the Kids Dig, kids get to work with archaeologists and use equipment, such as a tripod screen, to help identify artifacts.

NPS Photo

Our Kids Digs introduce children to archaeology through a hands-on excavation. Children work in a team to dig their units and record what they find there. Each will get to participate in the major tasks - excavate, screen, take notes, and describe the artifacts found in their unit.

Children will learn how archaeologists excavate, and also what role the science of archaeology has in understanding the past – what it can tell us about history, how archaeologists interpret what they find, and why it is important to preserve pieces of the past.

At the end of the session, the children get to interpret their excavation and tell us what they learned about what happened in the past in their units.

 
Image of archaeology site from Kids Dig

The Kids Dig programs are a great opportunity for kids to learn many of the core concepts of historical archaeology.

NPS Photo

The Kids Digs programs begin at 11:00 a.m. They are open to children ages 8 - 12. Each group of students will be supervised by park staff and/or volunteers.

No registration is needed, but each session is limited to 20 children on a first-come, first-served basis. A sign-up sheet will be posted when the gates open at 9:00 am.

Please check the park's special events calendar (here) for a schedule of dates for the Kids Dig and other activities.

Did You Know?

Image of a ranger examining an excavation site

Due to its outstanding cultural resources on display and in situ, Fort Vancouver National Historic Site is known as the premiere historical archaeology site in the Pacific Northwest. More...