Time Travelers: Spring Break

March 23: Maple Taffy Pulls

Students will gather around our hearth fire and embark on a hands-on journey to the 1800s to discover how families turned raw tree sap into “free man’s sugar” as a historic protest against enslaved labor. This workshop blends together science, local history, and teamwork as kids test syrup temperatures the old-fashioned way and watch evaporation happen over an open flame. To wrap up the day, students will flash-freeze their own boiling syrup on ice, rolling up delicious maple taffy to enjoy on the spot and pack up to take home.

March 24: Butter Making

Students will experience life before grocery stores by transforming heavy cream into homemade butter. This workshop combines history, science, and agriculture as students trace the global history of spices and herbs, pick fresh herbs from our gardens, and churn their own butter.

March 25: Pickle Making

Students will learn about how people kept their food from spoiling before refrigerators were invented, explore the history of food preservation, and pack their own Mason jars with vinegar and pickling spices. By the end of the session, every student will have a batch of fresh, homemade refrigerator pickles!

Time: 9:30am - 11:30am

Age: 7 - 11

For any questions, please email valerie@montclairhistory.org or call our office at

973-744-1796.