Fort Vancouver National Historic Site - Kids Digs (U.S. National Park Service)

NPS Photo

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

Our Kids Digs introduce children to archaeology through a hands-on excavation of boxes filled with soil layers and artifacts that reflect the typical Fort Vancouver archaeological site.

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.

NPS Photo

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

There are two Kids Digs at each advertised date, at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.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 for a schedule of dates for the Kids Dig and other activities.