The new school year is fast approaching, which means St. Charles County Parks’ Homeschool Days are, too! This learning and exploring opportunity for children and their families is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Aug. 26 and 27, at The Historic Daniel Boone Home, 1868 Highway F in Defiance.

Homeschooled children of all ages can acquire core school hours in a unique and safe environment while learning about life on the frontier through historic interpretation and demonstrations, such as Black Powder, historic construction of hand-hewn logs, frontier cooking, and fiber arts.

The Parks Department has made changes in programming to make certain every precaution is taken to protect all who participate from the COVID-19 virus. Participants should be prepared to follow these social distancing guidelines at the August program:

• Pre-registration is required to maintain limited space for social distancing.
• Those entering the park must pass a temperature screening; no one should enter the park if they are ill.
• Wearing a face covering is encouraged.
• Hand sanitizer will be available; washing hands or using hand sanitizer before, during and after leaving is encouraged.
• Personal water bottles are encouraged; water fountains are temporarily turned off.
• Due to the tightly controlled environment of the program, groups of 10 or less will rotate through stations on an hourly schedule. These reserved times include: 10 – 11 a.m., 11 a.m. – 12 p.m., 12:30 – 1:30 p.m., 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. and 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
• Demonstrations take place outside so that guests may properly social distance while participating.
• Scheduled tours of the Boone Home are limited to 12 guests at a time.
• The gift shop will be limited to four guests at a time.
• Instead of participating in hands-on activities in the park, guests will receive a Take-Home-Kit with activities for participants to explore at home.

During the program, guests can enjoy the park, have a picnic lunch and participate in the scavenger hunt or Boone Home visit before or after their scheduled program. Participants need to bring their own sack lunch and check-in at the information area in the park when they arrive.

The cost of the program is $5 for each person who enters the park. To pre-register, call the park at 636-798-2005 or register online at https://bit.ly/2020AugHomeSchoolDays. A limited supply of Take-Home-Kits will be available for purchase for those who are unable to attend.