Family Programs

Composting in the summer time is easy, grass clippings, foodscraps, there is plenty to keep the compost pile hot, killing weed seeds and quickly breaking down waste into high quality compost. Once the leaves fall and the temperature drops, it is a different story. A compost pile that was chugging along all winter slows down to a crawl and can stop completely.

Come join us and learn how to build and feed a compost pile that will get hot and stay hot all the way through the winter.

Where: Lanham MD
When: November 7th, 10am-1pm
Cost: $10-$20 (sliding scale pay what you are comfortable)
Ages: 8+ (Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult)

Come and learn the ancient art of fire by friction and ignite the fire within you. This workshop is a tutorial in bow drill fire making and the importance of learning how to create fire.

While on this quest for fire you will;

• Learn basic knife safety
• Learn several carving techniques
• Carve and construct your own bow drill kit
• Learn the proper techniques for starting a friction fire
• Learn proper material identification and selection,
• Learn proper fire structures, and tinder collection.
• Experience creating fire for the very first time just as your ancestors did.

When: 10AM-4PM November 8, 2026, 10 am-4pm
Registration Fee: $40-$80 Sliding Scale (pay what you're comfortable)
Location: Ancestral Knowledge Museum & Research Center - Riverdale/Lanham
Age: 10 &older

We will make splint baskets and spoke baskets from wild collected materials, especially invasive plant species including wisteria. Learn how to identify, collect and prepare basketry materials. Plan out a basket, practice techniques of plaiting, weaving and twining, and how to finish with two styles of strong rims. We'll discuss handle types, and how to install them. We'll see examples of important primitive implements made using basketry techniques, e.g., backpacks, fish traps and arrow quivers. Go home with two finished baskets and the knowledge of how to make more.

When: Saturday Nov 14th, 10am-4pm
Where: Lanham MD
Cost:$35-$75 (slinding scale, pay what you are comfortable)
Ages: 10 & up (Children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult)

While obsidian is some of the easiest materials to learn how to knap with, it isn't found locally and is expensive to have shipped. However, one of the most accessible materials we have around here is obsidian's man made cousin, the glass bottle bottom. The best thing about bottle bottoms is that they offer all the same lessons of obsidian but don't break the bank while you are learning. Not to mention, they are a renewable and recyclable resource that is readily available pretty much everywhere.

We will work with you through the process of turning a bottle bottom into a finished arrowhead.

Where: Lanham MD,
When: November 21, 10am -4pm
Price: $45-$80
Age: 13-18  (Adults can join but MUST be accompanied by a teen!)

Knowing how to build a shelter that will keep you warm and dry is one of the most important skills you can have if you are an adventurer. In a race with the elements, some shelters are more effective than others. In this session we will learn to build the most effective shelter to survive even the coldest of winter nights. We will talk about the needs a person faces in a survival situation, and which needs to address first.  For those who have done this type of shelter before we will expand on its design and learn tips and tricks for making it more insulated.

Bring your partner, children, or come alone!

When:  December, 6th 2026, 10am-4pm
Ages: 8 & Older (16 and younger must be accompanied by an adult)
Location: Lanham, MD
Fee: $35-$75/person Sliding Scale (pay what you're comfortable)

Gather together to learn the lore and traditional skill of the drop spindle. Spend the day practicing the ancient alchemy of turning wool into thread. Hear timeless tales and song surrounding this craft that will broaden your understanding of this method of spinning.
Feel free to bring your own natural or plant dyed wool roving and drop spindle. (Nothing synthetic please!) Everyone will have the opportunity to make a simple spindle to use out of forest material.