I'm looking for some suggestions for getting kids interested in history. My nephew is a video game addict and when he visits me I'd like to show him some historical places etc to give him an appreciation for the past. Any ideas?

first let him play..medal of valor or call of duty,,,them watch with him..band of brothers or saving private ryan..well blackhawk down is a good starters. them go to the historical facts and tank museum. that will get his attention. but most important is reading history books..civil war,,the great war and WWII up to the present..don't do it over night..make the phasing a little slow.

Go to a museum and let him/her see what it was like back then. It was my father who really got me into military thingies whether they were winged, had big guns or such.
Even head to the airport and lay back and watch the planes land and take-off.

I think my son's interest started when I took him to the local airshow. Now he can't wait and enjoys both vintage and modern military aircraft. On top of that, having history related materials around the house have piqued his interest, not to mention the broad range of military subjects that I build at the modeling bench.

I find it very satisfying to see him watching the History Channel and wanting to get a kit of a plane that intrigues him. As of that, he's had a thing for He-111's.

- Frank

Those are some good ideas guys. I guess I was looking for the "magic bullet" that would get him hooked. I like Liberators idea of incorporating video games and other media. Gunfighter and Augie also have good ponits with the museum and events. I think I should take it slow and work it in a bit at a time. My nephew is really bright but just mezmorized by electronics. I'm glad I was brought up before all that stuff!

I'll speculate that the best "magic bullet" will be association. Say for example, if he's hooked on a military-oriented game, then exposing him to the real equipment might get him intrigued. Seeing something in person can make a big impression.

I know as a kid, my grandfather used to find all kinds of way to expose me to historical things. Trips to Gettysburg, comic books (anyone remember Sgt. Rock?), military books with lots of photos, even a trip to a local cemetary with a B-25 positioned above the veterans section.

Good luck. I personally think you're attempting a great service for your nephew.

- Frank

If you talk to him about events, talk about the movers and shakers of those events. What in their personalities led them to do something a certain way, for example. Make the stories come alive. To the movies mentioned, I'd add Into The West available on DVD. It was that 12 hour series that followed a Virginia and a Sioux family through the 19th century and includes a depiction of Quantrill's raid on Lawrenceville KA. If you're near there, a follow up trip to the site would be in order.

Thanks for all the good suggestions! Everyone has good ideas. We do have several historic areas close such as Fort Riley. I'm sure gonna try to involve him as much as I can. His dad is a good guy but could spend his life in front of the TV watching ESPN! I like sports but I think other things are more important. HISTORY! for example.

When I was a kid I was absolutely mezmorized by historical things even when I was very young (5-6). Why do you think that kids aren't that way anymore? Was I just lucky or weird?

I think one reason is the emphasis on standardized testing focussing almost exclussively on math and English. A colleague was just saying geography is gone from the curriculum and a friend who teaches histroy says he gets only half the time of either math or English. Make funding and raises completely tied to standardized test results and the curriculum will wind up reaching to the test.

I think it's the changing of the times. Way too many distractions for kids these days. When I was young, I remember pouring over books, studying pictures, even if I'd already looked at them a hundred times. Now, there's more to pull kids away.

If I use my son as an example, in his room alone he has: satellite TV, wireless-enabled PC, a DVD player, as well as his toys and Nintendo DS handheld, an acoustic guitar, electric guitar, stereo, and banjo...

Seeing how my neices are when they visit, they're badgering us to us the computer and talk to their friends over AIM. And I'm sure they aren't talking history (unless who broke up with who yesterday is considered history these days)....

- Frank