history in activities

How to View Activity History on Windows 11: A Step-by-Step Guide

How to view activity history on windows 11.

Looking to track your recent activities on your Windows 11 computer? It’s pretty straightforward! Windows 11 logs your activities, and you can easily find them using the Settings app. Just follow a few simple steps to access your activity history, which includes apps you’ve used, files you’ve opened, and even websites you’ve visited. Ready to dive in? Let’s get to it!

In this section, I’ll walk you through the steps to view your activity history on Windows 11. This will help you keep an eye on what you or anyone else has been doing on your computer.

Step 1: Open Settings

First, open the Settings app by pressing the Windows key + I.

Settings is your command center for managing your computer. You can find everything from system updates to privacy settings here. Opening it is like unlocking the door to your computer’s control room.

Step 2: Go to Privacy & Security

Navigate to the "Privacy & security" section in the menu on the left side of the Settings window.

The Privacy & Security section is where you can control what data is collected and how it’s used. It’s like the gatekeeper of your personal information on your computer.

Step 3: Click on Activity History

Under Privacy & security, find and click on "Activity history."

This section stores a log of your activities. Think of it as a digital diary that keeps track of everything you do on your computer.

Step 4: View Your Activity History

Scroll down to see your activity history. You can also manage settings related to what data is collected here.

Your activity history will show a list of apps, services, and files you’ve interacted with. It gives you a snapshot of your recent actions on your device.

Step 5: Clear Activity History If Needed

If you want, you can clear your activity history by clicking the "Clear" button.

Clearing your activity history is like wiping the slate clean. It’s useful if you’re sharing your device or just want to start fresh.

Once you complete these steps, you’ll have a clear view of your activity history. You can see what you’ve been up to, manage your privacy settings, or even clear your history if you want a clean slate.

Tips for Viewing Activity History on Windows 11

Use It Regularly : Check your activity history regularly to monitor your computer’s usage and ensure no unauthorized actions.
Manage Permissions : Adjust permissions in Privacy & security to control what data gets logged.
Use Filters : Use filters to sort through your activity history more efficiently.
Sync Across Devices : If you use multiple devices, enable activity history sync to get a comprehensive view.
Clear History Frequently : Clear your history periodically, especially if you share your device with others.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i see web browsing history in activity history.

Yes, if you use Microsoft Edge, your browsing history will show up in the activity history.

How can I prevent Windows 11 from collecting my activity history?

Go to Privacy & security > Activity history, and turn off the option to store your activity history on the device.

Does clearing activity history delete my files?

No, clearing your activity history only deletes the log of your actions, not the files themselves.

Can I view activity history for other users on the same device?

You can only view activity history for the account you are currently logged into.

Is there a way to export my activity history?

Currently, Windows 11 doesn’t offer a built-in feature to export activity history directly from the settings.

Open Settings
Go to Privacy & Security
Click on Activity History
View Your Activity History
Clear Activity History If Needed

And there you have it, folks! That’s how you can view your activity history on Windows 11. This nifty feature is excellent for keeping tabs on what you’ve been doing or ensuring no unauthorized activities are happening on your device. It’s like having a little detective always watching and recording your every move (in a totally non-creepy way, of course).

Remember, the more you familiarize yourself with these settings, the more control you’ll have over your computer. Don’t forget to manage your permissions and clear your history regularly to keep everything running smoothly. If you ever find yourself scratching your head, refer back to this guide, and you’ll be an activity history pro in no time.

Want to dive deeper? Microsoft’s support page offers more detailed info on managing your Windows 11 settings. Happy tracking!

Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.

His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.

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Windows activity history and your privacy

Activity history helps keep track of the things you do on your device, such as the apps and services you use, the files you open, and the websites you browse. Your activity history is stored locally on your device.

You can manage activity history settings to choose what to store.

Features that use activity history

The following Windows features use your activity history. Refer back to this page after Windows releases and updates to learn about any new services and features that use your activity history:

Timeline . See a timeline of activities and choose whether to resume those activities from your device. For example, let’s say that you are editing a Word document on your device, but you aren't able to finish before you have to stop working for the day. If you turn on the Store my activity history on this device setting on the Activity history settings page, you will see that Word activity in your timeline the following day—and for the next several days—and from there, you can resume working on it.

Microsoft Edge . When you use Microsoft Edge Legacy, your browsing history will be included in your activity history. Activity history will not be saved when browsing with InPrivate windows.

Your Microsoft account settings don't allow you to send your activity history to Microsoft, but your activity history will be stored on your device to help keep track of the things you do.

Activity history for multiple accounts

For multiple accounts, activity history is collected and stored locally for each local account, Microsoft account, or work or school account that you have associated with your device in Settings > Accounts > Email & accounts . You can also see these accounts in Windows 10 under Settings > Privacy > Activity history and in Windows 11 under Settings > Privacy & security > Activity history , where you can filter out activities from specific accounts from showing in your timeline. Hiding an account does not delete the data on the device.

Manage activity history settings

Activity history is customizable—at any time, you can choose to stop saving activity history.

Stop saving activity history locally on your device

Select Start , then select Settings > Privacy & security > Activity history .

Switch the Store my activity history on this device setting to Off .

Open Activity history settings

Note: The option to send activity history to Microsoft has been deprecated from Windows 11 23H2 and 22H2, January 23, 2024-KB5034204 update. Previous Windows 11 versions before this update would still have the option available on their activity history page, and if enabled, activity history data will still be sent to Microsoft. You can either turn this option off or update to the latest Windows version to get the most recent updates.

You can clear and delete the activity history stored on your device.

Clear your activity history

Select Start , then select Settings > Privacy & security > Activity history .

Next to Clear activity history for this account , select Clear history .

Note: If you have previous activity history stored in the cloud before Windows 11 23H2 and 22H2, January 23, 2024-KB5034204 update, you can use the Clear activity history button to delete previously stored data in the cloud. Otherwise, your activity history will be automatically deleted within 30 days from when your data was last synced to the cloud.

Select Start , then select Settings > Privacy > Activity history .

Clear the Store my activity history on this device checkbox.

If you turn this setting off, you won’t be able to use any of the on-device features that rely on activity history, such as your timeline. You will still be able to see your browsing history in Microsoft Edge.

In previous versions of Windows, this setting was called Let Windows collect my activities from this PC .

The option to send activity history to Microsoft has been deprecated from Windows 10 22H2, January 23, 2024-KB5034203 update. Previous Windows 10 versions before this update would still have the option available on their activity history page, and if enabled, activity history data will still be sent to Microsoft. You can either turn this option off or update to the latest Windows version to get the most recent updates.

Under Clear activity history , select Clear .

Note: If you have previous activity history stored in the cloud before Windows 10 22H2, January 23, 2024-KB5034203 update, you can use the Clear activity history button to delete previously stored data in the cloud. Otherwise, your activity history will be automatically deleted within 30 days from when your data was last synced to the cloud.

In your timeline, you can clear individual activities—or all activities—from an individual day. To do so, right-click an activity and select the option you prefer.

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How to View Activity History in Windows 10 & 11

View activity history in windows 10 & 11.

About The Author

How to turn off your activity history, and the Timeline, in Windows 10

In recent versions of Windows 10, Microsoft has introduced a new feature called the Timeline . However, most users refer to it as the Task View's app history . This feature stores the history of your activities in Windows 10, on Microsoft's cloud servers (if you want to) and synchronizes it across your Windows 10 computers and devices. If you do not use this feature and you want Windows 10 to stop collecting your activity history, here is how to stop it:

Skip to chapter

How to view the timeline with your activity history, in windows 10, how to disable the timeline, and stop it from sending your activity history to microsoft's servers, why did you disable the timeline in windows 10.

The Timeline keeps a journal of all your activities so that you can resume them later, from where you left off. For it to be able to monitor your actions, the Timeline must be able to record what you are working on, in the apps that you use. To be able to do that, apps must offer support for this feature. You can learn more about this feature, and what it does, from this tutorial: What is the Timeline in Windows 10 and how to use it to resume past activities .

To access it and view the history of activities that Windows 10 stores, click or tap the Task View button on the taskbar. You can see it highlighted below. Alternatively, you can press the Windows + Tab keys on your keyboard.

You see a list of activities that you have performed earlier today, yesterday, the day before yesterday, and so on. You can also use the Timeline to create a new virtual desktop .

The Timeline displays your activity history in Windows 10

This feature may be useful to you, but for some users, it is not. Some people do not want Microsoft to record and store the history of their activities. Read on and see how to disable it.

First, open Settings and go to Privacy .

In the column on the left, choose Activity history . On the right, you see controls for how the activity history works, and whether it is turned on or not.

In the Activity history section, you have two settings:

Store my activity history on this device - when unchecked it stops Windows 10 from collecting your activity history, from the moment you uncheck it. However, your past activities are still stored by Windows 10.
Send my activity history to Microsoft - when unchecked, it stops Windows 10 from synchronizing your activities with Microsoft's servers, and other Windows 10 devices that you own. This happens as of the moment you uncheck it. However, your past activities are still stored by Windows 10, if you use a Microsoft account.

Then, you see the "Show activities from these accounts" section. What you see here differs based on whether you use a Microsoft account or a local account . If you use a Microsoft account, you can set whether you want to hide activities from your Timeline . Set the switch for your Microsoft account to Off , so that the Timeline no longer shows your past activities.

Disabling the activity history in Windows 10

NOTE: If you use a local user account in Windows 10, you do not see any switch, because it is enough to uncheck the previous two settings.

If you want Windows 10 to delete your activity history, press the Clear button, and confirm your choice. From now on Windows 10 no longer has any activity history on you.

Clearing the activity history in Windows 10

If you use a Microsoft account instead of a local account, at this point, Microsoft might still have your past activities on their servers, if you let Windows 10 sync your data to the cloud. To clear that data too, click or tap the link that says: "Manage my Microsoft Account activity data."

Click on Manage my Microsoft account activity data

Your default web browser is open to your Microsoft account privacy dashboard. Sign in with your Microsoft account. Then, see and clear all the data that Microsoft has stored about you and your activities, on all their products and services. If you need help in working with Microsoft's privacy dashboard, read: How to learn what data Microsoft stores about you and how to delete it .

The privacy dashboard for your Microsoft account

After you clear all the settings we mentioned, and you access the Task View , the Timeline should be empty of your past activities, like in the screenshot below. From now on, you should see only the apps that are currently open, and your virtual desktops (if you are using them).

The Windows 10 Task View without the activity history

The Timeline feature in Windows 10 is useful to some users. However, at this time, it is rather bare-bones, and it lacks precise controls for what gets stored in the Timeline and what doesn't. Also, developer support is not the best. Before closing this tutorial, tell us your reason for disabling the activity history in Windows 10. Comment below and let's discuss.

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Windows 10 and 11 collect and save your activity history both on your computer and to the cloud, from browsing history to location information. Luckily, Microsoft makes it easy to see all the data they store and allows you to delete it.

Let's explore how Microsoft stores data on you and how you can view your Windows activity history.

What Data Does Windows Track?

The data that Windows collects includes:

Edge browsing history
Bing search history
Location data (if it's enabled)
Cortana voice commands
Windows usage for the Timeline feature

Any activity collected through that service is also stored if you use Microsoft's HealthVault or the Microsoft Band device. Microsoft says it collects this data to provide you with more relevant results and useful content.

There are plenty of ways to disable Windows' tracking services , but even after you've done that, Microsoft will still have the data you've already given it. As such, you'll need to scrub that data away.

How to Delete Your Windows Activity History

You can easily see what data Microsoft stores and how to delete it.

There are two ways you can clear your recent activity on Windows: from your computer's settings, or via your Microsoft account settings. The steps for the latter will vary depending on if you're on Windows 10 or 11.

How to Delete Your Windows Activity History via Settings on Windows 10

If you're on Windows 10, perform the following:

This will clear the activity history for the account you're currently using.

How to Delete Your Windows Activity History via Settings on Windows 11

If you're on Windows 11, the interface may look a little different.

navigating to activity history in settings

How to Delete Your Windows Activity History via Your Microsoft Account

You should also clear data from the cloud. To do that, click on Manage my Microsoft account activity data . Log into your Microsoft account and delete all types of activity data on the cloud. You'll need to do this separately for each section. For example, if you want to clear your Search history, you'll need to expand the section and click on Clear all search history .

deleting activity history from the cloud

How to Disable Activity Tracking on the Windows 10 Timeline

Back in 2018, Microsoft added a new Timeline feature that tracks all your recent activities on Windows 10. You can view it by pressing the ALT + Win keys. You'll see all the windows you currently have open, as well as all the files you've opened in the past.

This activity syncs between all your devices, so if you'd rather Windows didn't store your activity, you should turn this feature off.

To do this, access the Activity History page as you did above. From here, uncheck Store my activity history on this device . This stops Windows from remembering what you did on your timeline.

Then, untick Send my activity history to Microsoft to stop your data from being sent to Microsoft's servers. Now that both boxes are unticked, you should notice a lack of activity tracking in the future.

Checking the options in Windows 10's activity history

How to View All Windows 10 Activity History

If you want to view all activity history on Windows 10, you can do so on the Microsoft account privacy website . You'll see various categories when you access the website and log in. Each one will take you to a page that shows all the information Microsoft has stored about you relating to that category.

There's a lot to take in on this page, so here's a brief rundown of each category which you should check.

The Windows 10 Activity History Categories

The categories on the activity history website

Browsing history handles the data you've stored via browsing Microsoft's browser, Edge. As such, if you only use Edge to download Firefox or Chrome, you probably won't find much data here. If Edge is your primary browser, take a look to see what browsing habits are stored here.

Search History is only useful if you use Bing. When you use a search engine like Google, they tend to "remember" what you searched for to improve your experience. Microsoft uses your search data to tailor better search results, Cortana answers, and future search suggestions.

Location Activity includes the times when you let a Windows device get access to your location. It's good to double-check this part to see if Windows is storing your location.

Speech Activity should be the top priority if you've ever used Cortana before. Here, you'll find saved clips of you giving commands to Cortana, used by Microsoft for better speech recognition. If you dislike this, try one of the best alternatives to Cortana for Windows .

Media Activity is where Microsoft keeps tabs on what you enjoy watching to further your recommendations. If you're getting weird suggestions because of something someone else watched, it's worth checking out.

App and service cover how you use Microsoft products. This category splits into two sections; activity for actions you've performed and performance for system logs.

You can also click on the Activity History tab to view a complete list of all data types: voice, search, browsing history, and location information. Microsoft also makes it easy to filter down to each category by clicking on it.

How to Use Windows 10 and Maintain Your Privacy

Microsoft is eager to get everyone using Windows 10 as quickly as possible, resorting to offering free upgrades to encourage migration. However, users have never considered Windows 10 as a bastion of privacy. Ever since its release, users have discovered ways that the operating system tracks what you do.

As such, a privacy-minded person may feel uneasy that their new PC has Windows 10. If you'd rather not scrub the drive clean to install a different operating system, you can take steps to reduce what data Microsoft gathers about you.

Unfortunately, there is no silver bullet for Windows 10 privacy. Recommended steps range from setting options during the initial OS setup to installing third-party tools to keep tabs on everything.

Keeping Your Data Safe in Windows 10

Windows 10 is not the privacy advocate's top choice for operating systems, but you can monitor your data and tweak the privacy settings to suit your needs. Now you know how to view the data Microsoft has on you and how to erase them.

Now that your data in Windows 10 is secure, it's time to ensure that all the programs and settings on your PC are equally ironclad. You can do plenty of things to heighten your computer's security, such as uninstalling Flash and making restore points.

Online Privacy

How to view and clear Activity History on Windows 11/10

Activity history in windows 11/10, how to remove your account from activity history, prevent windows 11 from sharing activity history data, prevent windows 10 from sharing activity history data, how to clear activity history from windows 11 pc, how to clear activity history from windows 10 pc.

How to view and clear Activity History on Windows 10 PC

Where is Activity History?

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updated on October 4, 2023

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Checking the history on a computer is a great way to monitor what your kids or employees do online.
You may have also forgotten an important file or the location of your saved documents hence the need to access your computer's history.
If you're wondering how to check the history on a Windows 11 computer, you'll be happy to know that it's fairly easy as we shall explore below.

If you’ve ever wondered how you can check your computer history on Windows 11, this article is a great place to start.

Windows 11 keeps a record of the websites you have visited and also the images, documents, and other files which you have downloaded. This helps you to access your favorite pages, sites, or apps easily.

There are many reasons to check your computer history, including recovering lost or accidentally deleted files and viewing the sites you’ve visited for business purposes.

In some cases, you may want to know if someone has gotten into your computer and has been using it without your knowledge.

The good news is that Windows makes it easy to check your computer history whenever you need to.

If you don’t fancy doing all the manual steps of clicking through various menus to check app history and recent activity on a laptop, you may find software for tracking your browsing history useful to make the process easier and faster.

How do I check the recent activity history in Windows 11?

1. use event viewer to view activity history.

1. Hit the Windows key to open the Windows Search box.

2. Ty pe Event Viewer in the search box, and then click Open on the first result.

3. Right-click on the Windows logs section to expand it.

4. You can now check whichever events want to see. For example, you can click on System .

5. You will now be able to see a current log of the number of times your computer has been on.

Users who want to view the recent activity history on their Windows 11 devices can use a built-in tool called Event Viewer.

This tool comes in very handy when it comes to checking what has been done on your PC. You can sort the events and browse those you are interested in.

2. Use Command Prompt to check the computer history

That’s how simple it is to check computer history in Command Prompt. You will be able to see how many times your PC has been booted.

3. Check the Windows 11 computer’s history with the Run command

Press the Windows + R keys simultaneously to open the Run command.

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How to check the history on a Windows 11 computer when it has been deleted?

It is very easy to check your computer history on Windows 11. But sometimes you want to keep your activities private. In such cases, you may have to delete your computer history.

You can easily remove all stored search terms, websites, and apps from your computer with a few simple steps.

However, if small children or your employees are using your computer and you want to keep tabs on their activities, you have to check their history. But what happens if they delete their activity history? You can make use of software to track browsing history or do it manually as outlined below.

To check your computer history after it has been deleted, follow the steps below:

You will now be able to see a list of all sites visited.

If you are using a shared computer and dealing with sensitive information, it goes without saying that you don’t want any information landing in the hands of unauthorized people.

We recommend you use one of our top recommended private browsers without tracking to mask your online activities.

Alternatively, you can use browsers with in-built VPNs that guarantee you privacy and enhanced security.

We hope this article was able to shed light on the different ways you can access your computer’s history with ease.

If you have any additional methods you have tried that worked out for you, we’d love to hear them. Share with us in the comment section below.

How to View and Clear Activity History on a Windows PC

The Activity History feature on your Windows PC is used to record all the things that you do on your system. It tracks the apps and services you use, files you open, and websites you browse on to provide more personalized experiences and relevant suggestions.

While Activity History has its uses, due to privacy reasons many users might want to disable the feature. This post will go on to demonstrate how to view, clear, and even turn off your Activity History altogether on your Windows PC.

Viewing Your Windows Activity History

Clearing your windows activity history, disabling activity history on your pc, frequently asked questions.

Also read: How to See PC Startup and Shutdown History in Windows

To view your Windows Activity History, follow these steps:

On your PC, go to “Start -> Settings.” Alternatively, use the Win + I keyboard shortcut to go straight to “Settings” in Windows.
Click on the “Privacy” option. In Windows 11, look for “Privacy & security” instead.

Select “Activity History” on the left side of the screen.

Click the “Manage My Microsoft account activity data” link. This will take you to Microsoft’s account login page on your default browser.

Windows Settings Manage My Microsoft Account

Sign into your Microsoft account.

Also read: How to Clear Clipboard History on Windows 10

Your computer screen will display your entire Activity History across various data types (Apps, Voice, Search, Browse, Media, and Location). Click the drop-down arrows to view the content of each data category in detail.

Also read: How to Take Advantage of Windows 11’s Improved Accessibility Tools

Clear your PC’s Activity History is quite easy. Here’s what to do.

Go to “Activity History” like we showed you above.
Scroll down to “Clear Activity History” and click on the “Clear” button below. This will clear all the activity history on your PC for the account you’re currently using.

Some users might opt to disable activity tracking for privacy reasons. On the other hand, you could leave the feature on and just disable the option to send your Activity History to your Microsoft account for access on other devices.

In the “Activity history” section, uncheck the “Store my activity history on this device” box. In versions older than Windows 10 or 11, this setting is called “Let Windows collect my activities from this PC.”
Once you deactivate this setting, you won’t be able to use any of the on-device features that require Activity History. However, this does not affect your browsing history in Microsoft Edge.

Windows Settings Store My Activity History On This Devide

To stop sending the Activity History of your work or school account to Microsoft, uncheck the “Send my activity history to Microsoft” box. In versions older than Windows 10, this setting is called “Let Windows sync my activities from this PC to the cloud.”

Windows Settings Send My Activity History To Microsoft 1

Also read: How to Fix ‘Bad System Config Info’ Error in Windows

Is my Activity History stored elsewhere outside of my PC?

Yes. Your Activity History is also stored in the Microsoft cloud. When you clear your Activity History via your computer’s settings, the data stored in the cloud (associated with your Microsoft account) will also be deleted permanently.

What Windows features require your Activity History?

Some features on Windows require access to your Activity History to offer full functionality. For instance, with the feature enabled, Microsoft will be able to track your activities and display them in your Timeline. As such, let’s say you were working on a PowerPoint presentation but you had to step out, you will see the PowerPoint activity in your Timeline once you return to your PC. Other Windows activity tracking features include Microsoft Edge browsing history, Bing search history, Cortana voice searches, and “Your location” data history.

Can I customize other privacy settings on my PC?

Yes. You can customize every feature listed under your computer’s “Privacy” settings. For instance, you can “Let Windows improve Start and search results by tracking app launches”. But if you’re not really comfortable with that, you can simply disable the feature. Another interesting “Privacy” setting to consider customizing is the “Ink and Typing Personalization” feature. When enabled, this feature will use your typing history to curate a local vocabulary that provides more personalized typing suggestions. To further protect your personal information and ensure your safety online, you might also like to check out this list of security and privacy extensions .

Image credit: Unsplash All screenshots by Tayo Sogbesan

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Tayo Sogbesan is a professional writer who enjoys curating tech and marketing content. She's currently a technical writer at Make Tech Easier, and looks forward to exploring the depths of the tech space. If she’s not typing away on her computer, she is probably catching up on The Office.

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How to View and Clear Your Activity History In Windows 10

By: Waseem Patwegar | Filed Under: Windows

Windows keeps track of activities that you perform on the computer, including your Search and Browsing history . You can find below the steps to View and Clear Activity History in Windows 10.

Clear Activity History in Windows 10

When you are logged into the computer using Microsoft Account , Windows sends your activity History to Microsoft in order to provide you with a personalized user experience.

Your Activity History as collected by Microsoft includes Apps that you use, files that you open and the websites that you browse on the computer.

If you have multiple User Accounts, Activity history is collected for each Local Account on the computer and only the Activity history linked to the Primary User Account is sent to Microsoft.

In order to help you manage your privacy, Microsoft provides the option to View, Clear and also prevent Activity History from being collected.

1. Clear Activity History in Local User Accounts

If you use one or more Local Accounts to Login to the computer, you can clear Activity History by following the steps below in each of the User Accounts.

1. Open Settings > click on the Privacy Icon.

2. On the Privacy screen, click on Activity History in the left-pane. In the right-pane, scroll down to “Clear Activity History section” and click on the Clear button.

Clear Activity History in Local User Accounts

3. On the confirmation pop-up, click on OK to confirm

2. View and Clear Activity History in Microsoft Account

If you use Microsoft Account to Login to the computer, you can View and Clear Activity Your History by going to the Privacy Dashboard in your Microsoft Account.

2. On the Privacy screen, click on Activity History in the left-pane. In the right-pane, scroll down and click on Privacy Dashboard Link. This will take you to Microsoft’s Privacy website

Open Microsoft's Privacy Dashboard From Windows PC

3. On the next screen, login to your Microsoft Account.

4. In Microsoft Account, switch to Privacy tab and click on Activity History .

Open Activity History on Microsoft's Privacy Dashboard

5. On the Activity History Page, you will see your Activity History arranged by Data Types (Apps, Voice, Search, Browse, Media and Location).

As you can see from above image, there is no option to clear All Activity History at once. Hence, you will have to open and clear Activity History for each Data type.

3. Prevent Computer from Sending Your Activity History to Microsoft

As mentioned, it is possible to prevent Windows from sending your activity history to Microsoft.

2. On the Privacy screen, click on Activity history in the left-pane. In the right-pane, uncheck Store my activity history on this device and Send my activity history to Microsoft option.

Disable Send Activity History to Microsoft

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13 Ways To Make History Class Engaging For Students

Learn a variety of strategies on how to make history class engaging for students. Check out in this blog post.

History class is much more than reading out of a textbook. Use these 10 tips to help make history class engaging and relevant to your students.

This blog post contains affiliate links that are of no cost to the reader. If you make a purchase through the provided links this blog will receive a small commission to help with the financial costs of maintaining the site.

13 Strategies To Make History Class Engaging

I hope you can use some of these 13 tips to help make history class engaging. As a history teacher, it is important to contact local historical sites, museums, organizations, and libraries to see how they can help enrich your program.

Try these lesson ideas to make history class fun.

Tip #1 Use QR Codes

This quick technology can be accessed with personal or school portable technology (phones, iPads, tablets). The QR code embeds information (text, URL, etc) into the code image. Students scan the code with a QR Code reader app and they unlock the information.

I use this in my classroom for introducing vocabulary words in a new unit or for students to access information in a different format. I try to make QR Code activities into scavenger hunts where they must locate the code before accessing information.

Tip #2 Incorporate Movement into Lessons

I love using the cooperative learning strategy called Four Corners. Around the classroom in each corner hang up four different answer cards such as Agree, Disagree, Undecided, and Need More Info (cards can be changed to align better with your lesson). Then ask the class a rich thinking question. Students move to the answer card area that best aligns with their opinion.

In this new opinion group, students discuss their ideas. Ensure that they know they will be held accountable for these discussions either through written or oral means. When first introducing this strategy it is a great idea to have a Need More Information section where the teacher can stand and provide support.

Tip #3 Add Drama

Activities such as Monologues, Wax Museum and Hot Seat make historical figures come to life in your classroom.

Tip #4 Use Collaborative Discussion Strategies

Students are not always comfortable discussing in History classes due to their lack of subject area background knowledge. When we have class discussions I try to build up their knowledge and confidence by using strategies such as Think Pair Share or Four Corners Placemats.

Tip #5 Bring In Primary Sources

Where possible bring in primary sources. Photos from the time period and archival documents can make history seem more authentic to students. Lots of internet sites (government archives) have access to these excellent pieces of history. A quick Google search will contain lots of ideas. Your local library, historical societies, and museums are also great places to look. Also, the New York Public Library has digitized a lot of pieces that could work in your classroom. You can also find great primary sources at Library and Archives Canada .

Tip #6 Picture Books

Do not discount the value of picture books in the middle or high school history classroom. Two of my favourite picture books for my Canadian history classes are The Cremation of Sam McGee and The Canadian Railroad Trilogy . The vivid images and storylines bring history alive.

Picture books can also be used to provide background knowledge prior to starting a unit. In English classes, I often use the book Teammates by Peter Golenbock as a mentor text, which discusses Jackie Robinson’s treatment as the first African American Major League Baseball player.

Picture books are fantastic literacy resources to help students learn about a variety of topics and reinforce literacy skills. I have used these picture books to help teach students about Residential Schools. Please purchase these books from Indigenous-owned bookstores.

When We Were Alone by David Robertson
Stolen Words by Melanie Florence
Not My Girl by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton
When I Was Eight by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton
Phyllis’s Orange Shirt by Phyllis Webstad
I Am Not a Number by Jenny Kay Dupuis and Kathy Kacer
Shi-shi-etko by Nicola I. Campbell
Shin-chi’s Canoe by Nicola I. Campbell

Tip #7 Browsing Bins

To help ignite and maintain a spark for historical knowledge, create a browsing bin of books related to curriculum topics. Ask your school librarian or media specialist if you can borrow books from the school library that relate to your current unit of study.

Keep these books in a special bin and in a highly visible area to encourage students to look through the materials and possibly check them out at the library. If your school does not have a library, visit your local library or contact any local historical associations to see what materials they can lend your classroom.

Tip #8 Historical Fiction

History classrooms are also literacy classrooms. Students engage each day with written text and make connections and inferences about the people they are studying. Keeping a good variety of historical fiction related to your topics of study can help students extend their classroom learning.

Some favourite books among my students are anything related to major wars or conflicts. The Dear Canada and Dear America series from Scholastic are great places to start for historical fiction. Here are some historical fiction book lists.

Middle School Historical Fiction Books
World War Two Themed Novels For Middle School Students
World War Two Themed Novels For High School Students

Tip #9 Assignment Choice

It is also important that your assignments have different choice options. Students feel more empowered about their learning if given the chance to produce works of their choosing. Providing choices about content and product is a great place to start.

My first major assignment in my Grade 8 History class is having students create a persuasive piece to encourage the British Colonies to join Confederation. Depending on the school year, students have been offered choices in the final product: pamphlet, website, slideshow, etc.

They can also produce the product in either the official language English or French. During historical inquiry assignments, students are given choice over what topics (from a list related to the curriculum expectations) they want to learn about. I match them with other students in the class who want to learn about the same topic.

For my inquiry assignment on Canada at the turn of the century, students can choose from a long list of topics ranging from technology and transportation to arts and culture.

Tip #10 Artifacts

Last year, for one lesson I set up my classroom as an interactive museum. The unit was called Canada: A Changing Society 1890-1914 . I tried to find artifacts around my house and relatives’ houses that could potentially represent items from this time period.

I also printed off colour photos of daily living artifacts. Students had to circulate around the classroom in pairs and guess what the object was and its modern-day equivalent. The item that had most of the class confused was the manual meat grinder.

They definitely had a better understanding of the challenges of daily living from touching and seeing the different tools than if we had read about it online or in a textbook. Another year, while studying the settlement of Western Canada, I contacted a local museum and borrowed an educational kit that had replica items from the mid-1800s. Students loved seeing the toys and school materials from this time period.

Tip #11 Virtual Field Trips

The internet has changed the way I teach history. No longer are students only able to access information from library books, they can actually digitally visit the locations we are studying. This past year we used Google Maps to locate major battle sites and visit museum websites. Use Google to help locate interesting virtual field trips for your class this year.

Tip #12 Embrace Virtual Reality

Depending on your school budget Google Cardboard could be a very good investment. This small device allows students to download an app and view places in a virtual reality environment.

Tip #13 Use Engaging Curriculum Materials

At the end of the day, you still need to cover the contents of your curriculum. By integrating some of these tips into your daily lessons you will make history class more engaging for your students. If you teach Canadian history check out these units by 2 Peas and a Dog which will help you keep your students engaged. I hope you use these strategies to make history class engaging for your students.

2 thoughts on “13 Ways To Make History Class Engaging For Students”

Kristy, I would like to know about your QR codes in history class. Can you send me some more information.

Sure, send me an email using my contact for on the website.

Comments are closed.

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14 Creative Ideas to Take your History Classes to the Next Level

Teaching in an engaging, meaningful way is a challenge for all teachers. Fortunately, teachers now have many more resources than they did 15 years ago. History classes can now be more comprehensive but also interactive, engaging, and - dare I say- fun if the right strategies and activities are used.

In this blog post, I’ll share fourteen creative ideas to take your history classes to the next level . Some ideas can be implemented on paper or even using digital tools you already know and love. I have created mine using widgets, which are activity templates for teachers to add their own content.

Before I move on, remember you can use these history lesson activities for free by making a copy into your free BookWidgets account or by navigating to the BookWidgets Blog group folder with even more ready-to-use lessons.

Without further ado, let’s get to it! Below are my fourteen ideas to make your history classes more fun and engaging. 👇

1. Timeline

This type of history activity is extremely valuable, particularly for visual learners. Arranging information in a timeline, especially when we add visual resources, gives students a more comprehensive understanding of the subject we’re teaching. In this example, you can see a timeline activity about inventions. Students have to consider when each of the objects was invented. It’s a handy activity to teach about different eras of history, wars, dynasties and kingdoms, great eras, and any topic with a relevant chronological order.

💡 Pro tip! In BookWidgets, there are two types of timelines. One student can adapt, and one that’s static, solely used for learning. Check out this blog post with 39 more ready-to-use timeline widgets.

The example below shows the main topic ― World War I ― and its various ramifications. This mindmap makes students think about the multiple ramifications of the war and its consequences in several areas. Students have no trouble understanding that war is terrible and many people die. But how does it affect people’s daily lives? What are the consequences on the economy and the welfare of the countries involved?

Organizing the information helps students understand it more and draw parallels with contemporary times instead of memorizing who invaded whom and when.

💡 Pro tip! Check out other ways to encourage your students to organize information in this blog post .

3. Crossword puzzle

Who doesn’t like a good old crossword puzzle during a history lesson? There are many different reasons for using them in the classroom, such as introducing a new topic or reinforcing a subject learned in class, encouraging student collaboration and self-assessment. My suggestion today is to use a crossword puzzle for reviewing a topic previously learned. It is an effective way to refresh a topic your class has seen a while ago in a fun way. In this example, the descriptions of the words are facts that students have already learned about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

💡 Pro tip! There are endless possibilities of history and non-history topics to use in a crossword puzzle. Take a look at this blog post for more inspiration.

4. Word search

Similarly to the crossword puzzle, a word search activity has many possible uses. I use this word search history activity to introduce a new topic in this example. This digital word search combines the word search with a picture background that also gives the students a hint of the topic. If they look closer at the picture, they will see that the bridges and many buildings are destroyed. This visual aid helps them realize the topic is some war. But what war? To find that out, they’ll have to search for the words.

💡 Pro tip! With BookWidgets, teachers can display the words that need to be searched or hide them. Also, you can decide if you want the words also to be written backwards (from right to left) or diagonally so you can make it more challenging for your students. Want to make your word search more interesting? Take a look at this blog post and be inspired.

5. Flashcards

After this process is completed, the teacher can either give each student a set of paper cards for them to create their own. It has its pedagogical value but might be time-consuming. Alternatively, the teacher can make a Flashcards activity and share the link with the class. Students are more likely to go over the cards more often if they can access the set of flashcards on their phones, so having this digital resource is quite handy.

💡 Pro tip! You can let your students print the flashcards if needed! Just enable that option in your Flashcards widget. Find out even more about how you can use flashcards in your lessons. Check out this flashcards blog post to see how they can fit your lesson purposes.

Moreover, this interactive approach fosters social interaction, making learning more enjoyable and inclusive for diverse learners. Making it digitally with BookWidgets is time-saving for you as a teacher. You have to write (or copy-paste) a list of words you want on the cards, and BookWidgets will automatically generate different cards with as many words as you wish. Remember creating 30 different bingo cards by hand? How glad are you to be living in the digital era, huh?

💡 Pro tip! Use both text and images on your bingo cards. If you want more inspiration on using bingo in the classroom in 25 different ways and other subjects, check out this bingo post .

7. WebQuest

With a WebQuest, you give students flexibility and freedom, which motivates them. In history classes, WebQuests are perfect to allow students to go deeper into a topic that you, as a teacher, might need more time to go over.

WebQuest combines independent learning and microlearning, allowing students to learn effectively. In this video , you can see some more use cases of teaching with WebQuests.

I believe WebQuests and history classes are a match made in heaven to teach history creatively. Do give it a try. If you don’t know how to start, check out this WebQuest video tutorial . With this, you will bring your history classes to the next level. In the example below, you can see a WebQuest created to teach Greek Mythology.

💡 Pro tip! Use WebQuests to encourage self-regulated learning for your history lessons. Want to give SRL a try? Check out this blog post and ready-to-use SRL blueprint . All you have to do is add your history lesson materials.

8. Before/After

A great way to encourage students to reflect on the consequences of past events in our present lives is by making them compare how things ― for instance, a city, a neighborhood, or a continent ― were before and after that specific event. I’m a big fan of using visual aids with students and love how easy it is to find pictures online that I can use with students.

In this Before/After history activity, you can see two maps of Europe - one before and one after World War I by simply sliding the bar at the bottom of the picture. It is an innovative activity for the students to point out what’s different and to bring meaningful discussions about the consequences of losing or gaining territory and cultural influence after a war.

💡 Pro tip! In this blog post , we give you some ideas on where to find images and how to use them to boost your lessons.

9. Video quiz

Videos can be a fun resource to bring innovation into your classroom. Since we can find videos about virtually any topic, we can also use them in our history classes.

However, showing videos in class should ideally have a pedagogical reason or goal. Creating a quiz based on the video watched is an engaging history-teaching method. It tests students’ understanding of the topic and gives a lot of flexibility to you as a teacher.

I love combining video quizzes, in which students work alone, with group discussions so they can share their understanding and their opinions about the topic.

I’ve created the video quiz below to teach the Women’s Suffrage March in Washington. I’ve chosen four out of 35 different question types to complete this quiz and added questions to specific parts of the video. The video will then automatically stop so the students can answer the questions.

For instance, this fun activity can be used to celebrate International Women’s Day. Consider looking for original footage of important events like speeches by famous politicians and personalities.

💡 Pro tip! Video quizzes can have up to 36 different question types! You can even ask your students to answer multiple questions at the same point of time in the video. Get the most out of this Video-Quiz widget by checking out this blog post with 10 more video quiz lesson examples .

10. Split Worksheet

Not only videos but also authentic texts can be the source for an exciting history activity. In this split worksheet, we have on one side an article published in 1918 by The Sun, a New York paper, about women spies. On the other half of the split worksheet, we added seven different types of questions that the students should answer as they read the article.

The fact that both sides of the worksheet are independently scrollable makes this activity very convenient ― no need to turn the pages back and forth to go from the text to the questions. On a split worksheet, you can add articles or other PDF texts, pictures, embedded videos, and even audio.

💡 Pro tip! Here are 20 ready-to-use classroom activities to celebrate Women´s History Month.

11. Randomness

Randomness is a tool that can elevate the quality of history instruction. It can both test what the students have learned about a particular topic or prompt research on a topic you will address in the future. I’ve created a randomness game about women in history in the example below.

The idea is to divide the class into teams to compete against each other. The teams take turns, and by clicking on SPIN, they’ll get the name of a woman who has made history in the past (or is making history now) and two different questions about that person.

In this scenario, the names shown should already have been learned by the students, so this game works as a review.

If a group answers all questions correctly, it gets two points. If a group doesn’t know the answer to both questions about that person, the group sitting on its left has the chance to answer. If done correctly, they will get the points instead.

You can use it as a prompt to have the students do some research about those people as a class project.

💡 Pro tip! The randomness activity is so versatile that we’ve dedicated an entire blog post to it. Go check it out to grab some more history lesson ideas.

12. Memory Game

Using memory games in history class engages students in an interactive and enjoyable learning experience, making historical facts and events more memorable.

Additionally, seeing the information on the cards several times helps them retain information. If done in groups, they promote teamwork and collaboration, enhancing students’ social skills.

Memory games also cater to various learning styles, accommodating visual and auditory learners. You can use audio instead of text or images in case you want to make it accessible for students with visual impairment.

In the example below, students must match the revolutions’ names with their leaders.

💡 Pro tip! In the example above, I chose text-to-text, but you can add audio and images too!

13. Jigsaw Puzzle

Do jigsaw puzzles ever get old? Some students might like it more than others, but let’s face it, puzzles are easy to enjoy. I love using puzzles in history class to introduce a new topic.

You can assign a puzzle activity like you usually would, giving the same puzzle for all students to do. If you work with a digital tool, however, you can have students sit in groups and provide a different puzzle that depicts the same topic for each student.

For instance, if you are teaching about the Division of Germany and the fall of the Berlin Wall, you can have your class divided into groups of three and give one different puzzle to each student of each group. After they do the puzzles separately, they should discuss as a group what topic those three pictures together might represent.

Check out the puzzle I’ve created with this image. There is also this puzzle and this other puzzle that depict the division of Germany.

💡 Pro tip! Add a reward word/ question or sound for when your students complete the puzzle! It can be something that brings extra value to your lesson. Ask them to reflect on the image they get when the jigsaw puzzle is completed.

Last but not least, a quiz is one of the most beloved activities for history classes. In this one, I’ve created five meaningful history questions to test students’ knowledge about the Age of Exploration.

There are 35 different question types to choose from on BookWidgets, which gives us a lot of flexibility and lets us get our creative juices flowing. Please take a look at the one I’ve created and let me know what other question types you think might be suitable for this topic.

💡 Pro tip! Did you know you can transform you own handouts to digital and fun quizzes? Read all about it here .

As you can see, there are a lot of ideas you can bring to your history class to take it to the next level. Your students will certainly appreciate the change of pace and challenges some of those activities bring. I’d like to know which of these activities is your favorite and what other ideas you have, so do share with us. Let us know on Twitter - X - and join our Facebook community to share your first history BookWidgets activity with other teachers.

Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn . I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

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Fun History Project Ideas & Hands-On Activities

Posted by by Maddie
October 27, 2020

History lessons can be dry and boring if you rely completely on a dry and boring textbook. But there is a better way!

It’s so easy to make history come alive with the right books and resources. One of the best ways to make your history lessons fun and interesting is with well-planned hands-on history projects.

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No matter the time period you’re studying, there are some activity ideas you can easily include. Hands-on history projects are a wonderful way to make history lessons come alive for your kids. Now, you don’t need to do a hands-on project every day – but a few well-planned projects can make all the difference.

Hands-on history activities and projects can:

Give you a better understanding of the time and culture.
Can help you see historical context and how events and people are related.
Engage kids in their learning.

It’s so easy to become passive learners – read this, fill out that worksheet… blah… blah… blah… However, when we find ways to engage our kids in their learning, it makes such a difference. You can do this will read aloud, interesting assignments, and of course, hands-on projects and activities.

Engaging the minds (and hands) of our kids makes all the difference in their educational experience. Now that you’re convinced to add some hands-on fun to your homeschool day, how should you do it?

Don’t fill your days with meaningless activities. One well-planned and executed activity each week will go much further than a day filled with boring and mindless activities. Best of all, you don’t need a pile of activity books or resources. With just a handful of ideas that can be applied to any time period or culture will be just as useful.

I’ve put together my favourite ways in which we create hands-on learning experiences for History lessons, but as always I’d love to know yours too – so, if there’s one I’ve missed be sure to leave me a comment.

Learn About The Artists Of The Time

When you’re immersing yourself in the culture or time period, take a look at the art from that era or geographical area. Artists, their lives and artwork give us a glimpse of life during that time – how the people dressed and what was important to them.

Create art using the same mediums as artists from that time period
Use artwork as inspiration for your own creations
Read biographies about the artist

Create A Lap Book

Lapbooks and notebooks are a great way to create a capsule of all the things your kids are learning.

They can create little mini-books and interactive booklets filled with details about the time period, the people, the culture… really, anything that interests them. They are a great choice for research assignments.

Kids can research a specific topic and include the information they find in their lap book or notebook. Best of all, a completed notebook or lap book becomes a great addition to your year-end portfolio – displaying everything your kids have studied and learned that year.

Immerse Yourself In The Time Period & Culture

Well-thought-out activities can really immerse you and your kids in the culture and time period of a certain people.

Confession: I know so much about ancient Egyptian history ( believe me, I knocked it out of the park watching a recent episode of Jeopardy and knew the answer to every question for that category! ).

Why did that happen? Because of how we’ve immersed ourselves in our lessons during that subject – researching maps, making our own fruity mummy, reciting a list of important pharaohs, reading the myths and stories of the people.

No matter the time period or country you’re studying you can apply this in a few different ways:

Researching and creating costumes
Making a meal using recipes from that country
Reading the myths or legends of the country

Play A Game

I love to include games whenever I can – they are such a great learning resource – and who wouldn’t rather play a game than fill out a worksheet?

It can get expensive buying games for every time period you study. Instead, you can opt to find online games or purchase downloadable plans for games that you put together yourself (the bonus being it’s a great craft too!)

Tip: we love to listen to audiobooks while we color, cut out, and assemble our game boards.

Some of my favourite history games available include;

BBC Interactive Games
KS3 History Games
Homeschool Giveaways
Education.com
Wonderfilled Days

Of course, this is just the beginning, a quick Google will help you find hidden gems specifically related to the person or time period your studying. For example, we did some work on Rosa Parks recently and simply googled ‘Rosa Parks Games’ you can add on a specific age or grade if you’re looking for something specific.

We had thousands of results and the top ten were more than sufficient to keep us going for a couple of weeks! I also found a whole host of new websites to bookmark and use as resources for the future which was a huge bonus.

Create A Map

Understanding how one country fits into the geography of an area brings a whole new level of understanding about that place. Taking time to study that country – its hills, borders, mountains, and other details – can help you see their culture and life in a new way.

You can look at historical atlases or maps. Alternatively, if you’re looking to incorporate crafts then download and print, then color in or even draw your own map of the area.

Consider taking it to the next level and making it even more hands-on by incorporating salt-dough, cookie dough or play dough. We recently covered the Olympics and how they are incorporated into our history both as a nation and worldwide, to make the learning experience more hands-on we followed this incredible salt dough DIY to make some super fun Olympic medals.

Build A 3D Model

Does the country or historical era you’re currently studying have any interesting buildings or inventions? These could be perfect 3D construction models. Either from pre-made kits available online or as a craft.

For example, the 1930s was the decade in which the Empire State Building was built in New York City. The 102-story Art Deco skyscraper is a fantastic demonstration of the architecture in the 1930s and leads onto a discussion surrounding building materials and skyscrapers / high rise building structures.

This free printable allows you to print off a model of the Empire State Building which can be made into a 3D model. Alternatively, consider using construction blocks such as Lego or Duplo .

Create A Timeline

A history timeline is a wonderful project that every middle school child should create. Seeing how historical events and people fit together gives them a better understanding of historical context and how all those events and people are interrelated.

You can create one large timeline for the whole period you are studying or, if that feels a bit overwhelming, smaller topic-based timelines can be just as useful.

Consider displaying this timeline in your homeschooling room, in a bedroom or storing it safely so you can get it out and reference/add to it as your knowledge of historical events improves. These free history timelines are perfect for getting you started .

You can look to take this to the next level with a family tree or family timeline too. This is a great way to discuss important dates such as the years grandparents were born and what special events happened during that year. Get the children to interview the member of the family about what life was like back then – they could even write a report on what life was like which leads us nicely onto our final history project idea.

Do Some Creative Writing

For those kids who love journaling and creative writing, history is a great place to let their creativity run wild. They can journal as if they lived during that time period, ‘interview’ a famous figure of the time, or create their own writing assignment ideas.

This is a great way for children to also improve on their spelling, grammar, research and more…

For a more long-term creative writing project, consider a newspaper. Publish a report once a week as you move through the years week by week. With 52 weeks in a year, you could cover 52 years and of course, this doesn’t have to start when newspapers started. Instead, you could report as though you’re living in Aztec times if you wanted.

Alternatively, you could adapt the reports depending on the time of year. For example, New Year’s eve in the 1930s, Halloween in the 1970s or Christmas in the 1870s.

If your kids are fond of being in front of the camera, consider getting them to record the report on a video camera instead of writing it down. They could even dress the part too.

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Timberdoodle Homeschool Review

Leonardo da Vinci Art Projects For School Kids

Everything you wrote here is so inspiring! From my experience I know that using games is way more fun than flashcards or worksheets! And, as a bonus, most games require at least the skills of strategy and/or speed, too. Each parent should carefully watch their child and adjust the number of tasks to their abilities. It is better to do less practice than force your child to solve tasks which they no longer want to do and which can. We want our children to develop through play. Chess is the perfect example for this matter. Don’t try to play entire game from the very begining of your chess adventure. Use diagrams like those – net-bossorg/chess-puzzles-for-kids-by-maksim-aksanov. Perfect diagrams for the perfect start 🙂

Thank you for making this.

Activities in history

I’m often asked about learning activities for various history topics and it’s something I always respond to in a similar manner, “What do you want them to learn?” Without that clear purpose as to where the activity leads the learning to, selecting the right one is somewhat harder… ok, much harder. This blog is an attempt to provide some examples of lesson activities I use and their connection to knowledge acquisition, knowledge interpretation and use/or application of skills from various subjects. It is not an exhaustive list or an exploration of sequencing activities across a unit but merely some of my favourites.

Certain key underpinnings:

The subsequent paragraphs are aspects of teaching history that need to be considered alongside activity selection… without them, history is a smattering of stuff which has a limited impact in impacting children’s understanding of the past.

It’s important that we don’t see activities in isolation so that they offer value to a greater sense of history. To that end, my forthcoming book (this isn’t a sales pitch BUT you can buy it here …) follows a consistent model in order to support children in seeing lessons as helping them gain a better understanding of a wider narrative arc. The visual that I use is below and this blog’s focus is within what I have titled historical enquiry lessons to differentiate it from the initial context and the final answer to the enquiry question(s). Each activity adds value to the lesson’s question and therefore the overarching question.

If we aren’t careful, lessons can appear to depict isolated events or individuals. Whilst there is an element of truth to this, a more accurate idea is that attributed to Mark Twain when he allegedly said: “History doesn’t often repeat itself but it often rhymes.” This is one of the reasons that careful and deliberate retrieval practice is so powerful in order to support children in both identifying the concepts they repeatedly examine but also beginning to consider common patterns in concepts such as government, reasons for invasion and conquest etc. As such, before the activity is introduced, activating relevant memories has an important role to play. As Kate Jones writes, “Understanding of memory, such as an awareness of the limitations of working memory and harnessing the power of long-term memory, is absolutely essential for any educator.” [i] So, what am I building on and what does this add is a consideration.

Probably an obvious one but, just in case, when we break history into enquiries with questions and then enquiries into sub-questions, one activity is not going to produce the definitive answer to the question. Remember, in history our understanding is constructed using a number of sources in order to get an understanding which is evidence-led and supportable from a number of sources. The Historical Association’s Enquiry Toolkit suggests, “It is important in any enquiry to try to get pupils to use primary historical sources – e.g. things that were produced at the time. These might be documents, artefacts, buildings, pictures/paintings, film. It is also well worth checking local museums for any collections or workshops they might be able to offer. “ [ii] So, think carefully about how multiple activities using a range of source material build a deeper understanding over time. Moreover, does your curriculum facilitate sufficient ‘wiggle room’ or as Emma Turner called it, the 80:20 rule of planning for 80% of the time to leave time to revisit and clarify learning. [iii]

If we don’t do anything with the knowledge, how likely is it to be transferred from the working memory into the long-term memory? As Willingham states, “Whatever you think about, that’s what you remember. Memory is the residue of thought. Once stated, this conclusion seems impossibly obvious.” [iv] As such, what will be the ‘thing’ your children think about because of the activity. Will it be that they had a lovely time making something OR what it adds to their knowledge base?

In addition, when we view history as a narrative subject (which it is!), we need to think about which parts of that ‘story’ we are choosing to emphasise hence the important role enquiry questions provide. The role of the question is to provide absolute clarity as to which part of the story is core to our understanding and which is the hinterland or background which ensures the story functions and makes sense. It’s important to consistently renew the connection between individual lessons and the wider enquiry in order to provide a consistent sense of why this knowledge matters in its own right and to the wider topic at hand… you can’t teach all of it!

Pre-requisites to the lesson: These conditions are different as they are not unique to history and the manner in which it is taught. It combines thinking about the logistics of the classroom setup and the inevitable overlaps of children’s developing understanding of skills and knowledge from elsewhere in the curriculum.

What are the practicalities of the lesson? Now, some of my favourite lessons have been really hands on… I’m sure you know the ones! A trip, handling artefacts in the classroom, or conducting a mock archaeological dig. However, these need so much careful planning in order to gain lots from them. Connect them up with other source material and think about their role in the overall enquiry process. Alongside this, it is unrealistic for such lessons to be the mainstay of our teaching because there are 11 other subjects to consider. Also, can the activity be run in the classroom effectively? It’s important to consider the potential carnage which can erupt from a surprise ‘wow’ without sufficient expectation setting. Teacher workload is something to be taken very seriously! Do you have the capacity to run this lesson in terms of prep and the nature of the lesson being implemented in the classroom itself?

How are the children going to engage with the activities? This consideration is inevitably going to vary from classroom to classroom and year group to year group. Some key considerations to think about include:

Activating relevant prior knowledge . Whilst I briefly mentioned retrieval before, it’s important for two regards. First, it allows children to constantly activate and then utilise knowledge from prior lessons within the unit to see how events are connected when it is relevant to connect the wider narrative. Secondly, it allows them to look further back to prior units and year groups then make connections in order to “Cumulatively, pupils’ knowledge of periods and events will form a network of knowledge that might be conceptualised as a ‘mental timeline’. This is an example of a complex schema…”. [v] This needs to be deliberately and explicitly taught so it becomes a normal part of the teaching sequence. In addition, “Progress, therefore, means knowing more (including knowing how to do more) and remembering more. When new knowledge and existing knowledge connect in pupils’ minds, this gives rise to understanding.” [vi] So it’s doubly important this is facilitated.
What pre-requisite skills and knowledge do the children need to have to engage with the task, record observations/thoughts and discuss their findings? Children need to have a certain level of experience and fluency with an activity in so that they can both take part and learn from it. Emma Turner discusses this with reference to knowledge organisers and booklets with the key point – what do children need to have in their toolkit in order for it to be purposeful? [vii]
Recording observations and answering questions doesn’t need to include extensive writing. In the 2023 Ofsted subject curriculum insight video for history, HMI Tim Jenner explains that extended writing is a useful endeavour and has lots of value (not an exact quote) BUT, it is not always the best way to ascertain what children know. Therefore, think carefully alongside point 2 as to whether the activity includes effective ways to discuss, record and think deeply about what knowledge they have gained. Scaffold carefully and then withdraw it as and when children are able to make a more independent role.

Finally (and sorry it took so long!) where is it going and how do you know if it has been accomplished?

Examples of activities:

Below, I’ll share some of my favourite activities when teaching and endeavour to place them within the context explained above. I have tried to show how it forms part of a wider lesson by including the introductory instruction alongside where it sits within the wider unit. Models of teaching such as the core subject mainstay of ‘I do, we do, you do’ and then included screenshots of relevant slides of activity sheets (Because of the tight turn around, I do not have the chance to use children’s actual work because of permissions, etc). Therefore, please, take the use of sheets with a pinch of salt as many can be done in books.

Narrating timelines like a story:

A history timeline has a similar function to a story mountain in a narrative unit of English. Reif (2008) wrote: “Poorly organised knowledge cannot be readily remembered or used. But students don’t know how to organise their knowledge effectively.” [viii] The implication here is that when thinking about the story of Amelia Earhart’s life (pictured below), we can support children’s understanding by telling the story as we might with a fictional book. After all, stories are psychologically privileged. [ix] This lesson is early in the sequence if not the initial one; its purpose is to set out the narrative children will learn more about through the unit and is a heavily guided and scaffolded lesson.

Introduce where Amelia’s life is on the overall narrative timeline in relation to what else has been taught.
Narrate Amelia’s life story where the teacher provides the context for vocabulary children will encounter, begins to link the timeline to the enquiry question etc. For example, she first saw an aeroplane as a teenager. This is so different to today and therefore by narrating the story, children can be introduced to why this is the case (it wasn’t invented until she was 6).
Children interact with the timeline to build investment as to who she was, what she did and any event which, after being explored in more detail, makes them go WOW! What an achievement! Distinguish between these facts and those that are surprising in order to narrow down the field of enquiry.
Subsequent lessons focus in on the WOW moments from her timeline and add depth to the children’s understanding. This lesson serves as an initial hook to excite them about this remarkable lady.

What goes in books? This is a question I am often asked and my initial response is… does anything have to? In an ideal world, no! Let’s keep this paced, practical and purposeful. I absolutely understand that in some schools, evidence of work in children’s books is a non-negotiable so for this lesson, I would focus on understanding and developing “botheredness” as Hywel Roberts calls it! [x] So this could involve a series of freezeframes depicting the key events in her life that will be built upon in subsequent lessons or produce a cartoon strip depicting them. The end point is knowing the story to be delved into and beginning to understand her significance.

Use of videos:

Videos are great to support children who find reading difficult (although this doesn’t mean they should never do it in history…) and can be used as a hook to captivate them within the abstract world they are delving into. I will regularly use them when teaching or planning units as an introductory way to begin to help children construct a sense of period as Dawson described it. [xi] BBC Bitesize, BBC Teach etc are great to tap into but have you used them to help connect pieces of the historical puzzle? This is when we can return to them pre and post-lesson to make connections and build a more detailed picture of the past.

Play the video for the first time and let the children enjoy it. I’m a big advocate of moments of awe and wonder – this quite often being one of those with many cohorts…
Then, introduce the context and purpose of the lesson. A sub-question of the overall enquiry and relate it to the timeline and maps as relevant. Re-watch the video in full or snippets as relevant and children will now watch with a sense of purpose. Using it to inform their understanding to specific historical questions.
For the remainder of the lesson, additional sources such as books, internet sites, archaeology adds a greater breadth of understanding to what the video introduces. Use questions so as: how does this add to our understanding of x? Does this tell us something new or different? In history, we attempt to build as clear an image as possible but be mindful the children will not prove anything therefore model how to both collate answers and write conclusions.

In the children’s books, consider using snipping tool to take a screenshot of a key part of the video to annotate in relation to specific questions. Then, build a clearer picture of the past by starting with that annotated pictured and adding further images, website research (used sparingly and carefully guided!), interactives such as inspire education, Mozaik 3D and Sketchfab etc depending on what is available.

This may take more than one lesson but is a key part of the historical discipline as it ensures children in KS1 “should ask and answer questions, choosing and using parts of stories and other sources to show that they know and understand key features of events. They should understand some of the ways in which we find out about the past and identify different ways in which it is represented.” And then, in KS2, “They should regularly address and sometimes devise historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity and difference, and significance. They should construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information. They should understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.” [xii] This is the bread and butter of historical enquiry so should be evident in every unit. The final example in the blog for KS1 uses a similar approach for that very reason.

Analysing testimonial sources of evidence:

Testimonial sources such as diaries, newspapers, letters etc are different to archaeology because they offer a “conscious commentary” on what they record. [xiii] As such, they need to be treated carefully and children guided through both WHAT it says but also WHO wrote it and HOW that shaped their particular world view. Without such introductory instruction, children may get a hugely over-simplified perspective of an event or have a misplaced understanding of bias (the class… which source is more reliable? Who can we trust more on this?).

This can be introduced early in Key Stage 1 when children speak to grandparents or community members about what their toys or homes were like when they were equivalent to Year 1/2 now. Oral history offers lots of relevant evidence towards the overall enquiry question but… by simply asking do we think everybody had the same childhood? We can begin the process of identifying that such sources offer a snapshot which is useful but is one of many. Then, when they encounter the Great Fire of London example below, they can activate that understanding and be supported to guide it into a new context.

One of my favourite enquiries for KS2 challenges the perception that the Vikings were merely vicious barbarian raiders… The extract below comes from lesson 1 of the series and looking at where that perception may have arisen from at the time.

The children are aware of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in England at this time; the fact they were NOT a singular nation and lived in small farming communities isolated from one another.
It deliberately uses the subsequent extract of the Anglo-Saxon chronicle because it is provocative.
Subsequent lessons which are not included challenge this perspective by highlighting other aspects of their culture such as the rich culture, trade routes and exploration.

In the children’s books, they analyse and annotate the extract of the chronicle and then add to this via subsequent discussion and teacher guided thinking towards not only WHAT it says by WHY this is said. It includes the use of language and how singular the message depicted is.

Building a clearer picture of the past by collating source material:

I deliberately placed this example last because it makes use of many of the examples above. It is a way in which many sources can be applied in order to build a clearer picture of the past than each snapshot in isolation.

Once again, it’s important that each source is contextualised in order to highlight both what it depicts but also how it was constructed (where relevant and possible).

Source 1 – The Great Fire of London: An Illustrated History of the Great Fire of 1666 by Emma Adams and James Weston Lewis

Source 2 – Painting by unknown, produced 1675

Source 3 – Samuel Pepys’ diary (available free online)

Source 1 – Story

The joy of using this story is that it is structured to tell the story of the fire in chronological order. It taps into stories being psychologically privileged and can run effectively alongside the teaching sequence. This is more challenging in Key Stage 2 where books are often longer and it is unrealistic to deliver this approach in every unit… but where it does, it’s a good one!

The story is analysed like the source A/S chronicle above to describe what it says and how the author may have found that out (a core part of the enquiry process). For the Great Fire of London, I would recommend this book: The Great Fire of London: An Illustrated History by Emma Adams and James Weston Lewis .

Source 2 – Painting

When looking at the painting, start by ensuring the children understand it is a valuable source of evidence because there is so much depicted within it. Looking carefully is a must and often needs to be explicitly taught. It could be broken into different frames by using a grid overlay or another approach. I tend to do this in two stages:

First, let the children look and enjoy it! What can they see happening? Listen out for children naturally linking to the story they have encountered so far and any other relevant links. If that doesn’t happen, prompt the children to make comparisons and connections. They are, after all, trying to build a firmer sense of what happened during the fire by using two sources of evidence.

Source 3 – Pepys’ diary

Begin by contextualising Pepys’ diary in order to ensure children understand his writing is one example that we use (not the only one – John Evelyn offers another account). It is important the children know it was rare to be able to read and write in the 17 th century as free education like today didn’t exist. Then, narrate extracts of the diary and create meaning (see Amelia Earhart timeline example).

Highlight that it is telling a similar story to the painting and the story book but in a different way. In the children’s books, they can annotate the source material and draw pictures or dramatise the depictions. The key is to ensure children are clear about how each source of evidence contributes to our understanding. Once we have the information, we can look across it to draw a more concrete perspective (as far as is possible anyway…).

A pinch of salt:

Every school is different and has different expectations as to what is recorded, how it is recorded etc. These suggestions are ones I make use of and can be adapted to other units. Please remember the early paragraphs as activities in isolation aren’t inherently going to add huge amounts.

I’ve endeavoured to be as clear as possible with the ideas BUT it’s easier said than done. Please do drop me an email with questions OR tell me how the ideas went for you!

Activities aren’t tasks in isolation. Make sure they add to children’s understanding and are connected to the wider narrative to be encountered. What will they learn is, and should always be, central to thinking about activities.

Relevant CPD and Resources:

I don’t write these blogs as a sales pitch so I hope it doesn’t come across that way. The ideas I have used are ones from my units of work and CPD sessions for obvious reasons. If you would like to see those sessions or resources in their entirety, you can on the links below BUT I have added the relevant context to the blog so this isn’t something you need to do (apart from the unit of work model outlined at the start). Mr T does Primary History by Stuart Tiffany

Building a Great Unit of History

Teaching Chronology from EYFS to Year 6

Changes in Britain from the Stone Age to Iron Age Unit of Work

The Anglo-Saxon and Viking Struggle for the Kingdom of England Unit of Work

[i] Retrieval Practice: Primary A guide for primary teachers and leaders by Kate Jones, John Catt – P22

[ii] https://www.history.org.uk/primary/resource/9016/ha-enquiry-toolkit (this is free to download from the HA website… I WOULD DO THIS IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY!)

[iii] Emma Turner – dynamic deputies podcast – https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/emma-turner-the-interconnected-primary-curriculum/id1449384975?i=1000564994507

[iv] Why Don’t Students Like School? By Daniel Willingham, Jossey-Bass, P61

[v] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/research-review-series-history/research-review-series-history

[vi] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/772056/School_inspection_update_-_January_2019_Special_Edition_180119.pdf

[vii] Simplicitus: The Interconnected Primary Curriculum & Effective Subject Leadership by Emma Turner, John Catt PP73-75

[viii] Organise ideas: Thinking by Hand, Extending the Mind by Oliver Caviglioli and David Goodwin, John Cattm, P28

[ix] Why Don’t Students Like School? By Daniel Willingham, Jossey-Bass, P69

[x] Botheredness®: Stories, stance and pedagogy by Hywel Roberts, Independent Thinking Press

[xi] ‘What time does the tune start?: From thinking about “sense of period” to modelling history at Key Stage 3’. Teaching History, 135: 50–7

[xii] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/239035/PRIMARY_national_curriculum_-_History.pdf

[xiii] https://www.history.org.uk/primary/resource/9931/film-whats-the-wisdom-on-evidence-and-sources

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Fun Ways to Teach Historical Thinking Skills

6 activities & strategies that engage & build skills .

History class must be more than just studying events and figures from the past and memorizing dates- and thank gosh for that! Really exploring history and engaging students in history classes means that they genuinely explore the past and investigate, wrestle, and face the lessons of history in meaningful ways. This demands that students develop historical thinking skills.

Luckily, it can be incredibly engaging to do so. However, it can also be daunting to develop those higher order thinking skills! This can be especially challenging if you teach in an inclusion class with mixed ability learners who really struggle with critical thinking skills. These are some fun activities I have used to teach historical thinking skills and build them during the year. I hope they help!

SKILL: Historical Interpretation & Synthesis

Historical Interpretation means that students can combine various sources and evidence to develop insight into the past and make original connections to it. It can be one of the most challenging to teach, but also the most fun!

ACTIVITY 1: Scavenger Hunt

This can be done at the end of pretty much any unit. I recently did it for a Progressive Era unit. Students did a “Progressive Era Legacy Scavenger Hunt” around campus and had to take 3 pictures of things that could be seen as having a clear connection to the progressive era. Students made a quick powerpoint presentation and had to explain the connection. Some connections were quite a stretch- like the school garden being a legacy of Roosevelt’s conservation, but it helped them look at the present with a critical eye towards the past and its impact and develop some synthesis skills!

SKILL: Comparison

Comparison is a skill that students develop in most of their classes but is essential for understanding history, recognizing trends, and analyzing figures, periods, and events. But to make it more meaningful to history- make sure to pull the story and personalities out of the comparison!

ACTIVITY 2: Dinner Party

This is a fun one that seems light and easy to pull students in but will get them to really think critically about differences between historical figures and their ideas. With a simple image of a table with four to six seats on each side of the table, have students create seating arrangements based on which people would work and get along best together and who would likely get into fierce arguments and should sit far apart. After studying any unit with multiple figures like the Renaissance, Antebellum Era, the Civil Rights Movement, or Ancient Civilizations, give students a list of people they have studied and have them make their arrangements and justify their choices. This goes so much beyond a venn-diagram while still being a relatively simple activity to create and complete that is still fun and rigorous!

SKILL: Chronological Reasoning & Change Over Time

History is fundamentally the story and study of change and continuity over time. While memorizing dates is not essential, understanding how events build and develop over time is a fundamental historical thinking skill.

ACTIVITY 3: Spicy Timelines

Timelines can be used all the imte in history class, but keep them interesting and spicey by mixing it up!

1) Bell Ringer Timelines:

Quick and easy- post a series of events from the unit or last class and have students make a ‘quick & dirty’ timeline.

2) Presidential Timelines:

This could also build some ‘periodization’ skills as students not only sort events in order but organize them in order but also by President. You can give students a bank of important events and have them organize and sort them or for more advanced learners, have them work from scratch.

3) Illustrated Timelines:

As easy and fun as it sounds- students draw images for the events of the timeline to foster some creativity and deeper connections.

4) POV Timelines:

This one builds another historical thinking skill- understanding point-of-view and some historical empathy as well. I did this last year for the “ Road to Pearl Harbor ” and for each event, they not only summarize it, but then there are two boxes to explain how the Japanese and Americans viewed this even differently. Two birds, one stone, and some engaging history!

BONUS : When kids really need a break and some fun- grab big chalk and do these outside on sidewalks or on the parking lot.

If you have any other awesome timeline ideas, I would love to hear them. I’m always looking to add more spicy to my timeline activities! 😉

SKILL: CAUSATION

Cause and effect are fundamental skills in the study of history and even in high school, its surprising how much students struggle with it. It took me years to realize that students actually need a lot of support in developing this skills! Here's an easy way to build this into your class any day of the year.

ACTIVITY 4 : Simple Sentence Starter

This can be used for any topic and its simple but can be powerful as well. Simply project or write this sentence frame and watch as students come up with many different effects and answers.

“If _______ never happened, than _______.” The simplicity is what makes this interesting. For the Columbian Exchange, World War II, Neolithic Revolution, or Revolutionary War, students first have to consider what did change and then have to brainstorm how things would be different without that event. I sometimes then have students share with their neighbors or in small or groups, or even more fun- have everyone stand up and they can only sit down after reading there’s. All students can share and be successful!

Activity 5: Scaffolded Cause and Effect Chart

For a given event, print out 3-4 causes and effects each one on a full size paper (its more fun that way!) and scramble them. Give them to students in groups and first have them sort them into cause and effects. (Starts simple!) Next, have students put them in order of greatest significance- what was the main cause and most important effect? (Building complexity). Lastly, have students justify their answers- “X was the most important cause because ____”. This helps diverse learners build skills one step at time without being overwhelmed and while being mostly hands on it also gets students writing and thinking critically.

SKILL: SOURCING DOCUMENTS

The shift to prioritizing primary sources has been vital in enriching our social studies classes. It really gets students wrestling with the past on its own terms! And learning how to source documents and think critically about the document itself- the elements behind the document is essential. One of the most popular ways to do this is using SOAPS- which is excellent but make sure to introduce SOAPS with a little spice!

ACTIVITY 6: Spicy SOAPS

To ensure students enjoy doing SOAPS and learn the skills involved, give students rich and accessible sources to start with.

This could be an advertisement for a Coke from the 1920s, cave paintings, a medieval knight’s armor, a receipt from a silk road merchant, or a Picasso painting, just don’t give them a long-winded convoluted text from another century! Analyzing the the Lascaux cave paintings, or a magazine ad for a coke, students will enjoy considering the S ubject, O ccasion (understanding context!), A udience and who would be influenced by it, P urpose, and identifying what we know about the S peaker (or artist). If student’s first experience with an analysis strategy like SOAPS is positive, they are much more likely to enjoy it when they are given a really challenging document next time. SOAPS could be used weekly as its a vital skill and essential to multiple historical thinking skills.

Grab my SOAPS or SCOAPS Sheets here for free!

______________________________________________________________

Hey! I created a course for history teachers like you!

Click to learn how to make history to come alive while bringing the joy back to teaching & learning!

How I use a timeline in class: In both history and math I start the school year having students create a timeline of their life (birthday through first day of this school year). 10 personal events on bottom and 10 world events on top. Showing an example of my timeline gives me an opportunity to share myself. I then get to know a bit about my students. In math I emphasize relative placement of events (9/11 is closer to 2002 than 2001) and in history it’s a good way to help students realize they are living in historical times now.

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36 Hours in Boston

By Jenna Russell July 4, 2024

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By Jenna Russell Photographs by Simon Simard

Jenna Russell is the New England bureau chief for The New York Times and previously reported for The Boston Globe.

In Boston — oft-beset by slush and cynicism — summer brings a deep sigh of relief, as hunched shoulders finally relax and beer gardens pop open like tulips. First-term mayor Michelle Wu, 39, the first woman and person of color elected to lead the city, has brought an ambitious environmental agenda and new ways of looking at the urban landscape . The result is a destination steeped in history, as ever, with reinvented outdoor spaces for drinking, dining and recreating, and more change in the air. Waterfront redevelopment has spread farther and wider, spawning new harbor-adjacent art spaces and breweries, while a forward-looking focus on water transportation means more ferries and water taxis to get you where you’re going, while enjoying sparkling views and salty breezes.

Recommendations

Fenway Park , the home of the Boston Red Sox and the oldest, smallest ballpark in baseball, offers daily tours full of colorful history.
Yvonne’s serves elegant food and unusual cocktails, with ingredients that include marshmallow, carrot and salted sage, in a dazzling reinvented space.
The Boston Harborwalk , a “linear park” stretching more than 40 miles, traces the zigs and zags of Boston’s waterfront.
The ICA Watershed , a seasonal satellite of Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art, brings free exhibitions to harborside East Boston every summer.
UnCommon Stage , an outdoor performance space run by Emerson College in partnership with the city, hosts free performances in a beer garden on Boston Common , the country’s oldest public park.
“ The Embrace ,” a new public sculpture on the Common, celebrates the love between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, who first met as students in Boston.
The Granary Burying Ground , established in 1660, is the final resting place of the founding fathers Samuel Adams, John Hancock and Paul Revere (plus Benjamin Franklin’s parents).
The African Meeting House on Beacon Hill, part of the Museum of African American History , is considered the oldest surviving Black church building in the country.
The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum explores political history and the mystique of the Kennedy family in an architectural gem on Dorchester Bay.
Bakey is a bakery with Danish-Israeli roots, across the street from Boston Common.
Temple Records pays tribute to Japanese listening bars and serves sushi downstairs.
Time Out Market Boston , a massive food hall near Fenway Park, showcases a range of Boston favorites like lobster rolls and three-way roast beef sandwiches.
Carmella’s Market is an old-school Italian market in East Boston for giant takeout subs.
Downeast Cider House offers four-flavor flights of cider in its tap room near the waterfront.
Tea by the Sea is a spacious harborside cafe offering bubble tea and smoothies.
The Tall Ship is a floating oyster bar with sunset views in East Boston.
Rincon Limeno , a neighborhood favorite, has a friendly vibe and authentic Peruvian food.
Sullivan’s is a summer institution for hot dogs, lobster rolls and ice cream in South Boston.
Dorchester Brewing has a rooftop deck and tasty smoked meats from M&M BBQ .
Comfort Kitchen in the Dorchester neighborhood has won accolades for its global comfort food, including okra, plantains, jerk-roasted duck and curried monkfish.
Music Research Library is a light-filled record store on a quiet street, with a peaceful, library-like ambience and two listening stations.
Beacon Hill Books & Cafe opened in 2022 but feels like a neighborhood institution, with five floors of books in a charming 19th-century townhouse.
December Thieves is a Beacon Hill boutique known for unusual jewelry, like rings of polished resin and dangling silver earrings shaped like bare winter branches.
Yacht Haven Inn & Marina , on Commercial Wharf in the historic North End, has an unrivaled harborside location. The boutique hotel has 10 spacious rooms, some with private decks overlooking the water; you can also rent a slip to berth your boat. Rooms start at around $500.
The Verb Hotel , next door to Fenway Park, has won a faithful following for its funky take on hospitality, with turntables in every room and a lending library of 1,700 records in the lobby. Breakfast (included) is way above average, with live music and fruit smoothies made to order; the former Howard Johnson’s even has a heated outdoor pool. Rooms start at around $300.
citizenM , a no-frills budget option, offers a prime Boston location close to historic attractions and the Italian restaurants of the North End, and next door to the TD Garden, home of the Boston Celtics and the Boston Bruins. Rooms start at around $200.
Boston is compact and largely walkable , though you’ll need other transport to reach some of its most dynamic neighborhoods. Its beleaguered subway system, known as the T , has struggled with delays and breakdowns of late, but remains the cheapest, fastest way to get around in many cases. A CharlieCard can be purchased at any station, and widespread testing of one-tap credit card entry is under way. The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority, known as the M.B.T.A., also offers a beefed-up summer ferry schedule (Charlestown and East Boston routes $2 to $4 one way).

People dance in an outdoor area in front of a small wooden stage with performing musicians.

UnCommon Stage

Kick off the weekend in the oldest city park in the United States, the Boston Common , where a new summer performance space run by Emerson College, UnCommon Stage , features free live music in a beer garden pouring classic drafts from the Boston mainstay Harpoon Brewery . When you’re ready for a stretch, amble over to “The Embrace” and debate the merits of the Common’s newest and most hotly debated public monument , a massive, semi-abstract bronze work paying tribute to the love between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, in the city where they met. Then drop in across the street at Bakey, a fragrant pastry showcase with Danish-Israeli roots, to stock up on chocolate, almond or raspberry babka ($6) for the morning (or a late-night snack).

People sit on a public staircase in an urban, city area, surrounded by glassy buildings.

Downtown Crossing

In the city’s Downtown Crossing shopping district, Temple Place has become a lively restaurant row of late, dense with clever concepts like the Wig Shop , a cocktail lounge tucked behind a storefront that remains a dead ringer for the wig shop it once was. Steps away, the new Temple Records is a tribute to the “listening bars” of 1950s Japan, with a custom sound system and an eclectic collection of vintage vinyl. Sip a pale green Off Minor cocktail (gin, Midori, basil, yuzu, absinthe, $16) and snack on addictive karaage fried chicken ($16) while trying to identify the album in rotation. Hidden one floor below, Sushi@Temple Records feels like a secret hideaway, a 22-seat wooden sushi bar serving tiny cups of sake and delicate cuts of sea urchin, eel, sea trout and caviar (plates from $7 to $25).

The interior of a high-end restaurant, which is mostly empty. It has plush banquettes, tablecloths, chandeliers and ornate detailing on the ceilings.

For a glimpse of sumptuous old-world Boston, reinvented for a modern audience, there is nothing quite like Yvonne’s , the dimly lit bar and restaurant that occupies the former Locke-Ober, an iconic Boston restaurant that opened in 1875 and endured for 137 years. Once the exclusive hideaway of bluebloods, the grandly appointed space retains its mysterious glamour, with whimsical touches like the portrait of Bill Murray, dressed in epaulets, that hangs above the fireplace in the library bar, and the smoky drama of the Rubicon, a gin, chartreuse and rosemary cocktail ($16) that is briefly set aflame. This is a room to dress up for, to see and be seen in; just don’t forget to try the lobster ricotta dumplings in black truffle butter ($32) and the seared haloumi with orange-blossom honey and crispy chickpeas ($16).

People stand around a large, bronze-colored outdoor statue that depicts two pairs of arms embracing each other.

“The Embrace,” the Common’s newest and most hotly debated public monument, pays tribute to the love between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, in the city where they met.

People — many of them wearing denim shorts — stand in line on a street outside a stadium. A large sign reads "Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox."

Whatever your level of baseball fandom, a pilgrimage to Fenway Park feels necessary in Boston, whether it’s to watch a Red Sox game or soak up the history of the sport’s oldest, smallest ballpark on a Fenway tour ($25). You’ll get plenty of Yankees trash talk in this hourlong expedition, plus colorful backstories on the Curse of the Bambino and the Green Monster, the towering outfield wall that boasts the oldest manual scoreboard in baseball. If sports aren’t your thing, opt for another neighborhood gem, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum , in a Venetian-style palace. Afterward, stroll a half-mile down Brookline Avenue to the Time Out Market , a cavernous food hall stuffed with local favorites, including Cusser’s three-way roast beef sandwich (with BBQ sauce, mayo and cheese, $13) and butter pecan crullers ($5) from Union Square Donuts .

Disneyland for history buffs lies on Beacon Hill, a short ride from Fenway on the MBTA Green Line. Wander through the Granary Burying Ground , established in 1660, a shady oasis beside busy Tremont Street, to pay respects to the founding fathers Samuel Adams, John Hancock and Paul Revere, all of whom are buried here, along the city’s 2.5-mile-long Freedom Trail . Hike uphill past the Massachusetts State House to find the African Meeting House , the country’s oldest surviving Black church building, and the Museum of African American History ($15). Downhill on Charles Street, browse the unusual and beautiful jewelry at December Thieves , and explore Beacon Hill Books & Cafe , a Tasha Tudor illustration come to life with its steep staircases, reading nooks and fireplaces. Afternoon tea is served on Sundays ($65).

People stand on a pier and step onto a small boat during the daytime. City buildings are visible in the background.

No Boston neighborhood has seen more recent transformation than East Boston, or Eastie, long a home to new immigrants and Logan Airport, and now morphing into a trendy waterfront playground. Change has brought parking woes and identity angst , but also a complex vibrancy. A seasonal ferry ($5 round trip) runs every 30 minutes from Long Wharf, near the New England Aquarium, across Boston Harbor to East Boston, or take the M.B.T.A. Blue Line to Maverick station. Stop by Carmella’s Market, an authentic Italian corner store, for oversize meatball or chicken cutlet subs ($10 to $13) and picnic in Piers Park for the stunning skyline views across the harbor.

Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art , in the Seaport neighborhood, runs a summer outpost in East Boston called the Watershed (free admission), in a former pipe factory. (A water taxi links the two sites .) An exhibition by the British artist Hew Locke, “ The Procession ,” through Sept. 2, explores memory and identity in an installation of 140 life-size sculptures of masked figures. For post-show contemplation, Downeast Cider House Taproom is steps away, offering four-flavor flights ($15). Or, if the wait there is too long, walk 15 minutes to Tea by the Sea , a spacious waterfront cafe with loungy leather couches, jewel-toned velvet footrests and an extensive menu of bubble teas, smoothies and revelatory delights, including mango coconut milk slush (drinks $5 to $10).

People stand and drink on a boat with masts during the daytime.

For sunset views and lawn party energy, there is Tall Ship , a floating oyster bar moored at East Boston’s Pier One. A lively seasonal venue favored by a youthful crowd, with cornhole, live music and a water shuttle ($4) to other harborfront hot spots, this is not the East Boston of old. But that neighborhood is still here, too. For dinner, try one of its gems: Rincon Limeno , in Day Square, serves Peruvian food in a friendly, unpretentious atmosphere. The ceviche is beloved by locals, but seafood-averse diners will find their own favorites, like the hearty Tacu Tacu ($25), a heaping plate of fried rice-and-bean cake, topped with steak or chicken, perfectly spiced and smothered in sauce. Sip a silky pisco sour on the back patio before catching the train back to your hotel.

People ride a boat that has a swan figure on the back down a river in a lush park during the daytime.

People ride a Swan Boat in the Public Garden, adjacent to Boston Common.

A modern building that looks like a large black box looms over a waterfront.

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

Begin at Columbia Point in the Dorchester neighborhood, where the soaring white profile of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum rises above the blue backdrop of Dorchester Bay. Rent bicycles from the BLUEBikes station in front of the Campus Center at the University of Massachusetts Boston ($10 per day; check bikes before you go to make sure they’re working). Slip behind the J.F.K. library to pick up the Boston Harborwalk , a near-continuous, 43-mile “linear park” that traces the city’s waterfront. Pedal along, listening to the waves, the gulls and the planes descending toward Logan Airport; stop to hunt for shells or shards of sea glass at beaches along the trail.

A ride of about four miles takes you to Castle Island, in South Boston , another oceanfront peninsula with walking trails, beaches and a rich military history; free tours of Fort Independence , which dates back to the 1600s, are offered on weekends. No Castle Island idyll is complete without a stop for sweet and salty sustenance at Sullivan’s , a beloved Southie landmark serving burgers, hot dogs, lobster rolls and ice cream since 1951. A public front porch for the city’s summer nights, the scene is equal parts chaotic and laid-back: children shrieking; dogs chasing balls; planes preparing for landing just above your head. Keep one eye on the sly Southie seagulls, who will dive-bomb your French fries ($3.75) when you least expect it.

A burger and a beer sit on a wooden table inside a room with high ceilings and tall windows that let daylight inside. Rainbow flags line a counter in the background.

Beer arrived on the Mayflower, and helped to fuel the American Revolution, so it’s no surprise to find a bevy of neighborhood breweries in Boston. Drop your bikes at the BLUEBikes station on Day Boulevard and catch an Uber to Dorchester Brewing , with its sunny outdoor deck, Skee-Ball and in-house Museum of Bad Art . Don’t resist the juicy brisket sandwich ($15) from the M&M BBQ counter inside the taproom. (Ask for a fork.) More exotic fare, including jerk jackfruit sliders ($13), is a short walk away at Comfort Kitchen , a Black-owned cafe acclaimed for its globally inspired menu.

Feasting, drinking and blowing things up: The history of US Independence Day

Nice weather, family barbeques, parades, fireworks and red, white and blue everything – Americans are preparing to celebrate Independence Day this weekend with time-honored and beloved traditions.

Known now as a day of patriotism and enjoying time off from work, the Fourth of July began the journey to becoming a quintessential American holiday in 1776, when the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. Though 12 of the 13 American colonies had already approved the resolution by July 2, 1776, even prompting John Adams to write his daughter with predictions of future July Second festivities, the document declaring independence from Britain wasn’t officially adopted until July 4.

Some Americans began celebrating the very same year, though the practice wouldn’t become widespread until the aftermath of the War of 1812.

Congress finally passed a bill making Independence Day a federal holiday on June 28, 1870. In 1941, the law was amended to make it a paid holiday for federal employees.

Though some traditions associated with the Fourth of July have changed or disappeared over time – hosting mock funerals for the king of England, for example – many have remained true to their roots in the almost 250 years since the declaration was signed.

If you’ve ever wondered why we associate exploding colors in the sky and feasting on outdoor meals with celebrating America’s independence, read on to learn about the origins of our favorite July Fourth festivities.

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Fireworks displays are perhaps the most iconic of all Fourth of July revelries. The first celebration came in earnest on July 4, 1777, described on July 5 in the Pennsylvania Evening Post as a demonstration of “joy and festivities.”

Ships “dressed in the gayest manner, with the colors of the United States and streamers displayed” approached the city and fired off 13 cannon shots, one for each colony-turned-state. Later in the evening, 13 fireworks were set off in the city commons in Philadelphia and Boston, which the Evening Post described as a “grand exhibition of fireworks … and the city was beautifully illuminated.”

According to Dr. Tyler Putman , senior manager of gallery interpretation at the Museum of the American Revolution , fireworks had been used in the colonies before 1776, but not in such grand fashion.

“You would have seen fireworks at a lot of festivities, celebrations, anniversaries, you know, things like the king's birthday or big events, but they often were not enormous, launched-in-the-sky fireworks,” he told USA TODAY.

“People would build these kind of structures and frameworks that would then catch on fire, or parts of them would launch off, and often they would be in certain shapes, like a bunch of stars or a dancing person … kind of like a Burning Man sort of thing.”

It wasn’t until the 18 th century, said Putman, that fireworks were perfected and began to resemble the explosive rockets we know today.

Fireworks divide Americans: America's right to bear fireworks continues to make American Independence Day divisive

Visit any city or town on the U.S. map on the Fourth of July and you could find a parade of some sort making its way through Main Street. Mentions of parades, another tradition that harks closely back to Revolution-era origins, can be found in the earliest correspondences about the newly minted but still unofficial holiday.

In a letter John Adams wrote to his daughter , Abigail Adams, on July 2, 1776, he described what would later be known as Independence Day, predicting it would become “the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. − I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival.”

Though Adams mistakenly asserted the holiday would be commemorated on the second of the month as opposed to the fourth, he was correct in his predictions of the merrymaking to follow.

“It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more,” he wrote.

What's open on July 4th? Starbucks, McDonald's, Target, Walmart open; Costco closed

Back then, parades looked markedly different from the ones we attend today.

During the Revolutionary War, parades were generally reserved for the military, with armies marching the streets to reach their destinations. It wasn’t until years after the war, in the late 1700s to early 1800s, said Putman, that parades began to look more like what we would recognize today.

When parades began to appear as part of annual celebrations as opposed to one-off events, they didn’t yet feature the marching bands and firetrucks we’re familiar with but instead were full of groups of normal people from town. The city’s butchers, for example, would walk together as one group, and shipbuilders would construct massive floats to be pulled down the street by horses.

“Sometimes you read about parades where, like, in Philadelphia, tens of thousands of people are in the parade and you kind of wonder who is left to watch the parade,” Putman said. “There are so many people, if all the shipwright and the shoemakers and the grocers are all already marching the parade, it's mostly just kids, probably, who are like, ‘Well, I guess I'll wait as this 10,000-person parade goes by.’”

Barbeques and picnics

Independence Day falling in early July is probably reason enough to enjoy a meal outside to take advantage of the warm summer weather. The urge to fire up the grill and lay a picnic blanket out on the grass, however, can also be tied back to original holiday celebrations.

“The really interesting thing about the Fourth of July is that it then spawned all of these semi-public or private celebrations," Putman said. "So, you might go watch the parade and then you have your family barbecue. In the late 1700s, 1800s, people might go out for a big public event, like a giant picnic or parade, but then they'll go back to taverns or family homes.”

Drinking was certainly a prominent component for many Americans, some of whom would go to the local pub and propose toasts in the name of things like independence, the Constitution and the president. George Washington himself even issued double rations of rum to his soldiers on the 1778 and 1781 anniversaries in observation of the day.

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Because what we now know as barbeque food began as a form of cooking brought to the Americas by enslaved Africans, it had not yet become a staple of the national diet. Instead, revelers of the day probably would have attended a pig roast or seafood boil. It wasn’t until about 100 years after independence that barbeque went from being a food for poor, enslaved people to being popularized on a national scale, Putman said.

Feasting and drinking "was true of really elite people but also really poor, common, even enslaved people, not just on the Fourth of July, but other holidays would use this as a chance to kind of build community and think about what it meant to be an American.”

Red, white and blue everything

Walk into a grocery store in July today and you will be bombarded by red, white and blue plastered on everything from cocktail napkins to beach towels. In the early days of American independence, however, the colors were not yet representative of a flag that was recognized as universally and uniquely American. In fact, it wasn't until June 1777 that Congress even approved the first official iteration of the flag , which changed many times between inception and the final design created in 1960.

“During the Revolutionary War, flags were something that had kind of a functional purpose: They fly above a fort or they're on the top mast of a ship,” Putman said. “It's really not until the American Civil War, the 1860s, that most people started to use the flag in more personal ways.”

Before then, you would never see the average person, for example, hanging a flag in front of their house, he said. The tensions of the Civil War prompted people to begin adopting iconography of flags, which not only delineated opposing sides of the war but stood as a symbol of different things for individual Americans, like emancipation for Black Americans. During this era, the flag began to appear in places other than flying in front of government buildings, such as on shirts.

This use of the flag’s colors on everyday items grew in popularity in the 1900s, said Putman, and has become even more common in the past few decades. The 50-star flag we now recognize was not unveiled until 1960, after Hawaii and Alaska joined the union in 1959.

Beat the heat: Here are some activities in Gainesville you can do without breaking a sweat

Looking to go out and about without breaking a sweat this summer? The city of Gainesville offers a plethora of indoor activities that appeal to a wide range of ages.

Here's a list of some popular spots to be entertained while escaping the brutal summer heat:

Butterfly Rainforest

3215 Hull Road, Gainesville; 352-846-2000; floridamuseum.ufl.edu

On the outskirts of the University of Florida campus, in the midst of The Swamp, lies a rainforest. The Florida Museum’s Butterfly Rainforest , which can be accessed through the Florida Museum of Natural History , offers a semi-outdoors, shaded tropical scene for visitors to walk through with hundreds of free-flying butterflies along with birds, turtles and fish.

Staff are available to help answer questions and engage with visitors. A live butterfly spotlight is held Monday-Friday at 2 p.m., weather permitting.

Hours : 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Cost : Adults: $14; Florida residents, college students, seniors: $12.50; Ages 3-17: $7.50; Ages 0-2, UF students, museum members: Free

Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention

811 S. Main St., Gainesville; 352-371-8001; cademuseum.org

The Cade Museum provides visitors with interactive exhibits, programs and activities focused on inspiring communities in Gainesville and beyond. The museum’s website said these exhibits are “intentionally designed to inspire visitors to tap into their own potential to invent and create.”

Information on upcoming exhibits and events can be found at: https://cademuseum.org/visit/exhibits/ and https://cademuseum.org/events/

Hours : 10 a.m.– 4 p.m.; closed Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Cost : Ages 18+: $15; Ages 5-17: $10; Ages 0-4: Free; College students, seniors: $12.50; Families with SNAP: $2 adults, children free; Cade Museum members, community partner members: Free

Escape rooms

With multiple companies to choose from, there's no shortage of indoor escape games in Gainesville. Typically, these games run for an hour or longer and feature a thrilling, interactive way to escape rooms with certain themes. Some escape rooms around town include:

Gainesville Escape Game , 239 W. University Ave, Gainesville.

Hours : Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 10 p.m., Fridays from 5 p.m. to midnight, Saturdays from 3 p.m. to midnight.

Cost : $35 per person. Ages 13 and under: $15

Just Escaped , 3300 SW Archer Road, Suite 110, Gainesville.

Hours : Wendesdays and Thursdays from 2:30 to 9:30 p.m., Fridays from 2:30 to 10:40 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 10:40 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Cost : Ranges, around $40 per person.

Escapology , 4480 SW 32nd Road, Suite 10, Gainesville.

Hours : Monday through Thursday from 2 to 9 p.m., Fridays from 2 to 11 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 9 p.m.

Cost : $38 per person

Huddy's Escape , 209 NW 75th St., Gainesville.

Hours: Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., and Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Florida Museum of Natural History

3215 Hull Road; 352-846-2000; floridamuseum.ufl.edu

Visitors of all ages can have fun, learn and explore at the Florida Museum of Natural History . With exhibits ranging from Florida's fossils to South Florida Native Americans, there's no shortage of fascinating things to see.

The museum regularly hosts special limited-time exhibits along with educational events. A list of events can be found at: https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/calendar/

Hours : Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m.

Cost : General admission is free. Additional cost for traveling exhibit and Butterfly Rainforest.

Harn Museum of Art

3259 Hull Road, Gainesville; 352-392-9826; harn.ufl.edu

Located in the same area as the Museum of Natural History is the Harn Museum of Art , which showcases a collection of over 13,000 artworks. Across 10 galleries, art collection themes include African, Asian, contemporary art and photography, among others.

There also are landscaped grounds and gardens surrounding the museum for visitors to enjoy.

Hours: Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. Art After Dark is held Thursdays from 5 to 9 p.m.

Cost : Free. Weekday visitors can expect to pay $4 for parking.

Hippodrome Theatre

25 SE Second Place; 352-375-4477; thehipp.org

Anyone can catch a theater show at the Hippodrome Theatre , lovingly known by locals as "The Hipp." From live theater plays to films and comedy, the Hippodrome features multiple different shows to choose from (depending on who is performing there, of course).

It also offers classes, workshops and camps to teach young people about theater and acting. Additionally, there is an art gallery in the theater that hosts exhibitions. A list of upcoming events can be found on the event calendar at: https://tickets.thehipp.org/TheatreManager/1/online?calendars

Hours : Varies based on show. Box Office Hours: Noon to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday (or 30 minutes after the last event of the day begins).

Cost : Varies based on show.

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Arizona Diamondbacks' Slugger Joins Hall of Famers in History as Epic Run Continues

Brady farkas | 38 minutes ago.

Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker (53) hits against the Chicago White Sox at Chase Field on June 16.

Arizona Diamondbacks' slugger Christian Walker provided his own set of July 4 fireworks on Thursday, hitting two home runs vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 9-3 D'Backs win.

It continues an epic run for Walker against the Dodgers as he now has 19 career home runs at Dodger Stadium, which is more than any player in baseball history through 15 games.

Furthermore, there's also this note, from Sarah Langs of MLB.com:

Christian Walker has homered in each of his last 5 games vs the Dodgers that’s tied with 1960 Eddie Mathews, 1956 Willie Mays and 1927 Cy Williams for the 3rd-longest HR streak in games vs the Dodgers, behind only: 1956 Joe Adcock: 9 1926-27 Cy Williams: 6

Christian Walker has homered in each of his last 5 games vs the Dodgers that’s tied with 1960 Eddie Mathews, 1956 Willie Mays and 1927 Cy Williams for the 3rd-longest HR streak in games vs the Dodgers, behind only: 1956 Joe Adcock: 9 1926-27 Cy Williams: 6 — Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) July 5, 2024

Mathews and Mays are in the Hall of Fame, and Williams was a powerful player for his era, so that's elite company for Walker to be in. Furthermore, any time that you do something that hasn't happened in more than 60 years, you've done something right.

Walker now has 22 home runs this season to go along with 63 RBI. He's hitting .271 for the D'Backs and is posting an .833 OPS. In the 10th year of his career with the Baltimore Orioles and Diamondbacks, Walker is a lifetime .252 hitter with 143 home runs.

He helped lead the Diamondbacks to the World Series a season ago and is hoping to do the same this year. T he D'Backs will travel down the coastline on Friday to take on the San Diego Padres with first pitch slated for 9:40 p.m. ET.

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BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady.

Your guide to celebrating July 4th in Boston: living history, fireworks, and outdoor fun

Captain Timothy Haraden of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company as he read the Declaration of Independence from the balcony of the Old State House during the Boston’s 247th Independence Day Celebration on July 4, 2023.

Let the celebrations begin — the most patriotic day of the year happens this week and what better way to spend it than in one of the nation’s most historic cities ? The Fourth of July is packed full of festivities in Greater Boston, from walking tours and live performances to good eats and, of course, fireworks . Here’s our ultimate guide to enjoying Independence Day this year.

LIBATIONS, LIBERTY, AND LANDMARKS

The city plays host to festivities leading up to the holiday with the annual Boston Harborfest , which offers a multitude of activities and celebratory experiences. The series began Monday and runs through Independence Day, with most events taking place downtown; most are free and open to the public, but some require a ticket fee. Take a historical tour, watch a reenactment, cool down at a beer garden, or grab a bite at the Chowder Festival ; the festival ensures the city’s spirits are up in time for the Fourth. Find a full schedule and locations at bostonharborfest.com/schedule.

STEEP IN HISTORY

For history buffs hoping to transport their celebrations back to the heart of the Revolution, several educational and patriotic events will pop up on the Fourth. Relive history with a live reading of the Declaration of Independence outside the Old State House — just as patriots first did in 1776 . On the Fourth at 10 a.m., the Captain Commanding of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts will recite the full document from the balcony of the historic building for this annual Boston tradition. A gathering for a communal reading of Frederick Douglass’s “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” will take place on the Steps at Downtown Crossing starting at 1:30 p.m. The speech — first delivered by the famed abolitionist and orator in 1852 — will be read against a backdrop of African drums, dance, and gospel music, followed by a free ice cream social. Walk and talk history with guided “Footloose on the Freedom Trail” walking tours from Boston by Foot. The 3.5-mile excursion stops at 16 historical sites, starting by the State House and ending at the Charlestown Navy Yard, with multiple times throughout the morning. Tickets start at $15 and can be reserved at bostonbyfoot.org .

Members of the Army Field Band and the Boston Symphony Orchestra during the 2023 Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular at the Hatch Memorial Shell along the Charles River Esplanade in Boston.

FIREWORKS, OBVIOUSLY

You can’t celebrate the Fourth without fireworks, or in Boston’s case, a renowned symphony orchestra performance featuring special appearances from world-famous singers. Known as the city’s biggest Fourth of July celebration, the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular returns to the Hatch Memorial Shell on the Esplanade for its 50th anniversary. This year, Pops conductor Keith Lockhart will be joined by these special guests: Tony-winning Broadway star and headliner Kelli O’Hara , Grammy-winning soul singer Darlene Love , multi-award-winning country rockers the Mavericks , and the US Air Force Band’s Singing Sergeants . The free, public concert kicks off at 8 p.m., and the sparkling sky show can be seen along the banks of Charles River, starting at 10:30 p.m. For more information, visit bso.org.

NO BACKYARD, NO PROBLEM

City living doesn’t have to mean giving up beloved backyard Independence Day traditions. Boston has creative ways of bringing back those nostalgic feelings and experiences, sparklers not included. Grab your picnic blanket and head to the Lawn on D where you can pick up a game of cornhole or Pickleball and lounge in oversize Adirondack chairs while admiring the green, green turf. Shareable snacks and alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase via concessions and don’t forget to check out the solar-powered LED swings, which change color when swung at varying speeds and heights. To get out on the water on the Fourth, you have a few options, including a dinner cruise with Boston Harbor City Cruises and a mid-morning trip to the USS Constitution with the Charles River Boat Company . (Ticket prices vary, visit cityexperiences.com and charlesriverboat.com for details.) For those without sea legs, the Tall Ship Boston in Eastie will offer a nautical experience aboard a 240-foot boat docked in Boston Harbor. Yes, food, drink, and lawn games, too.

A FEAST FOR THE FOURTH

It wouldn’t be the Fourth of July without the sizzle of the grill. On Wednesday and Thursday, City Tap House in the Seaport is offering a special Backyard BeerBQ menu featuring Freedom Franks, Liberty Lemonade cocktails, and Red White & BBQ rib plates. Across the way at Short Path Distillery in Everett , you can pledge allegiance to red, white, and blue-berry treats, like boozy freezer pops and Fourth-themed flights of cocktails. And Vialé will sling Southern classics in Central Square. Load up on nosh like fried chicken, shrimp ‘n’ grits, and banana pudding while you can — the Cambridge restaurant’s annual “tradish” is only available from 5-8 p.m. on the Fourth.

Times, locations, and other details are subject to change. Visit each organization or business’s website for the most up-to-date information.

Brynn O’Connor is a writer based in Boston.

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