BETHEL — It is the last Thursday in July, and about 40 children are excitedly running in and out of 19th century Bethel Historical Society homes, some wearing period costumes. A group of four or five are playing croquet. Another group is painting a pollinator mural. A few are learning how to braid.

Rosemary Laban is in her eighth year running Mornings at the Museum, which hosts 40-60 children ages 5 to 10 each Thursday in July.

There are museum artifacts that children can touch. They play old-time baseball, sew on burlap, make pot holders, and leaf-print on canvas. They make bracelets out of old cloth and beads.

There are no cell phones or anything electronic at this camp, but the children don’t seem to mind.

This year they have a themed sewing project; “the nature of pollinators” is outlined on burlap. Another 12′ X 8′ foot painted pollinator mural will go the pollinator festival at Valentine Farm. They built two standing bird feeders and bird houses this year.

Will adult supervision the children are allowed to hold artifacts: old crank phones, canon balls, antique hand cuffs and sabers. They wear the dress-up clothes that are reproductions, in the Twitchell building – hats, jackets, dresses, and parasols.

“They love to walk around in the hoop [skirt],” said Laban, who credits former Museums of the Historical Society Director Randy Bennett with having an open mind when she asked to use some of the artifacts back when she started the program.

One year they set up mirrors and did self portraits. Another year Laban’s art director, Nance Parker, brought them inside the Mason House to see and then replicate the murals.

Games were their theme another year. They painted checker board pieces, cut from wooden dowels. That same year they learned how to walk on stilts, (wearing helmets just in case).

Laban had 12 docents this summer, all were returning veterans. They start out as high school students, but often continue into college.

“I’m looking for a kid who works well with others, is comfortable around people, includes all kinds of people and takes the initiative.” As a volunteer at Telstar Middle School, Laban said she is able to “screen” who she wants.

Student docents run the various stations. Travis Wheeler tours the children through the art and crafts exhibit inside the Mason House.

Docent Eva Harris, 15, said she had never heard of croquet but thought she would give it a try and help supervise.

Sisters, Eleanor Hoff, 18, and Mae, 17, inside the Robinson House, were helping children look at various specimens under a microscope. Besides what was provided, children brought rocks, leaves and samara (or maple leaf pollywogs) from outside to see magnified.

Inside the Twitchell House, recent Telstar graduate Ryan Nivus wore a hoop skirt with a 12-foot circumference base that he made. The two-tiered dress had a dual purpose. It will be taken apart and only the top half worn for an upcoming Renaissance fair in Acton. Nivus helped the young children try on the reproduction costumes and hats displayed around the room.

The program is open to all children. Many are from the Mahoosuc Kids Program and walk over from Crescent Park School.

Laban said her program has never been rained out.

On Thursday it is nearly time to wrap up the last morning of the month when raindrops begin to fall. The weather doesn’t matter to the children who are captivated and keep playing – until they are urged under the tent or onto the porch.

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