Fourth graders at Washington Irving School traded in their pens and pencils for quills and ink in honor of Colonial Day this Thursday.

The first floor of W.I. was transformed for the annual celebration marking the end of the colonial-themed chapter in the curriculum. Students were free to wander in and out of the classrooms, each of which offered an activity like candle dipping, whitesmithing or quilting.

Gayle Seti, a fifth grade special education teacher, proposed the idea for Colonial Day seven years ago, but received little support and enthusiasm at the time.

"It started in two classrooms and every year more teachers wanted to get involved," said Seti.

The 200 or so students made their way through each station over the course of three hours. The main entrance of the school was home to the "Bakery," where parent-provided goodies like pumpkin pie were available.

Around 9 a.m., Mr. Spitzer and student Andrew Laub, dressed in colonial-style clothing, made their way through the hallway playing the flute and drum, respectively. Several others donned similar apparel for the occasion—Cathy Ruhland-Mauhs and her daughter Virginia had both put together full costumes.

"This is my first time and I'm really impressed," said Ruhland-Mauhs of the day as she helped students perfect their handmade hats (tricornes for the boys and mobcaps for the girls).

In his classroom, fourth-grade teacher Mr. Duschenchuk dished out "Jack Wax," a treat he called "the colonial version of ice cream."

Several students were skeptical to taste the cups filled with ice and maple syrup, but a few agreed it actually tasted better than ice cream.

While teachers ran many of the activities, there were also a few experts on-hand to enhance the projects.

Sara Mascia, a curator at the Historical Society serving Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown, brought in several real artifacts for students to view up close. She also simulated an excavation site, complete with dirt and hidden treasures for young archaeologists to discover with their bare hands—including a beer bottle, a nail and pieces of plates.

Down the hall, Lynda Fassa and her daughter, Nadia, a fifth-grader, took charge of the rag doll craft. Fassa and her husband are owners of Green Babies, an organic kids' clothing store. Fassa brought several boxes of fabric to use as material for the dolls.

"My husband always saved the leftover fabric," Fassa explained. "We started making rag dolls on snow days when I worked from home."

Fassa's daughter Nadia, a fifth grader, had been excused from class to help out her mom.

"It's pretty easy to do," she said, showing off her doll's pink, white and black clothes and hand-drawn face.

While the students clearly enjoyed themselves throughout the day, they all also learned a lot and seemed to appreciate the differences between the 18th century and today.

Given the success of Colonial Day over the past few years, Seti said she has been contacted by nearby schools that want duplicate her idea. She's proud of how far Colonial Day has come, and mentioned it's now part of the district's annual budget.

"It's really thanks to all the teachers, parents, teaching assistants and volunteers who are so willing to help out," she said.