While my family and were in the Williamsburg area we visited the Historic Jamestown Island. This is different from Jamestown settlement, which is a museum and replica of America's first permanent English colony. Historic Jamestown is an ongoing archaeological dig. This site has a dozen staff members excavate, interpret, preserve, conserve, and research the site's findings.
The best way to learn about Historic Jamestown is to take a tour. Tours are offered throughout the day. Your tour guide can explain a lot about the findings and what's going on in with the archaeological digs. It's really cool to see an actual archaeological dig and to watch the archaeologists at work.
Our tour guide was a wealth of information explaining how the dig was started. He also gave our tour so much information about the animals in the area and how the colonist would survive.
You may be thinking there is probably not a lot for kids to do but there is. During the spring and summer months, they have the Ed Shed is an interactive space that provides kids and families with the chance to share in the moment of discovery. Also on the Historic Jamestown website has games, colouring, and activities. This is a great way to help kids to understand what life for kids was like back then.
For more information: http://historicjamestowne.org
Location: 1368 Colonial Pkwy Jamestown, VA 23081