In the old days, people had to really roll up their sleeves to make hot cross buns.

This was one of the lessons learned by 15 children in a Bermuda National Trust Spring into Easter camp.

When we visited the campers at National Trust headquarters at Waterville in Paget they were learning how to make hot cross buns.

"We watched a movie about ladies in Jamestown, Virginia making hot cross buns," said camp counsellor Tania Stafford. "Class, it was a little different in the old days with those long sleeves, wasn't it. What did the ladies have to do with their sleeves?"

Class response: "Roll them up!"

Each of the campers had the chance to roll up their own sleeves to make a hot cross bun and after putting the ingredients together, they were each handed some dough to knead out.

"We have to be rough and disrespectful to the dough," said camp counsellor Dr. Nicola O'Leary, education director at the Bermuda National Trust. "Baking is very therapeutic."

The campers eagerly kneaded their dough.

"I like to eat hot cross buns when they are gushy in the middle," said Emily Howe, ten. "They are great when they are crunchy on the outside."

After abusing the dough some more, it was rolled into circles and put onto a baking sheet.

"They are ready to be put on the sheet when they are sticky," said Dr. O'Leary.

Dr. O'Leary told the children that in the past a square was cut out of the dough to release air from the dough to stop it from cracking.

"But at Easter we make a cross rather than a square," said Ms Stafford. "That is because for Christians, Easter is the time when Jesus was crucified on the cross. We also made kites with a cross."

Trystan Narraway, ten, was given the task of snipping a small cross on the dough with a sanitised pair of scissors.

"I've never made hot cross buns," he said. "I've made a lot of fishcakes and lasagna though. But I really like to eat hot cross buns toasted with peanut butter."

All the kids had their individual preferences for how to eat hot cross buns. Hayley Dill, eight, said she liked her hot cross bun with just butter.

Also on Thursday, campers made nests, and dyed and decorated Easter eggs.

"I love dyeing Easter eggs," said Emily Howe. "I do it every Easter."

Ms Stafford said the campers had had a busy week. They learned flower arranging, made kites and also went on several field trips. "We searched for signs of spring," she said.

At Warwick Long Bay the campers saw one of the first signs of spring when they saw longtails arriving back in Bermuda after a winter spent out on the open ocean.

They took a trip to Paget Marsh and learned about butterflies and spiders.

Later this month, the Bermuda National Trust is teaching the community more about Bermuda traditions at Culture Fest at Verdmont on April 25 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. There will be lectures in the form of porch conversations, traditional arts and crafts, classic bikes, music, gombey dancing and more.

To learn more about Bermuda National Trust events go to http://www.bnt.bm/ or telephone 236-6483.