Family Travel Times

Family Travel Times: March 2016

Thursday 24 March 2016

Top museums in London – for kids! (by Robert)

The British MuseumIt's the Easter holidays, so we'll be expecting lots of of visitors to our home town, London. Because of this, Robert decided to write a very helpful blog post...

"When you come to England’s capital you might find yourself overwhelmed by the amount of things to do and places to see. Visiting a museum must be one of the most popular days out in London so I thought that I’d make a list of my favourites. (Please note that this is not in any order)

[caption id="attachment_2349" align="alignnone" width="676"]Robert at the British Museum Robert at the British Museum[/caption]

The British Museum


This is the most well known of the lot and for a good reason. Founded in 1753, the massive building has a section on every era of British history where you can learn loads and also have a look at the breathtaking objects that are displayed. It’s amazing for kids as well as adults as they always have many educational activities and workshops going on, plus you can get a backpack at reception on a particular era. This will include fun things to do and items to look out for in the display rooms. One of my oldest memories is going around with my dad in the Egyptian section looking at the mummies. The British museum is a fantastic museum where you can learn so much, not just about British history, but about the world.

The Science Museum 


This is probably the best museum for kids, I’ve been there so many times and it never gets boring. Filled with loads of science experiments to try out and activities to have a go at, this is the building that children love to go to. It so cleverly made that kids learn about science and don’t even realise it. There are so many interactive things to do, plus the normal facts and displays that you find in other museums. This is probably my favourite museum but parents, bring a book as you might be sitting down for a while your children are doing the experiments.

London Transport Museum


This is a fun museum that you only need a few hours to explore. The building is filled with the many vehicles that the public have used over the years and it is a quick but informative learning experience. There are quite a few interactive screens for the kids, plus you are allowed inside some of the vehicles like a double decker bus or a train carriage dating back over 100 years. It is a fun place to go and I especially liked the staff who dress up as old fashioned customers and speak to you in character. But I wouldn’t put it top of my list.

[caption id="attachment_2350" align="alignnone" width="1200"]First World War exhibition at the RAF Museum First World War exhibition at the RAF Museum, pic courtesy of the museum[/caption]

RAF Museum and the Imperial War Museum


Both of these museums are fantastic places to go if you want to learn about soldiers, wars and fighting. Both display an enormous collection of old fighter planes and other cool objects, they have rides, simulating what it was like to be in a plane during an attack plus lots of other interactive activities to have a go on. They also explain about the two world wars in a way so that little kids can understand.  They are fun places to learn especially for adults but because there's so much to see at the Imperial War Museum, younger kids may get a bit bored there. The RAF museum (based in Hendon, North London) may be better for a younger age group.

Bank of England museum


Money

This is lesser known than the others, but is a great building where you learn all about money in Britain and how it is made. You can explore the world of the pound and even try to lift up a real bar of gold. It is a really fun place to go with kids and once again you don’t really need the whole day to go there.

In this post I have listed a few of my favourite museums in London but there are so many more like the Natural History museum or one of my personal favourites (and if you want to travel  bit further afield) the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. I hope this has helped you if you are planning a trip to London, and if you are -  bring an umbrella.

All the museums mentioned above - bar the London Transport Museum - are free to enter, although extras (such as the IMAX cinema at the Science Museum) do cost money. The RAF Museum is free, but you'll have to pay to park in the car park! The London Transport museum costs £17.00 for adults and £14.50 for kids, but that gives you entry for a year.

Read my thoughts on the National Maritime Museum

Read mum's post on 5 free things to do in London!

 
MummyTravels

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Thursday 10 March 2016

A boat in the Norfolk Broads (by Robert)

[caption id="attachment_2319" align="alignnone" width="1200"]Trying on life jackets at Herbert Woods in Norfolk Ready for the boat after donning our life jackets![/caption]

Robert, aged 10, writes:

After spending a few days in Norwich this half term we got into the car again and set off for Potter Heigham in Norfolk, about 20 miles away. It's in The Broads, a network of rivers and lakes in Norfolk and Suffolk. They aren't very deep and are known by some as a "magical waterland."

We arrived at a site run by Herbert Woods and were given the keys to our cottage at reception. When we opened the door to our new living space I was amazed by how great the rooms were. They were all big and extremely comfortable - you can see the cottage and more in the video I have made. Please take a look!

[kad_youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22P9f4S3IPg" width=200 height=100 ]

We had two bedrooms; one had a large double bed while Jess and I had separate single beds. Both rooms had a wardrobe, table and chair plus a bedside table.  We had a lovely kitchen with lots of surface space and it was equipped with cooking utensils and crockery as well as a fridge, freezer, microwave, washing machine and other useful appliances. The living room had a TV and DVD player, and like the kitchen had a wonderful view of the river. Finally the cottage had a nice bathroom with a good shower plus a wooden veranda on the water’s edge. We were very excited when we saw some boats and swans go by.

[caption id="attachment_2320" align="alignnone" width="1200"]Jess on the veranda of Broadlands, our cottage at Herbert Woods in Norfolk, Jess on the veranda of Broadlands, our cottage at Herbert Woods[/caption]

After we had briefly unpacked we got back into the car and drove for around 10 minutes all the way to the sea. We got out in the car park at Horsey beach and walked for about 20 minutes until we got onto the sand to be greeted by loads of seals.(click here for mum’s post) We had a lovely time on the seaside and the seals were really amazing. I don’t think I had ever seen anything like it. Then, all of a sudden we were back at our cottage watching Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway and eating pasta before getting into our beds and falling asleep.

[caption id="attachment_2321" align="alignnone" width="1200"]A grey seal at Horsey beach in Norfolk, It was amazing to see the grey seals on Horsey beach[/caption]

After a great sleep (the beds were very comfortable), we got up and once we had got dressed and had breakfast we went back to reception where we were given life jackets and shown onto a spacious boat which we would soon be driving! I was so excited about this, as it's not something I had ever done.

[caption id="attachment_2322" align="alignnone" width="1200"]Robert driving the picnic boat at Herbert Woods in Norfolk Robert loved driving the picnic boat![/caption]

We given a detailed explanation on how to drive the boat and soon after we were travelling along the river, just the four of us. It was hard at first but we got the hang of all the controls and we each had a turn at driving. It was an absolutely amazing experience (except for the bit when we nearly crashed) and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

[caption id="attachment_2323" align="alignnone" width="1200"]View of the Norfolk Broads from the Herbert Woods picnic boat The views from the boat were great![/caption]

At one point we climbed off our boat, tied it up and had a lovely walk. It was amazing as there was barely anything there except for the river and the grass.

The boat was called a picnic boat and it had a loo on board, more than enough space and even a hob and sink in case we wanted to cook anything.

On our picnic boat in the Norfolk BroadsAfter a few hours we made our way back to the site, handed in the keys to the boat and our cottage then waved goodbye. We crossed the road a nearby tearoom where we ate some delicious food before setting off for the terrible traffic that awaited us on our journey home...

I loved every bit.

Disclosure: We stayed in the Broadlands Cottage at Herbert Woods on a complimentary basis, although the company had no input into this post. A three night break in Broadlands cottage (off peak) is £328. We were also given complimentary hire of the picnic boat, which usually costs £140 for a day’s trip.

Read about our trip to Norwich and how we saw seals on Horsey beach!

And read more great posts about days out via Country Kids at Coombe Mill!

Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall

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Wednesday 2 March 2016

What to do in Norwich (by all of us!)

Jess, aged 14, writes: During half term, our family visited Norwich and the Norfolk Broads. Over the course of our two days in Norwich, we visited fascinating museums, ate delicious food, and saw gorgeous sights, such as the castle and cathedral. We were very lucky to have a fair bit of sun, and loved walking around the city. Here are our favourite bits (don't miss the video which Robert made too - just click on the link!)

[kad_youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JVJqGPn57g" width=200 height=100 ]

 

We stayed in the Norwich City Holiday Inn, which was very convenient and great for families. We always find inter-connecting rooms useful, and the fact that Robert and I had separate beds was a bonus. The food was good, and everything was clean and tidy. It wasn't luxurious, but it is a great budget choice for families, and it's right next to Norwich City's football stadium!

Sarah says: We decided to start at our trip at the Museum of Norwich at Bridewell and were really impressed by this lovely, informative gem of a museum. The museum gives the story of this city (once England's second in terms of importance), and taught us a lot, impressing all of us. It is bright and easy to navigate (it's set out logically) and also very interactive, which appealed to the children.

[caption id="attachment_2303" align="alignnone" width="1200"]We loved looking around the Norwich Museum. We loved looking around the Norwich Museum.[/caption]

Norwich's story includes that of the "strangers" - Huguenots who were invited to come from the Netherlands in the 16th century in order to help the textile industry. Thirty families of master weavers came initially (soon followed by more) and made a huge contribution to the city's fortunes.

Norwich's story is not only one of textiles and weaving, but also of mustard (Colman's of course), plus football (we found out why Norwich City are called the Canaries), chocolate (Caleys and Rowntrees) and shoes (Norwich used to provide eight million pairs of shoes a year!).

[caption id="attachment_2305" align="alignnone" width="900"]We loved looking at the old fashioned objects from Norwich We loved looking at the old fashioned objects from Norwich[/caption]

We were surprised by how much there was to see in this small museum and I was especially fascinated by its darker side, as it used to be a prison. The stories of some of those who spent time here were really sobering.
The Museum is in Bridewell Alley, off Bedford Street and is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 to 4.30am. It costs £5.20 for adults and £3.90 for children. You can also pop in for an hour for just £1 which seems a great idea to us.

[caption id="attachment_2307" align="alignnone" width="1200"]We loved visiting Norwich Castle! We loved visiting Norwich Castle![/caption]

Robert, aged 10, writes: I really enjoyed exploring the medieval castle. We studied an array of interesting displays on the top floor and had fun taking part in some interactive activities on British History on the first floor. My favourite was an activity where you catapulted a rock and had to try and knock over a wall. The castle used to be a prison and there was a very interesting display about this, including stories of criminals and even a prison cell.

The second floor was my favourite though. When we went there was an exhibition on dragons and the How To Train Your Dragon books so there were loads of things to do on that topic. They included listening to books being read out and arts and crafts. I created my own mini dragon.

[caption id="attachment_2309" align="alignnone" width="851"]There was so much to do, see, and make in Norwich Castle There was so much to do, see, and make in Norwich Castle[/caption]

Jess says: Norwich Cathedral is one of the most complete major Romanesque buildings in Europe, and has the second tallest spire and largest monastic cloisters in England. It was absolutely beautiful, and we walked around for about half an hour. There are guided tours around the 900 year -old Cathedral but we did not take one, preferring to walk around at a leisurely pace.

[caption id="attachment_2301" align="alignnone" width="1200"]The Cathedral was absolutely beautiful. The Cathedral was absolutely beautiful.[/caption]

We really enjoyed reading the inscriptions on the walls and tombstones, and reading the memorials. We also thought the staff were extremely friendly.The Cathedral is free to enter, although they do ask for donations.

[caption id="attachment_2310" align="alignnone" width="1200"]Robert loved looking at the art and drawing it at Sainsbury's Centre for Art Robert loved looking at the art and making his own versions of it at the Sainsbury's Centre for Art[/caption]

Robert says: I loved going to the Sainsbury's Centre for Art as it displayed a large assortment of intricate sculptures and detailed painting that had been made over the years. I was stunned by the art and felt so relaxed when I drew some of my favourites on a piece of paper I was given, as it was so quiet and calm. The building itself was enormous; you could go outside and walk around the giant plot of land surrounding the gallery which had a starring role in the second Avengers movie. I really enjoyed going there and it was the highlight of my trip.

Sarah writes: Norwich was a lovely city to walk around and we really enjoyed the combination of the old and new side. There are lovely cobbled streets to walk along and small, independent shops and galleries in the Lanes and the medieval quarter, but there are also all the high street favourites, and it's so convenient to walk everywhere! Don't miss the huge market, which is right in the centre, and which is full of all sorts of different stalls (from food to clothes).

[caption id="attachment_2312" align="alignnone" width="1200"]Norwich was full of lovely shops. Norwich was full of lovely shops.[/caption]

We especially enjoyed the fantastic food at the Macarons and More shop in the Royal Arcade (look at their website for some amazing pictures!) and had a terrific lunch at the Britons Arms, which is set in a 15th century building - and which featured in the film Stardust.

[caption id="attachment_2313" align="alignnone" width="1200"]We had a delicious lunch at the Britons Arms We had a delicious lunch at the Britons Arms[/caption]

We had hoped to visit the Strangers' Hall, which has been a home to merchants and mayors in Norwich since 1320, but unfortunately it was closed, so definitely check up on its opening times if you're interested in a visit.

Jess writes: We had a lovely time in Norwich - the castle was beautiful, the museum was fascinating, and I loved my cinnamon pretzel, massive pistachio macaroon, and my raspberry meringue pavlova. Norwich is full of scrumptious food, which was one of the reasons that it is perfect for families. Norwich is full of so many things to see and do, and we would love to go back and see them all.

Disclosure: Our visit to Norwich was organised with help from Visit Norwich. We stayed in the Holiday Inn on a complimentary basis, although neither Visit Norwich not the hotel had any input into this piece. Our rooms at the Holiday Inn would have cost £95 per night including breakfast. Kids eat free at the hotel (we took advantage of this!)

More by us:

Seeing seals at Horsey Beach in Norfolk


Our Top Tips for Getting Around in London


A Fascinating Day at the Newseum in Washington DC

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