With half term this week, little work has been done but the children and I packed our days with adventure, learning, fresh air, and just a little bit of time travel!
Animals galore
Our adventure began at Marwell Zoo, where excitement levels were high from the moment we arrived. The children loved spotting their favourite animals — from towering giraffes to majestic big cats — and asking endless (and brilliant!) questions along the way.
And of course this set the tone of the week – I just can’t seem to go anywhere without a bit of history … and grones from the kids … the zoo’s historic house, which sadly is not open to the public but stands in the centre of the park contrasting the grandeur of the old architecture with the vibrant wildlife surrounding it. A perfect mix of nature and heritage!
Beyond the fun, it was such a lovely opportunity for the children to learn about conservation and the importance of protecting endangered species — all while enjoying a great deal of fresh air and exercise.
My favourite animal? The Mongoose! Never seem them before and they were having so much fun chasing after each other!
I wonder what our ancestors would have made of the zoos we have today?
Living History
Later in the week, we swapped the animal safari for the street safari with a visit to Milestones Museum.
What an incredible way to immerse the children in Victorian and early 20th-century history! Walking through the recreated streets felt like stepping into a time machine. The children explored old-fashioned shops, peered into traditional homes, and marvelled at how different everyday life once was and brought back some of my own childhood memories of my grandparents homes and childhood games I used to play!
The highlights – the old board games (a half term special), the Victorian pier games and of course the old sweet shop can’t be missed – 2s ration each!
Experiences like this truly bring history to life in a way no textbook ever could.
Historic ruins
Half term wouldn’t be complete without spending time with friends. We enjoyed a lovely visit that included a lovely walk to and around the historic ruins of Bishop’s Waltham Palace.
The remains of this once-grand medieval palace (often referred to locally as Bishop’s Waltham Abbey) provided the perfect backdrop for imagination and exploration. For me it was a great to explore the ruins and image who might have walked and lived in those grounds centuries ago. It was claer the palace was once the centre of the local community. The oldest parts of the Palace date back to the 12th century and survived Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries only to be destroyed in 1644 at the end of the civil wars https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/bishops-waltham-palace/
History is all around
This half term has been full of things my kids wanted to do but they neve seem to get away from my love of history – be it family history, house history, local history or just history in general. I will take every chance I get to emmerse them in history as I truly beleive we can only understand today and change our future by understanding our history. And watching the children learn through experience — whether spotting exotic animals, playing Victorian games, or exploring ancient ruins — is always such a joy.
Here’s to more adventures, more discoveries, and many more happy memories together.
Sarah Pettyfer 