Directed Activities for Schools

Victorian Activities Pick and Mix KS1 & 2

• The following activities take place in basement rooms of the Hall that are off the normal visitor route.
• Sessions can be tailored to suit your needs, just choose your activities from the following list.
• The activities are charged / ½ hour / child.
• Group sizes for each activity are approximately 15 children plus accompanying adults.  A maximum of 3 activities may be chosen.
• The maximum size for a group is 50 – choose 3 activities and have a session lasting 1½ hours.
• Education staff will meet you in the Stable Block and walk you up to the Hall for the start of your session.

Charge:
Education Group members £1.25 / child / ½ hour session

Non Education Group Members £1.50 / child / ½ hour session

History: 
The Victorians
Social History
Toys

Citizenship:
Social Issues
Health and Safety

1.  Unpack Victorian artefacts

• The children are told that they are going to find out about life in a house such as Wimpole by looking at some of the things that would have been used by the people who lived and worked here.

• The artefacts are wrapped in calico bags and the children work in pairs to unwrap the artefacts. As each one is unwrapped it is discussed – materials it is made from, function etc. It quickly becomes apparent to the children that running a large house required a lot of hard physical labour before the invention of electricity!

• The materials are commented on particularly the absence of plastic and the use of ivory.

2. The Laundrymaid’s day

• The children find out about the process of washing clothes before the introduction of electricity and the invention of washing machines using our laundry artefacts.

• The children are asked how clothes are washed now – hot water from the tap, washing powders, washing machines and easy care fabrics are all mentioned.

• The children are then shown a wash tub and wooden washboard. These are demonstrated using a bar of carbolic soap! The children are then all able to have a go.

• The dolly tub has water in it and the children can put the washing into it and then have a go with the dolly. They enjoy these activities but do begin to realise that doing all the washing this way would have been very hard work and time consuming.

• The use of washing tongs, dolly pegs, and irons is discussed and the children may handle these.  The mangle is shown and may be demonstrated – the children are told that one model was sold under the trade name ‘little nipper’!

3.  Writing with dip and quill pens

• The importance of being able to write your name when you came to work as a servant at Wimpole is explained – you were expected to sign your name in the wages book. The Butler would have handed out wages at the end of the week. His other duties are also described briefly.

• Blotting paper, pen wipers, alphabet sheets, menu sheets, dip pens and ink are shown. (The ink that we use is washable blue to avoid the risk of permanent stains).

• The children write their names using dip pens.

• When they are satisfied with their efforts they then sign a certificate – ‘a replica reference sheet’. This is taken back to school with them.

• They are shown a menu for a dinner and told that these also would have been written by hand (no photocopies!). Some may wish to try their hand at these as well. We also have quill pens and the children may try these for comparison.

4.  Discover Victorian Toybox

• The session starts with a comparison of the life of an ordinary Victorian child with children today. This includes a discussion of whether they would have had many toys and what else they might have been doing.

• A pedlar’s basket full of Victorian toys is unpacked and the toys handed out in bags to each pair of children. In turn each pair unwrap their toy and it is discussed in relation to what it is and what it is made from.

• It soon becomes apparent that the toys are made of natural materials with no plastic or electrical components.

• After the antique toys have been examined and discussed, brightly coloured boxes of replica Victorian toys are handed out between groups of 4-5 children. Everybody has a chance to examine and play with the toys.

• With older groups of children the Health and Safety aspects of some of the antique toys can also be discussed. Issues that can be raised include:

• Materials - some of our toys are made of lead. These are safely wrapped so that the children do not come in contact with them. However at the time of their manufacture the danger of lead was not understood.

• Toy safety – we have a replica mechanical monkey. In Victorian times these were popular toys, today’s legislation does not allow them to be sold as toys due to sharp edges.

• Child labour - Children in the Potteries were employed making tea -sets and other items that were sold as playthings for wealthy children.

A preliminary visit to meet the Learning and Interpretation Officer is recommended.