This week, Year 4 enjoyed a fantastic trip to Valence House Museum as part of their topic on Victorian life — and what an exciting day it was!
To help us truly understand what life was like during the Victorian era, the children were able to dress as Victorian maids and servants. They stepped into the shoes of children from the past by having a go at washing clothes by hand — no washing machines in sight! With sleeves rolled up and tubs full of soapy water, we quickly discovered how much effort it took to clean clothes in Victorian times.
Inside the museum, we explored real Victorian toys, comparing them to the ones we use today. There were no batteries or screens — just imagination, clockwork toys and china dolls! We also learned about The Mays, a wealthy Victorian family who lived at the house. The children loved discovering the big difference between the lives of rich and poor families at the time.
One of the most surprising facts we learned was about Victorian beach rules. Did you know people could be arrested for stepping onto the beach in a bathing suit? To stay out of trouble, special bathing machines were used to carry people into the sea fully covered — quite different from how we swim today!
It was a fun-filled day full of hands-on learning, laughter and curiosity. The children returned to school buzzing with facts, stories and a better understanding of what life was really like over 100 years ago.
A big thank you to Valence House for such an engaging and memorable experience!
