Today we went to the education centre at St Albans Abbey for two workshops. The first was a Victorian Classroom and the second was Victorian toys.
Arriving at the Abbey
Victorian Classroom
The children began in part of the church that use to be a Victorian school. They compared what it looks like now with what it looked like in Victorian times.
Then they went to another room where a Victorian Classroom had been created. Before the children could enter the classroom, they had to get a Victorian penny to hand into the headmaster!
The children had to sit in lines. The boys sat on one side and the girls on the other.
The children had to have a hand inspection, to make sure their hands were clean. They all passed!
The children had to sit up straight, look forward and concentrate on what the teacher was saying.
This is an example of a very straight back.
The monitors had to give out the slates for the children to write on.
Instead of PE, the children had to participate in a drill. Here they are marching on the spot.
Victorian Toys
After lunch, the children found out more about the toys that rich and poor children played with in Victorian times.
Jacobs ladder
Pin the tail on the donkey
Hopla
Gird and cleek
cup and ball
Finally the children made their own toy, which was a thaumatrope. A thaumatrope produces an optical illusion by the spinning of the card on some rope.
It is a joy to say that all the children were engaged. They enjoyed their day and they were exceptionally well behaved.
