Summer holiday activities.
Now seems as good a time as any to look back at the summer holidays.
I’ve really enjoyed this break with the cubs. I managed to secure 3 week’s leave, so between me and their mum we had most of the holiday covered.
In that time, we incorporated my birthday and youngest cubs 4th.
I’m rambling…
This is a short review of one of their favourite places to visit, the Natural History Museum in London.
Getting there.
We usually catch the train into London. It’s an adventure, and they love it.
This time we drove. None of us really enjoyed that so next time we’ll make sure the train takes the strain.
Where are the dinosaurs?
The government made a great call years ago in making the museums free to visit (even a broken clock is right twice a day.. 😉)
They’re such great education centres for enquiring minds and open the door to so many questions.
There was only ever one question.
Where are the dinosaurs?
The architecture of the NHM is breathtaking. The immediate neighbourhood is home to the Science Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, several colleges and a string of embassies. As you would expect, there are tourists aplenty, and its lovely to expose the cubs to so many languages.
Where are the dinosaurs?
We come in the side entrance, missing the modern normality of a bag search, as I’m not carrying anything.
Both cubs stand in silence; one by the huge skeleton of a planet, which is being fed people via an escalator; he is mesmerised by the skeleton of a stegosaurus.
Where are the other dinosaurs?
The multilevel museum takes you through the ages and around the world.
I try my very best to introduce them to magma flow and tectonic plates with talk of volcanos and earthquakes, plus the planet spits out and consumes new islands constantly along fault lines, but they’re not convinced.
Can we go?
The ultimate goal is to see the dinosaurs. We follow a route that takes us through a multitude of stuffed animals, including the heads of various birds.
Eldest cub is fascinated at first, then the colour slowly drains from her face.
‘Did they kill those birds dad?’
I think some probably died of other causes but I guess you can’t rule it out.
Her brother takes immediate action to cheer her up in the best way he knows how; he sticks his bottom out, turns around and walks backwards towards her, rubbing his butt on her leg. I manage to intervene just as he goes to undo his trousers.
We stop at 3 stuffed models of a dodo. I take the opportunity to point out that they’re extinct, despite her grandmere (mother’s side of course) convincing her that dodos are alive and well on an island somewhere.
I digress…
Where are the dinosaurs?
They’re getting tired now. Apart from toilet breaks we’ve been on the move for two hours.
She wanes first. He’s still driven by the desire to see the dinos.
We enter the great hall, where only recently, the famous Diplodocus has been replaced by the skeleton of a blue whale. Its pretty impressive.
Is it worth it?
Let’s face it; you’re hard pressed to beat a free attraction, especially one as well presented as the NHM.
It’s an expanse of learning, well stocked and easy to navigate. Even the multitude of gift shops are unobtrusive, offering a great range of visit mementos.
We didn’t eat on site today but if memory serves, it’s all quite reasonable for a family.
Negatives.
Hard pressed to think of any.
Take away thought.
The Harpy Eagle has talons comparable to the claws of a Brown Bear.
Things I’m thankful for.
There are no Harpy Eagles near me.
Ps. we saw the dinosaurs!
BSD
broke-single-dad 