Always look out for local free activities!

Gladiators….READY

We were met at the gate by a Roman Centurian. This amazing free experience (at the epic Maumbry Rings) put on by re-enactors was full of Roman activities to have a go at. Making Mosaics, Shields and all sorts of free activities. With a totally realistic historical market full of traditional wares, crafts and supplies. The stallholders were all in full dress, demo-ing their wares and answering any and all questions knowledgebly. There was a full Gladiator competition (Blood and all!), Ballista and archery displays using entirely genuine equipment – and naturally, all of the proper wood-fired pizza you could wish for.

Education on location

It always pays to check out what free local activities are going on in your area, you never know what is going to pop up! One of the overwhelming take-aways from today was my partners’ realisation of how we already talk to the children. Which has never changed. While we were walking around, we were chatting about everything as we usually do- the amazing ampitheatre, asking how they thought it had been made, what tools had been used and how long it must have taken. We talked about WHAT it was, a “Neolithic henge” which led on to discussion over the meaning of the word “Henge”. The look of disgust on my mother-in-law’s face as we read the plaque detailing the sentence and execution of the pregnant Mary Channing. A 19 Year Old girl found guilty of poisoning her elderly husband, who was strangled and burnt at the stake, and cross-referenced “Pleading the belly” from one of the Horrible Histories pirate songs.

The idea that education has to involve sitting at a table memorizing things out of context is so bizarre, when there’s such a breadth of opportunity available just in everyday conversations and experiences.