Stansted Mountfitchet

Today, was an exciting time for KS1 - we have two trips rolled into one! Firstly we visited a toy museum so that we could view some of the toys we learnt about last term and then we explored a Motte and Bailey castle, to find out about life in this type of environment, to enhance our castle topic. 

As we left Ware, the excitement on the coach was at fever pitch and many could not stop talking about what they expected to see; after half an hour or so, the signs to the castle came into view and the children could not wait to get of the coach and explore!

Entering the site

Once on site we split into two groups, one stayed in the castle enclosure and the rest of us followed the steep and winding path to the House on the hill toy museum. As we walked the path we saw and heard the dinosaurs who seemed to be watching us.

Do you think he has seen us?

 

Nearly there...

The toy museum was jam packed with toys from the past. The children spent a long time exploring the rooms and trying to spot certain items in the cabinets. Many "old" favourites, were also now well know by a new generation and much excitement took place at the sight of Sooty and Sweep, Dr. Who, Spiderman, Noddy and Star Wars, to name but a few. The children enjoyed following the giant's footsteps and finding out which ones activated something in the museum. A firm favourite was the one which made the Pelham puppets dance.

Playing with the Lego and creating a puppet show was fun, as was looking in the mirrors to see the funny effects they made and how strange we looked. Lots of children had a go at the rope quoits and added up their scores to see who was the winner.

After an enjoyable morning in the museum we headed back to the castle to have lunch with the other half of KS1 and to then swap and spend the afternoon at the castle.

 

The afternoon was spent wandering amongst the animals in the castle enclosure, trying on some chain mail and helmets, sitting on the jousting horse, turning a millstone, warming our hands are the central fire and learning a lot about life in a castle and the different people who lived there. We saw peacocks, geese, doves and deer, we listened to commentaries, we looked at the exhibits and had a thoroughly enjoyable time. 

After we had returned to Ware the children said how much they had enjoyed the trip and everyone wanted to go there again. The "best bits" ranged from climbing the lookout tower, to re-enacting a battle, playing with Lego to making the puppets dance, seeing the Lord asleep in his bedroom with his cat watching over him to sitting around the fire and trying on the armour in the castle to playing quoits in the museum.