Monday - Lets "do" Tudors

They look happy to be there (mostly)

Making butter balls for Queen Bess' feast

Learning to be a Tudor child

Pike drills for all ages

5-8 year olds are ready to protect the country from the spanish hoardes

Paying attention and answering questions!

making felt

The back of Oliver as suddenly I am NOT allowed to photograph him, even if I am trying to document his time spent in educational pursuits.

More felt rolling.

It was a good day, but I forget just how geared up for schools these places are and how much home educated kids are not trained in their ways! Not that they don't listen, answer questions, wait turns or be polite, but that they aren't used to the herding that goes on. Or doing things like toileting en masse. 

I am not sure how the leaders took us and it was different for the children too as many had been left in a few adults care when they would usually be with a parent. But they seemed surprised that the children could listen and carry out instructions after one demonstration, one asking, when a small boy went straight to task, "what did I ask you to do?" and he replied beautifully and exactly what she had just said and was just keen to get on! It was as though their first thought was that he would be just mucking around or not have a clue.

 Maybe they were not sure what to expect from 36+ home educated kids, who arrived in various groups and states of excitement and chatter. I am sure that most of them had had the "be respectful" chat on leaving the car, but I guess we would have looked slightly different on arrival than a coach load from school smartly lining up and walking sensibly to the entrance. I hope that is the case and that we've shown them that we too can participate in situations like theirs, it was quite a challenge to book the session to start with as "we don't normally do that!".