London is one of the largest and oldest European capitals, and at the same time such a vibrant, diverse and vibrant city that God forbid everyone looks like this at more than 2000 years old! And in London they speak the most correct English, so parents take their schoolchildren there during the holidays so that they can apply their knowledge of a foreign language acquired during the school year. How to please and surprise children in London - a report from the scene.
The royal stables are guarded by guard girls
How does an avid lover of classic English literature imagine London? Cold, foggy, reserved. But July London dispelled all prejudices: the weather was luxurious, hot - not a cloud, not to mention fog, all week. And the crowd of tourists from all over the world, sweeping away sights, shops, and restaurants along the way, confirmed: all roads lead to London. Which, however, could have been assumed even at the hotel booking stage - any hotels that looked at all similar with reasonable prices were filled with more nimble travelers.
In the children's section of the gift shop - a fairy tale about a real prince and princess
As a result, my 11-year-old son and I stayed at a small hotel opposite Kensington Gardens - more precisely, it was called an apartment with a kitchen. The kitchen looked comical: in a tiny - well, this is normal for London - room there were two doors, and behind them, right in this dark cabinet, there was a stove, a sink, a refrigerator, a microwave. And some dishes. But, in fact, with a small child, such a kitchen would be a real salvation - you don’t have to run to the restaurant every time the baby wants porridge. We kept NZ there in case of attacks of night hunger.
There are many Russian tourists in London with small children - and even more with older ones. For those traveling with strollers, this is certainly an ideal city. Almost everywhere there are special entrances, exits, elevators - including the subway. In different places, for example, the Science Museum even has a separate entrance - so you don’t have to stand in line and just slide down the ramp to the most children’s part of the exhibition.
All museums are sure to have special offers: family tickets, discounts for early booking, “wholesale” discounts for visiting several museums at once, fast track tickets that allow you to skip most of the line - you need to look at everything (or already buy it if you are ready to fully plan your trip in advance) on museum websites.
To both entertain and develop a child, we try this recipe: popular entertainment attractions like Madame Tussauds Wax Museum and the London Dungeon, and then layers on something more intellectual - say, the Tower and the Science Museum. A must-do at the top is a walk through the marvelous London parks. Shake but do not mix. Try it slowly and with pleasure.
Tower of London
Immediately after entering, they offer audio guides (£4), some in Russian.
To prevent your child, and you yourself, from getting confused in the numerous buildings of the Tower, it is better to take an audio guide - the story is clear, and moving around the territory, like in an adventure game, can captivate the child. Don't miss - immediately to the left after entering the fortress - the former Mint, which was located in the Tower for 500 years, and which Isaac Newton headed for almost 30 years until his death.
The exhibition opened in May of this year, there are many interesting facts, funny games and installations. For example, a video where the minted profiles of Oliver Cromwell and Charles II on coins come to life and discuss views on the monarchy and, of course, quarrel. No textbook will tell you so clearly about the difference between the coins (and reigns) of these two historical characters! In another room, behind a small door, the screams of Mint workers are heard, locked during breakfast in the dining room by their “colleague” James Thornbull - so as not to interfere with the theft of heavy bags of gold guineas. It happened in 1798, the thief was caught in the port of Dover and hanged. The bags are lying right there - you can lift them up and evaluate the recklessness of the attacker.
The most famous part of the Tower - the slender cube of the White Tower - was built at the end of the 11th century. A wooden staircase leads directly to the second floor - just like in ancient times. When the enemy approached, the ladder was removed. Inside there is a lot of armor, weapons, knights - a haven for lovers of the Middle Ages and military history.
There weren’t any amateurs among us, so the interactive room was more fun, where you can try to shoot with a bow (on a simulator), with a cannon (on a computer), and also try to lift a real musket - very heavy!
The queue to the gallery where the royal regalia of different eras and the very crown that Elizabeth II wears at official ceremonies is kept, the line passed quickly, but my son was more impressed by the huge steel doors installed in the vault than the crowns of English monarchs strewn with sapphires, rubies and diamonds along which are transported on a travelator.
The oldest exhibit, an anointing spoon from the 12th century, thanks to some clever person, even survived the destruction of the royal regalia during the times of the Republic and Oliver Cromwell. The courtier kept the valuable item - and a few years later he sold it at a profit to the new king Charles II after the restoration of the monarchy.
Tourists relax at the site of the execution of Tower prisoners
The gift shop sells this paper model for assembly. If everything is done correctly, the rack will stretch and the head will fall into the basket...
Windsor Castle is the largest royal residence in the world
The royal family's castle in the County of Windsor has long held the record for the largest territory . Over the 900 years of its existence, it was rebuilt numerous times. Now it covers an area of more than 45,000 square meters, and the number of rooms exceeds a thousand.
Excursions are organized for tourists to the castle so that they can appreciate the puppet theater, the queen’s chambers, large servants’ quarters, and the location of the entire garrison of soldiers responsible for the safety of the monarchs.
The Tower Bridge
A walk along one of the most recognizable bridges in the world is a must, especially since there is a museum in the upper pedestrian gallery, which itself was considered a wonderful high-rise viewing point until the London Eye Ferris wheel was built. But even after the appearance of a competitor, the species still did not deteriorate!
It will be interesting for boys to look at the now non-functional mechanism for raising the bridge from a hundred years ago. We were lucky - we ended up on the bridge just at the time when a large pleasure steamer was passing under it - and saw a modern mechanism in action. The iron doors closed, the cars stopped, and all the tourists looked at the asphalt slab rising before their eyes. Impressive!
Madame Tussauds museum
Madame Tussauds was the last thing we visited in London because we were afraid of the promised queues. As a result, even with the help of fast track, we stood for about forty minutes. Inside are wax figures of Hollywood actors, world politicians, pop stars, athletes - everything is as it should be.
All the wives of Henry VIII do not fit into the frame
Of the Russians, only Putin and gymnast Olga Korbut are a strange bunch. And we took a photo with the most democratic politician - the mayor of London since 2008, Boris Johnson - a former journalist, an avid cyclist, father of four children and a great original.
By the way, thanks to him, there are so many bicycle rentals in the British capital that they are really convenient to use, which both citizens and tourists happily do. True, the latter are increasingly riding in the endless London parks, where there are special bicycle paths. But be careful: extremely sporty Londoners drive around them at breakneck speeds, so it will be safer with small children in those parts of the parks where cycling is prohibited.
The most impressive part of the tour is definitely the 4D movie about superheroes from Marvel comics.
The installation with Spider-Man was made “upside down” - so that the photo creates the effect that you are stuck to the ceiling
In addition to the stereo image, there are also real special effects: it really starts to blow you out of your chair when the green giant Hulk claps his hands, and splashes with water when a double-decker red London bus falls into the fountain. The children are delighted.
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Harry Potter Museum (Harry Potter Tour)
Well, there is another large-scale attraction, which, perhaps, will soon catch up and surpass Madame Tussauds in popularity - the Harry Potter Museum. In general, the British should have long ago awarded JK Rowling for her contribution to the tourism industry: it’s scary to imagine how many children were inflamed with the desire to visit England after reading the epic about Hogwarts and young wizards.
The huge studio complex is located 40 minutes from London. You can get there by train, and then on a special bus - or go on a tour directly from London. You can book a time for an independent visit and buy tickets only in advance on the website. But when I decided to do this, there were no more places... We are not big fans of Harry Potter, so we steadfastly survived the failure, but the more devoted fans who finally got there highly recommend everyone to visit this place.
The Second World War
The British Armed Forces participated in the war from its beginning until the very end. The Second World War was a decisive factor in the collapse of the empire.
- During World War II, Elizabeth 2nd worked as a driver and mechanic.
- During the war, England was an ally of the USSR. They fought together against fascism. England helped Soviet soldiers in every possible way.
- After the war, many British colonies separated from the Kingdom and declared their independence. Some of them later united to form the Commonwealth of Nations to maintain economic ties.
- Britain's most powerful force in World War II was its navy.
- During the war and post-war times, industrial productivity in the country fell and the area under cultivation decreased. Great Britain felt the crisis.
"The London Dungeon"
This museum of fear and horror will appeal to everyone who wants to tickle their nerves. Teenage boys run there straight from the airport. In general, there are so many noisy groups of schoolchildren that while you are standing in line, you feel like you are at a big break and really sympathize with the teachers. You can shorten the queue by buying a ticket in advance on the Internet - it will also be a little cheaper. The entire museum is a journey through different scary stories. It begins with you being taken in a boat through the "Traitor's Gate" to the Tower for execution - like Henry VIII's wife Anne Boleyn. In the pitch darkness, under the splash of water and the howls of the Tower prisoners, the boat crawls to a height, stops - and then quickly rushes back. All survivors head out to the next tests.
Before entering the museum - a family photo as a souvenir
Visitors are treated to scenes from British criminal history, performed by young actors - with intimidation, jokes and interaction, so to fully enjoy it you need to speak English. And, of course, there is no need to go there with small children: one boy of about five bravely endured while his parents and older brother walked with him through the scary rooms, but when the ghost of Jack the Ripper appeared for a second in a dark bar in the light of a thunderstorm, he could not stand it and sobbed .
In the gift shop you can buy kitchen utensils “from Mrs. Lovett” from the creepy musical and film “Sweeney Todd” - for those who love pie...
And instead of cute teddy bears - gloomy freaks
The final attraction, which is no longer recommended even for adults with a weak heart, is hanging on the famous London scaffold, once installed in Newgate Prison. If you don’t want to spoil your “pleasure”, it’s better not to read further. And if you want to know what to expect, I’ll tell you. So, everyone is put on the seats, the judge reads the verdict - and then the floor gives in, and you fall into the darkness. And then you jump a few more times. In general, the attraction is well-known, it is in all amusement parks, but it’s still disgusting!
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Progress of the lesson:
(The fairy-tale character Fairy-woman appears in the group to cheerful music.)
Fairy-woman:- Hello, children! Do you know? What fairy-tale am I from? I am from fairy tale Snow-white and 7 gnomes. I'm from London. I can make wonders with my magic stick. I come to see you, my dears! I would like to know your names? Make a circle, please.
(The fairy gets to know the children by throwing a ball to each child.)
— Do you like to play? Let's play travelers . To be a traveler , you need to know a lot about different countries, be strong, resilient, and attentive. Now I’ll check with you to see if I can go on the road with you.
What country do you live in? (In Russia.)
What is the name of the capital, the main city of Russia? (Moscow.)
What language do you speak? (In Russian.)
Well done boys! Now you can hit the road. I invite you to travel around the UK .
Let's go, let's go to Britain
How do you think what type of transport we will go by?
(The fairy shows a map of the world, together with the children she finds Great Britain , London, draws attention to the distance between Russia and Great Britain . The children choose transport for the trip , agree that the plane is the most suitable form of transport.)
We'll fly to London on a magic plane.
(Mysterious music sounds, children close their eyes. The teacher displays a map of London.)
The game Yes or know.
Fairy-woman: Guys, do you want to play a game called “Big Ben”
?Let's say these words together.
Big Ben is a tower.
We don't mind playing with her
In the morning, evening, day and night!
The presenter rings the bell and says: “Morning”
.
Children imitate actions that are performed in the morning (brushing their teeth, washing their face, doing exercises, etc.)
.
After the words “Night”
,
“Day”
,
“Evening”,
children depict actions typical for this time of day
Queen Elizabeth II, who rules the country. People of different nationalities live in this country - English, Scots, Welsh, Irish and many, many others. But they are all united by one language – English.
Fairy- woman: My dear friends, children in Great Britain like to play different moving games. Let's play the game “Cats and mice”
Sea Life London Aquarium
For those who are not ripe for strong sensations, but simply want to admire living nature, and who have small children, they will prefer the London Aquarium to a dungeon. You can see it right away: groups of London kindergarteners are crowding there in identical bright vests - so that the kids don’t get lost. What was pleasantly surprising is that almost always young men are found among the teachers: patient and caring, real “mustachioed nannies.” Or maybe this is their alternative military service?
In the aquarium there are three floors of different fish, shellfish and other inhabitants of the seas and oceans, feeding of sharks - everything is bright, interesting and healthy. Ticket prices are around £19 per adult and if you arrive after 3pm you get a 25% discount.
London Eye Ferris wheel
A stone's throw from the London Dungeon, the Aquarium and the Film Museum, a giant Ferris wheel, built for the millennium, seems to rise straight out of the Thames. 32 closed glass capsules - for 25 people each - rotate slowly for half an hour - especially so that tourists have time to capture the magnificent views of London from a height of 135 meters. Prices: about £20 - adult ticket and £12 for children.
Sherlock Holmes Museum
We had to visit Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson twice: when we came the first time at the end of the day, we saw such a queue that we realized that we wouldn’t make it before closing. But we scouted out the situation - for example, we found out that tickets were sold in a souvenir shop (the door next to the museum). In the store, on the fireplace there is a portrait of Vasily Livanov in the image of a brilliant detective, but we did not find any other mentions of the Russian Holmes - in the same books dedicated to the incarnations of the hero on the screen. But one thing is for sure: our tourists, who grew up with the words “elementary, Watson” and “oatmeal, sir,” make up a large percentage of visitors - and booklets in Russian are carefully offered only in this museum.
While some are languishing in line, others are taking pictures at the entrance
Although everyone knows that in the time of Arthur Conan Doyle there was no house with the address “221B Baker Street”, and that the museum was opened, one might say, at the insistence of fans who flooded the post office with requests to a non-existent address, nevertheless, everything was done with care and love. And the dramatizations of some famous episodes involving wax dolls are touching: very naive, but children are scared. To walk through the small rooms of a four-story house and sit by “that same” fireplace with a pipe in hand costs £8 (adult ticket) and £5 for a child.
Souvenir shop to the right of the entrance, in the back of which is the museum ticket office
Next time we will tell you about free public museums in London for children and teenagers - huge, full of interesting exhibits and interactive games.
Thank you for your assistance in preparing this article Visit Britain
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The capital of England is famous for its democracy, so the main “adult” museums - the British Museum, the National Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum - can be visited completely free of charge. We will tell you about free museums for young tourists and discoverers - those who are ready to bombard their parents with questions every second and dream of flying to the moon right in the morning.
Science Museum
The museum, which is already more than 150 years old, is stunning in its size: not a single child will have the strength or patience to go around everything, so it is better to immediately decide at the entrance where you will go. And one more thing: it is implied that it would be nice to donate at least £5 to the museum - this is what is written on the piggy bank that the employees hold as they let visitors through the turnstile.
For very young children there is paradise on the “minus first” floor, that is, in the basement: playing with water, lifting weights, blocks, crowing chairs and other joys of learning about the world. There is also a cafe, a children's toilet, a drinking fountain and a large “picnic area” to run around and eat what you brought with you.
On the same floor there is an exhibition “The Secret Life of the House”: telephones and alarms, washing machines and motion sensors - everything is fascinating, visual and interesting. And you can touch everything!
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And you can even play with some exhibits. For example, you can try to fool the alarm and get to a safe in a dark gallery or get into an apartment through a window.
Children are particularly delighted with the game that shows how the toilet works.
A funny plumber unexpectedly peeking out of the toilet... hanging from the ceiling distracts you from the intense flushing of water.
Boys who love mechanisms and mothers who run the house will be interested in seeing how household appliances have changed over the past 100 years.
Advertising from the 1920s presenting a product of unspeakable luxury for elegant ladies - a refrigerated cabinet
This is what a solarium looked like at the beginning of the 20th century: an advertising poster depicts a mother and baby sunbathing under an ultraviolet lamp
Prototypes of vacuum cleaners
An older child can be immediately taken to the 3rd floor - to the experimental gaming space Launchpad. It is written that this is for children 8-14 years old, but in reality, of course, preschoolers also willingly run there. A lot of interesting experiments, games for everyone - and experiments that the museum staff conducts every hour.
When we were there, a girl in a hijab and a branded T-shirt, with the help of children, launched a “water rocket”:
And here you need to use fans to “swim” on a sailboat from one shore to the other. But this boy decided to wade.
Natural History Museum
Next door to the Science Museum is the Natural History Museum, which invites children and adults not only to wander through the majestic halls of the monumental Victorian building, but also to look into the tent in the courtyard, where colorful butterflies from all over the world flutter.
Features of the population and mentality
The population of Great Britain is multinational. Residents have their own British mentality, which is not always clear to other people, but for the British this is all par for the course.
- The people of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are very proud of their origins and roots. And if they are called British or English, it is a great insult to them.
- England has the highest rate of obesity among its population in Europe. This happened due to the rapid proliferation of a large number of snack bars throughout the country and sweet vending machines in establishments. The Kingdom has begun to combat this disease by introducing a tax on foods containing a lot of sugar.
- The British do not like intrusion into their personal space. They allow hugs and kisses only to those closest to them. They exchange greetings with strangers or unfamiliar people and sometimes shake hands.
- Very often on the street you can meet a Briton who wears warm clothes in the warm season. Conversely, in winter, residents can easily wear a T-shirt and shorts.
- Residents of Great Britain go to the pub very often. There they can not only sit with a mug of ale, but also enjoy the atmosphere of the establishment and communication with friends. Their pubs are small, but there are always a lot of people in them.
Museum of London History
A very educational museum, located not far from St. Paul's Cathedral, telling about the 2000-year history of the city. What was on the site of the current capital in prehistoric times, what did the houses of the Romans who founded Londinium look like after the invasion of Britain at the beginning of our era.
Two rooms: a rich house and an ordinary one.
Master class - with video! — how wealthy Roman women did their hair.
There is a large installation for fans of the Victorian era - a whole block of what was then London with toy stores, a china shop, a post office, and a pub. It is twilight - to create authentic lighting of the streets of that time, so it was not possible to take pictures.
The museum, which was renovated several years ago with a lot of money, is clearly aimed at schoolchildren: there are a lot of exhibits, posters, videos featuring teenagers and young people discussing tolerance, religious and racial tolerance - in general, “London is our common home.” In the last room - an interactive quiz - they offer to solve city problems together: what to do with garbage, how to reduce car emissions, how to restore order in poor neighborhoods. There are no ready answers - these are real problems that actually face any big city.
Funny UK laws
In Great Britain, as in many other countries, many laws have been invented. They are rarely changed and even more rarely cancelled. Many of the laws are really good, but others are simply ridiculous.
A list of some funny laws that still exist in the UK:
- It is prohibited to sing the song “Happy Birthday to you” in public places. You can get a fine for this, as this is a violation of copyright. It is best not to sing the song at all or use it at home among loved ones.
- When visiting parliament, you must not die in it. Since this is the property of the Royal Family, then the funeral will have to be paid for from the state treasury.
- If a person puts a stamp with the image of the royal family upside down on an envelope, he will be considered a traitor.
- To buy a TV from a store in the UK, you must first purchase a license to buy it. This is because television in the kingdom makes money from viewers rather than from advertising. To watch TV at home, residents have to pay about 10 feet per month.
- A law that has been preserved since the Middle Ages. Anyone who begins to peel a boiled egg from the narrower end may be arrested for a day.
Interesting facts describing culture, history and attractions provide more comprehensive information about Great Britain. This allows tourists to create an individual travel itinerary and fully enjoy their holiday in this wonderful country.
Article design: Vladimir the Great
Unusual excursions: famous London shops
In London you can go for free not only to museums: there are also beautiful shops that have existed for 100-200 years. No, of course, you can not only walk there, but also buy the most fashionable clothes or the most delicious food, but it will also be pleasant to simply admire the interiors and shop windows.
The world-famous seven-story premium store Harrod’s was founded in the 30s of the 19th century, and for the last 25 years it was owned by Mohammed Al-Fayed, whose son Dodi died in a car accident along with Princess Diana. The store occupies an entire block in the luxurious Knightsbridge area, with numerous counters on the ground floor to grab a bite to eat.
Unearthly beauty cakes, the best tea from all over the world, kitchen utensils and dishes are sold at Fortnum & Mason . The famous store, opened on Piccadilly in 1707, has long become a symbol of English sophistication and taste. At The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, which is named after the diamond jubilee of the reign of Elizabeth II and which was opened by the “birthday girl” herself, you can partake in traditional afternoon tea - tea with sandwiches and scones.
Liberty's, the world's most designer store with the world's most fashionable brands of clothing and footwear, is located in the famous building on Regent's Street, built from the timber of two ships and included in the "Government List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest".
Although, by and large, there are few buildings in the city center that do not have such interest... Just don’t forget about comfortable shoes - London will provide the rest for you.
Culture
Interesting facts about Great Britain can be found on the Internet. The culture of the country has been influenced by many peoples.
- There are about 30 cultural properties in the United Kingdom that are protected by UNESCO.
- In Great Britain you can find many architectural masterpieces (palaces, Big Ben, Tower, Westminster Abbey).
- Great Britain is the birthplace of many famous writers, including Shakespeare, Defoe, Austen, and Carroll.
- The Beatles were founded in Liverpool. She became popular all over the world and influenced the development of pop music. The Kingdom also gave everyone many famous performers and groups (Queen, Pink Floyd, Elton John, Rolling Stones).
- Great Britain is the birthplace of many sports. Golf and rugby originated here.
