Out and about

The past week has been a busy one for our youngest with a number of fun educational outings. I was thankful to a dear friend for taking him on two of the outings, giving me dedicated time to spend with  our eldest, who writes his first exam for this session tomorrow. 

The first was an outing to the Hout Bay Museum where the children learned more about the Khoi and San people. They were able to look at tools from the stone and iron age and enjoy a short movie. They learned of the Strandlopers who inhabited nearby caves at Llandudno.

 Fun was had exploring the caves, where they saw cooking areas, sleeping areas and a shell midden.

 One happy boy was delivered safely back home!

The second outing was "The 1902 Victorian Schoolroom" experience. Some preparation was necessary as this is totally different to his own experience of school. Big brother and sister did not do much to ease his fear of the strict Victorian teacher he was to encounter!

 Their memories of that outing years ago were still fresh in their minds.

However, we had some fun looking at websites and discovering what he would encounter, making a paper model of a Victorian school and colouring a British Flag. 

On the day, he was required to dress up and take a typical Victorian lunch in a paper bag: bread & cheese, a boiled egg, fruit and a glass bottle with ginger-beer.

No Tupperware lunch box allowed. It was all about role play and the total experience. 

The children encountered the strict teacher who required proper Victorian discipline, standing to address him with a "Yes Sir". They were seated in the classroom and went through their lessons, writing on slates and doing rote and object lessons.

At break time, they were treated to a Victorian sponge cake and played with toys of the day such as stilts, whirr whirrs and the yo-yo.

He was presented with a certificate of honour for good attendance. This was rather funny as he was supposed to be the "new boy" in the class, that being his first day!

He came home happy and having enjoyed the fun, even asking if he could go back again!

Today's outing was to the Department of Rural Development & Land Reform where we visited the National Geo-spacial Information centre, otherwise known as South Africa's national mapping organisation. K and I went along too and it was rather interesting but perhaps a little over their heads in some areas.

 (Note to self - time to do some map-work with them again!)

We were met with an enthusiastic teacher and his colleague who gave the children a presentation, showed them various maps and quizzed them at the end. 

We learned that NGI has an archive of aerial photography, dating back to the 1930s and photographic coverage of the entire country which is updated with their digital mapping camera.

One is able to purchase maps and access information easily. 

We were kindly given some maps to take home  and enjoy.

The museum houses a collection of maps and mapping & surveying equipment, dating back as far as 150 years ago. Much of this type of equipment is outdated due to advancements in technology. It was great to be able to see various equipment that we have read about or only seen pictures of....

far more interesting when one sees the real thing!

I am hoping that I can inspire the children to enjoy maps more than they do, gain a healthy respect for those early map makers and have some fun with map-work!