Year 3 at Bolton Museum
Date: 28th Jun 2024 @ 4:05pm
A Trip to Bolton Museum Year 3
On Friday 28th June, Year 3 took a well-deserved day off school and visited Bolton Museum. This tied in nicely with our History topic ‘How the Ancient Egyptians Lived and Died’ as well as supporting our Art and Design curriculum.
If I am completely honest, I think a few goes around the block in the coach would have made them happy but their day trip out was thoroughly embraced by all.
When we arrived, we took part in an exciting hands-on Art Workshop where we developed our skills and vocabulary by observing landscapes through three centuries, portraits of famous Boltonians, namely Crompton and Arkwright, abstract art and a rather wonderful sculpture of a local hero. The children created an amazing Lowry-esque industrial landscape while others sculpted Fred Dibnah’s head from modelling clay. The likenesses were uncanny. There was also the opportunity to make industrial art from geometric shapes and recreate historical photographs using themselves as the people in the pictures. They really put their ‘art and soul’ into it. Sorry, not sorry.
At lunchtime, we were starving – some of the children were hungry too so we sat under the clouds on the townhall steps and ate our butties. I was disappointed that none of the children had salt and vinegar squares, beef monster munch or frazzles so I had to make do with my own ready salted.
In the afternoon, we had a look around the aquarium and, after an exploration of the gift shop, we stepped back in time to Ancient Egypt. The exhibition was amazing. Here’s what the children thought:
“This was the best day ever!”
“I saw a real mummified body of an Ancient Egyptian.”
“I liked making up the sarcophagus.”
“Some of us booed Mr T so he was sent to meet Anubis in the underworld. But he cheated his way into the afterlife with a special amulet.”
“I had my organs removed and they were placed in canopic jars.”
“I enjoyed the scavenger hunt when we searched for the Queen Nefertiti and The Rosetta Stone.”
“The gift shop was the best part.”
“I loved the steam machinery like Crompton’s Mule.”
“We sat and had our lunch in the town and played I-Spy.”
“I loved looking around the rest of the museum too.”
“The aquarium was fantastic. The catfish were huge and the piranhas were scary.”
“The coach trip was lots of fun.”
Alas, the coach arrived but luckily some of the children spotted a dead bird. What an amazing end to the day. We thought it couldn’t get any better. We all bid farewell to the dead bird before climbing onto the coach. I was hoping the children might sleep on the way back but, alas, they were in full swing, talking and laughing about their exciting day. Their behaviour and attitude were exemplary and noted by a few members of the museum staff as well as members of the public. Proud teacher moment. I hope they all had a great time. There were a few children who thanked our driver too. How nice is that!
A special the thank you to Mrs Donovan and Mrs MacLeod for their support on the day. I hope they enjoyed it as much as the children did.
If you are looking for a fantastic day out during the summer holidays then Bolton Museum is open during the week and is free to get in.
I also recommend a train journey from Manchester Victoria to Liverpool Lime Street to see their museum’s amazing Ancient Egyptian exhibition among other exciting features like the planetarium.
What a great way to end this year.
Mr T XXX
