School visit to Belsay Hall

This morning 4 mothers and I gathered at Belsay First School to hear what we had let ourselves in for. We had a briefing and found that we were not just there to keep the little darlings safe. Much more was expected of us!
We were each allocated 4 children and a colour. We had to gather our little flock and get them safely onto a coach and their safety belts done up. We had a horrific hazard paper, which I didn't read. I thought that common sense would do instead.
The coach set off for a 5 minute trip to Belsay Hall, a Palladian House built by the Middletons who had lived on the site since the 12th century at least. We all moved from the coach to the entrance to the Hall, where the children were told something of the history of the house. By the way, they were years 2, 3 and 4 years. My 4 consisted of all years and very lovely kids they were too. At last we were let loose. There was an exhibition of art, using spaces i.e. rooms to depict things to do with the house and the family.
The imagination and understanding of what was going on amazed me - way beyond my ability!! I will not try to describe the individual exhibits. It would take yards of space and probably not mean anything to you. Suffice it to say that the children knew what they liked and what they didn't. What they found spooky and what they didn't. What was intriguing and what wasn't.
There were 2 tasks to be undertaken. There was an upper room that had 2 trees growing out of the floor and a 3rd out of a bed (yes, really!) and a nightdress hanging on a branch and next door, a wardrobe, open with dresses hanging and an eye looking through a hole in the back and blinking(!), a fireplace and a dressing table with a lady who came and went in the mirror, brushing her hair. Here they had to draw a picture. Even with my 4 children it was fascinating what they drew. One boy drew the fire place and some of the old wall paper. 2 girls drew a chair which was, for some reason, lying on its side. The 3rd drew the wardrobe with the eye. One then drew a tree. I found it fascinating as to why these were chosen.
The second task was in a room where there were masses of keys all over the walls, each with a label saying where it was from. This room apparently represented the housekeeper. The children had to draw a key, a label with their name on and a border of keys. This was more straightforward.
After that we had a little time to spare, so they were able to run and run outside.
We had a packed lunch inside because it was horribly cold. Then our group moved to the Education Room. The morning group had made a number of rooms out of boxes, lit by a torch and viewed through a keyhole. Our lot each had their photo taken and printed and cut out by themselves and put into one of the rooms. This sounds simple but a great deal of imagination went into it all. The rooms were up a secret staircase in the Hall, never seen by anyone before and only accessible by the keys! As someone who has never done any teaching or anything like it, it was an eye-opener. What can be got out of these young minds is amazing. I loved every moment of it.
By the time I got home, I was exhausted - but a lovely sort of exhaustion. Now I must take G to see this exhibition!