A day in Oxford with my 12-year-old. Ideas needed!

[TR888]

Hi, I'm taking my DD12 to Oxford for the day. She loves the university vibe and dreams of studying there one day. What can I do with her to make our time there extra-special? We're going on a weekday next week, I hope we can see one of the colleges 🙂

Visit one of the showpiece colleges (Christchurch or Magdalen would be good choices); wander round the covered market; have a look at Broad Street; Radcliffe Camera; Sheldonian Theatre; and if it's a nice day, spend some time walking by the River Cherwell and River Thames in Christchurch Meadow.

Definitely a visit to the Ashmolean and Pitt Rivers museums

If you have time to do one museum, make it the Pitt Rivers!

Great minds think alike, @GettingStuffed!

Agree with the above post, also the covered market is nice for a browse/ a spot of lunch.

I would just exercise a little bit of caution about her dream, it's good to have ambition but so many talented young people do not progress through the Oxford selection process and it's good to instil at a young age, that other Universities are also excellent. I say this as a parent of a YP who was interviewed but was unsuccessful last year, he's very happy at the university he has chosen (many of his friends are Oxbridge 'rejects'). I have known many families become far too over-invested in Oxbridge and have really struggled with what they perceive to be failure when their YP have not been successful.

Moo moo's milkshake in the covered market was a firm favourite when we went.

Oh yes Pitt Rivers is fab!

Oxbridge isn't everything. Their rejection rates are huge. Encourage ambition but don't focus on Oxbridge on its own. Many people flourish, just as many crash and burn when in the real world.

Mowgli for lunch if you like indian food ... it's like indian tapas

Why not hire bikes in the town centre for the day? You’ll be able to get around to the big sights so much more easily - especially if you want to get out to Pitt Rivers museum.
Byke Ltd has a lot of bikes for cheap day rental, you can specify various pick up point around the city. Just check if you should take your own helmets and a couple of bike locks.

I would visit Christchurch, especially if she is a Harry Potter fan. You could end the day with evensong at Christchurch, if that appeals. I second the natural history museum and Pitt Rivers (anthropology) museum, which are on the same site. The Ashmolean is also amazing. It’s overpriced but punting is a classic Oxford thing to try. The Bodleian Library shop is a nice place to pick up a souvenir. Maybe a wander around Blackwells bookshop next door, if she enjoys reading. The sheer scale of the basement is a surprise! The covered market is nice for a wander.

No one said it is everything, it’s just a half term day trip! A young girl can dream and it is a beautiful city to visit. I’m sure the OP takes her dc to visit all sorts of interesting places.

I first visited Oxford with my gran who was a devout Methodist and wanted to see some of the sights connected with John Wesley before she died.

I had no thoughts of studying there ant the time, and yet I loved the city so much and a decade later I did complete my undergraduate degree there.

From small seeds, and all that.

Hi all, thank you so much for the amazing ideas! I totally agree re focusing too closely on Oxford as a future university- absolutely. But I find that at this stage, having an ambitious dream helps her stay motivated on her studies.

Shes only in Y8 and not top of her class or anything. But her work ethic has become so much better for the last six months or so, since she's "decided" she'll be studying at Oxford 🙂. She's always volunteering for all the challenges at school, going out of her way to complete her homework to a high standard... so this dream is only good for her. As she gets older, I'll start managing her expectations 🙂.

Yes to Blackwell's basement! A complete surprise and a treat for book-lovers.

Enjoy your day, OP.

OP for some colleges you need to/can book a ticket online to visit. A tour of a college often means you get to see inside. Usually in the afternoons.

For colleges that are just free access., look confident and wander into some of the back quads if you can, often the tucked away corners are the most beautiful.

You could also try one of the online treasure hunts, if your dd likes solving clues.

I wouldnt bother punting in October, go back again one summer and enjoy it properly! It takes up so much time. Whisper it, but I always preferred punting at Cambridge anyway.

Hi, just wanted to update everyone and let you know we had the BEST time in Oxford. We did many of your suggestions: a wander+ food in the covered market, we visited a few colleges including St Magdalene, we soaked in the atmosphere and generally loved the place.

Thanks for your suggestions!