Victorian Day

[PleaseYourselfandEatTheCrusts]

Ds wants to have a themed day, to help learn what life was like as a Victorian child.

I thought we could do 2 days - One as a rich / middle class Victorian and another as a poor one.

We have toys like jigsaws, Jacob's Ladder, yoyo etc.

I thought we could make a Victoria sponge. Does anyone have any other ideas?

Ds is 9, if that matters.

Thanks

I don't know if you've ever watched The 1900 House, where a family lives for a while as if the clock had been turned back to the late Victorian era.

See if you can find it on YouTube or elsewhere online. It will give you a few good ideas. I'd spend a week on your Victorian experiment to give your children a true idea of life back then.

Oh, I remember watching that! Yes, that's a good idea. Thanks, mathanxiety.

A poor 9 year old would probably be doing chores all day or at work.

Are you anywhere near Beamish? It’s worth a visit.

No daily showers or baths
Carbolic soap
Tripe or liver and onions for tea
No central heating
No toaster
Oven heated by actual fire
No car
No electronics
No tv/ internet
Cod liver oil every day
Being "seen but not heard"
Beatings when naughty

Or alternatively,
Going up the chimney to clean it
Bread and dripping for tea (probably the only meal of the day)
Begging on the street
Being raped by your master (housemaids)

Is he sure

If you can visit the Blists Hill Victorian town in ironbridge. It's a fantastic experience and will bring it to life for your child

Amazon Prime has a good set of three videos "Victorian Farm" plus a follow-up Christmas special, featuring a historian and two archaeologists recreating life on a Victorian farm. It's a really interesting watch. It doesn't particularly focus on children, however.

You can watch the series for free without a subscription. It is available on their ad-supported FreeVee service.

Thanks for the ideas.

Hi OP,

My DS9 is schooled but has loved having Victorian days / afternoons for years! Here are some of our ideas:

Let your (supervised) DC build and light a fire with a match, also saw up some small logs. Light a candle.
Music - I think most Victorian children would either sing or play an instrument to amuse themselves. My DS practised on his wooden recorder
Cleaning - sweeping with a broom instead of vacuuming; shaking out and beating rugs; scrubbing the doorstep. Your DC could hand wash a garment.
Snacking - no crisps or tropical fruits. English fruits, hardboiled sweets sold by the quarter in a paper bag, nuts (if not allergic), homemade biscuits
Cooking - could your DC have no imported foods and/or no ultra processed foods for the day? Join in cooking a meal from scratch? Make something simple like a homemade rice pudding?
Crafts - would your DS have a go at knitting or sewing? If not, how about woodwork? Drawing and painting, make a collage.
Reading, especially the Bible or classical stories (fables, adventure stories, Greek myths etc), creative writing, hand writing practise
Outdoors - gardening, skip rope, playing catch, fishing, nature trail, bug hunt, den building, bird watching, collecting rocks, star gazing
Pets - playing with the family dog or cat, dog training
Transport - get your bicycles out or go on a train ride
Money - any older relatives with a coin collection? Who could explain old money?
Antiques shop - we have a friendly antiques dealer near us so I take my DS for a browse, we look at old rocking horses, Victorian furniture etc

There is a Victorian House in Knightsbridge/ Kensington that is open to the public and you can book a visit. How about reading/ watching Tom’s Midnight Garden or parts of The Water Babies? Also in London is The Foundling Museum which leads on to the Hetty Feather books or Oliver.

Thanks