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If you want to stay in one of the prettiest villages in England, stay at Bibury in the Cotswolds. It’s not a place to go if you’re looking for lots of things to do, but it has a quiet village atmosphere with beautiful old cottages everywhere you look. Hanging out with the locals Stroll around the quaint village and walk along the most famous street: Arlington Row. This street is said to be one of the most photographed in the whole of England, and has been in a number of films. The spot gets very busy with tourists, so it’s best to pick the early morning or late afternoon if you want to go without the hordes. Most of them just roll in on the buses, get out for a few minutes to walk along the row and take a photo, and then roll out again, which certainly misses the quiet beauty of the place. Arlington Row dates back to the 1380s. Strolling along Arlington Row There’s a fish farm to visit (at extortionate prices, so we didn’t bother), a local pub to eat at, and a more upmarket pub, ‘The Swan’, where we enjoyed a drink in their lovely garden by the stream. Bibury is a good place to base yourself to visit the rest of what that region has to offer. Many other pretty Cotswolds towns are close by, and we enjoyed the old city section of a larger one, Cirencester. We also loved doing a hike from Bibury to a nearby village, Coln St Aldwyns – a round trip of about 10km. We found that a nice lunch once we got to the other village helped keep our 10 year motivated! There are many other smaller walks you can do around the countryside. Why would you go to Bibury as a homeschooler? Bibury is a great place to go to experience quiet village life in England. There is a huge amount of history in the town dating back to the Iron Age, with many old buildings. St Mary’s Church dates right back to at least the 12th century. Take your children here to glimpse what a village would have looked like in the Middle Ages. There are also many beautiful walks in the area to enjoy as a family. My tips for the region 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Try to get the kids involved in planning a walk. The 164km Cotswold Way trail runs nearby (see https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en_GB/trails/cotswold-way/), but you don’t have to walk the whole way!! There are also masses of other walks to do around Bibury 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Look out for any animals and plants that are native to the region and learn about them. There are plenty of birds, as the meadow at the front is a haven for wildfowl 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 We spent 4 full days in Bibury which was a good length of time for us – enough time to look around at a leisurely pace and venture further to see some other towns. You could easily spend a lot longer if you loved walking! It is within striking distance to other picturesque towns such as Bourton-on-the-Water, as well as interesting places such as Stratford-upon-Avon (Shakespeare’s birthplace) and Oxford Book suggestions (read aloud or read for themselves) We saw many swans in Bibury. For younger children (ages 5 and up): ‘The Silver Swan’ by Michael Morpurgo For older children (ages 10 up): ‘The Wool Pack’ by Cynthia Harnett or ‘The Trumpet Swan’ by E B White Ideas for education Swans – cygnets, diet, partners for life etc. You can download my ebook which has a unit study all about swans from the Teachers Pay Teachers site here Dry stone walls – how are they made? The history of Arlington Row. Briefly, it was built in the late 14th century to store wool, and later used as cottages for weavers of woollen cloth in the 17th century. There is also an important meadow in front of it called the ‘Rock Isle’ (which I thought needed a good mow until I realised it’s historical significance!). This was used to hang items out to dry. See the website: https://www.bibury.com/arlington-row/ for more information Wool production throughout history compared to now; wool and the Cotswolds/England Sheep- different breeds for different purposes, what is needed to keep them healthy, types of wool etc. The history of the Cotswolds To buy our "Swans: a unit study" guide while supporting us. Read the description and make the purchase below

If you want to educate your children, London has it all! Great history, great art, great transport and great fun! The hardest thing when planning is to work out what to cut off the list of must-dos. What you choose, of course, will depend on the ages of your children and their interests. Tips for London Transport is easy (although expensive). Use the Tube (underground railway system) and double decker buses to get around. We found the Tube was an attraction in its own right for our little travellers! It is easy to follow the maps and get to where you want to go, and this is a great activity to get the kids to do to work on their map reading and navigation skills. Paying for your trips is easy with a credit/debit card. We just used our special travel debit card which we had organised from the bank before we went. Look up this site: https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/visiting-london/getting-around-london/best-ways-for-visitors-to-pay for options. Children travel free if they are under 11 years old on many services. You can also take buses - in fact, this is my preferred method of transport, as you can see everything from the top of a double decker bus as you ride. Riding in a London Taxi cab is also a unique experience Uses the ordinary double decker buses to take a bus tour of the city. A few bus routes take you past some great sites without needing to spend a lot of money on a bus tour - look up Routes 11 and 24 Buying food out is expensive. We managed to find accomodation that supplied breakfast in their deal, and this was a good saving. Obviously, AirB&B's will save on needing to buy every meal out too. We used the Marks and Spencer (M&S) pre-packaged meals for lunches or bought from Pret (which seems to be everywhere!) The London Pass may be worthwhile buying. You will need to do your sums to find out, as it obviously depends on what you want to see and how much stamina your children have! As many of the things we wanted to see were free, it was not worth buying for us General books/activities/films about London 'Madeline in London' by Ludwig Bemelmans 'This is London' by Miroslav Sasek 'The Story of London' by Richard Brassey 'Horrible Histories Awesome Guides: London' by Terry Deary ''Katie in London' by James Mayhew 'Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' by Conan Doyle 'Oliver Twist and other Great Dickens Stories' by Marcia Williams (picture version) 'Oliver Twist' by Charles Dickens (for older children) 'Paddington' and 'Paddington 2' films 'Mary Poppins' film 'Flushed Away' film 'Mr Bean' films 'Ravensburger: London Puzzle 1000 pieces' 'Ticket to Ride: London' board game Here is a list of places in London that we have found to be worth seeing to educate your children. There are so many more to explore, such as Buckingham Palace, the Horse Guards, Kensington Palace, London Eye, Westminster Abbey, the Natural History Museum etc, but we ran out of time! The British Museum If you see nothing else in London, I recommend that you take your kids to The British Museum. The history contained in this place is mind boggling, from Egyptian treasures to the Rosetta Stone. It's also well worth talking to your children about how the British obtained all these artefacts, and whether it is appropriate for them to still have them today. 'Stuff the British Stole' is a great podcast and TV series that ponders this issue. There are so many important things to see that it's hard to narrow it down, but here are some of my favourites for their educational value: Rosetta Stone (the stone that unlocked the hieroglyphic language of ancient Egypt) Bust of Ramesses the Great (Egyptian pharoah) Hoa Hakananai'a (from Easter Island) Mummy of Katebet (and all the other Egyptian items in these rooms) Samurai armour Frieze from the Parthenon Sutton Hoo helmet Tips Book tickets. Entry is free, but the line to get in is often very long. I recommend that you book your tickets, and that way you can bypass some of the waiting time Don't waste money on buying a map. Either use the QR Codes to access one on your phone, or go right inside where the dome is - free ones are given out at the information desks there Read up about what you want to see before you go. It is so much more interesting if you know something about what you are seeing! The kids then can be charged with finding that item in the museum Don't try to see everything. The museum is so immense (and so busy) that it can be overwhelming and exhausting. To make it manageable for our younger kids, we pick a few things that might be interesting. Make a videoblog. Get your kids to create a videoblog that shows and talks about what they find the most interesting Get an educational backpack. The British Museum have free educational backpacks that you can use for children https://youtube.com/shorts/TLb0VJxHErQ?feature=share After all of this history, you will need a rest and caffeine. What better way to relax than the court cafes which are on the ground floor? You can have a rest while gazing up at that spectacular domed roof. Recommended Reading/Listening/Watching Podcast on 'Stuff the British Stole' and TV series ‘You Wouldn’t Want to be an Egyptian Mummy’ by David Stewart ‘The Golden Goblet’ by Eloise Jarvis McGraw ‘Pharaoh’ by Jackie French 'The Samurai's Tale' by Erik Christian Haugaard National Gallery Another one of my all-time favourites! This art gallery houses some incredible art within a spectacular old building. Highlights to see are paintings by:  Rembrandt, Monet, Picasso, Da Vinci, Titian, Pissarro, Sauret, Rousseau, Turners, Stubbs, Cezanne, and Van Gogh to name just a few! Tips Book your tickets. It is free to enter, but it is a good idea to book your tickets before you go, as the line can get very long Read some books about artists and famous paintings before you go (see below). Your children will no doubt be much more interested if they have a connection with a work of art. Our children loved finding 'their painting' Take art supplies with you. Try to bring a little blank notebook and some coloured pencils with you if possible. I recommend that you get your children to find their favourite painting and have a go reproducing it Take a tour. The National Gallery has great tours. We joined one for school students and got a lot out of it Visit the gift shop. This shop has fantastic books and prints in it, and is definitely worth a browse. We allowed our children to buy a small print of their favourite painting Visit Trafalgar Square. This square is right outside. It's a good opportunity to talk about the statue of Nelson on the top, risk death by climbing on the lion statues, and fight off all of those pigeons by the fountain Books and Activities The Katie books - a series by James Mayhew which is hands down the best art introduction for young children. It is well worth reading some of these before you go in - it will create so much more interest from your children in trying to spot some of the paintings. 'Katie's Picture Show' is especially good for pictures in the National Gallery, as well as 'Katie in London' for the lions outside 'Usborne Famous Paintings: Magic Painting Book' (in association with the National Gallery, London) 'Usborne Young Reading: Nelson' by Minna Lacey 'Dead Famous: Horatio Nelson and his Victory' by Phillip Reeve 'The Impressionist Art Game' by Wenda Brewster O'Reilly This excellent game is now very expensive, but you might be able to pick up one secondhand! Do a jigsaw puzzle of a famous painting such as this one by Rousseau that one of my children loved: https://shop.nationalgallery.org.uk/jigsaw-1000-piece-surprised-1052069.html Try an art project such as this scratch art one: "https://shop.nationalgallery.org.uk/scratch-art-craft-kit-inspired-by-van-gogh-1054159.html Imperial War Museum This extensive museum has great displays on WWI and WWII as well as peace-keeping missions. There are a number of mammoth floors, so choose what you want to see wisely! Many displays are interactive and engaging. Some are very confronting, so take care with younger children. Tips Free and not ridiculously busy This place has a great cafe. Stop awhile to refresh yourselves! Read some history before you go in, so that your children know some of what they're looking at Books and Games 'Armistice Runner' by Tom Palmer 'I am David' by Anne Holm 'Hitler's Daughter' by Jackie French 'My Story: Road to War' by Valerie Wilding 'My Story: War Nurse' by Sue Reid 'My Story: The Trenches' by Jim Eldridge 'Horrible Histories: The Frightful First World War' by Terry Deary 'Dead Famous: Winston Churchill and his Great Wars' 'Usborne: The World Wars' 'Risk' board game 'Memoir 44' board game (older children) British Library You perhaps wouldn't have thought to visit a library in London, but this library is absolutely worth the trip! What's more, it is another free activity that is usually not too crowded. The British Library houses some incredible gems in its 'Treasures' room, which are more likely to be appreciated by older children Highlights include: Shakespeare's First Folio A Poem by Michelangelo Sketches done by Da Vinci Scores from Mozart, Handel and The Beatles Beethoven's tuning fork A Gutenberg Bible A Tyndale Bible owned by Anne Boleyn The Lindesfarne Gospels The Canterbury Tales The Magna Carta Books and Activities Listen to some music by Beethoven, Mozart, Handel and The Beatles Play the Classical Kids CDs eg. 'Mozart's Magnificent Voyage' CD, 'Beethoven Lives Upstairs' CD, 'Hallelujah Handel' CD Play the 'Beethoven's Wig' CD series 'Ludwig Beethoven and the Choming Tower Bells' by Opal Wheeler 'Mozart: The Wonder Boy' by Opal Wheeler 'Handel at the Court of Kings' by Opal Wheeler 'Dead Famous: William Shakespeare and his Dramatic Acts' by Andrew Donkin 'Bard of Avon: The Story of William Shakespeare' by Diane Stanley 'The Danger Zone: Avoid Being a Tudor Actor in Shakespeare's Theatre!' by Jacqueline Morley 'The Shakespeare Stealer' by Gary Blackwood 'Leonardo Da Vinci' by Diane Stanley 'Usborne Young Reading: Leonardo Da Vinci' by Karen Ball and Rosie Dickens 'Michelangelo' by Diane Stanley 'William Tyndale: The Smuggle's Flame' by Lori Rich 'Fineprint: A Story about Johann Gutenberg' by Joann Johansen Burch 'Chaucer's Canterbury Tales' by Marcia Williams Greenwich Visiting Greenwich is a bit of an effort and an all-day experience, but so worth it educationally. Where else can you talk about the latitude and longitude of the earth so well? There is a lot to see at Greenwich, including: The Royal Observatory- where Prime Meridian line is (ticketed) The National Maritime Museum (free) Queen's House (free) Cutty Sark- an interesting old ship (ticketed) Tips Take the ferry (the Uber Thames one) there and back if you can. It is great to see London from the Thames, and you can point out landmarks as you go Tickets for Greenwich can be confusing. The best option is the 'Combo' ticket which includes Cutty Sark and the Royal Observatory Cutty Sark is an interesting ship to explore. Built in 1869, it was used to carry tea. It now has lots of hands-on exhibits for kids to play with and places to look around The National Maritime Museum is well worth seeing. It also has lots of interactive displays and interesting artefacts eg Nelson’s actual coat, a ship simulator (my boys all loved this), a pocket watch from the Titanic, and an anchor from Roman times Take the obligatory photo with a foot in each hemisphere at the Prime Meridian at the Observatory. This really helps cement kids' understanding of what the line means, and also sets up lots of discussion points about why Greenwich is the Prime Meridian The Observatory is also the place to see the four timepieces made by John Harrison to find a clock that worked on ships and thus to navigate. This, again, is a great educational opportunity Books and films 'Sea Clocks: The Story of Longitude' by Louise Borden 'Longitude' TV series directed by Charles Sturridge (for older viewers) The Tower of London This history-packed castle is an incredible place to visit. It's hard to avoid the crowds, but be sure to go anyway! Tips Get there early and book your ticket Make sure you take a free tour with one of the Yeoman Warders. They are very funny, and although also popular, are well worth making the effort to stand with the crowd! See the Crown Jewels (go early in here, as there are long lines) and the Koh-i-Noor. There is some controversy about the later item, which can be found out by watching the ABC program 'Stuff the British Stole: The Jewel of Denial' Interesting places include the White Tower (which holds delights such as an executioner's block and armour worn by Henry VIII), Sir Walter Raleigh's study, the Beauchamp Tower (holding graffiti made by famous people), and the Bloody Tower (where it is suspected two princes were murdered) Books 'You wouldn't want to be a prisoner in the Tower of London' by Fiona MacDonald 'The Dog who Loved a Queen' by Jackie French 'Traitor in the Tower' by Neta Jackson 'Walter Raleigh: A Man of Two Worlds' Landmark book by Henrietta Buckmaster 'Horrible Histories: Henry VIII's Secret Diary' by Terry Deary 'Horrible Histories: Terrible Tudors' by Terry Deary St Paul's Cathedral St Paul’s is an incredible cathedral - well worth the expensive entry price (which apparently is for up-keeping of the building). There's quite a bit to see and talk about here: who designed this amazing Baroque building (Christopher Wren), how the other one burnt down in the Great Fire of London, who is buried in the crypt and what they are famous for, and even how pipe organs work! Tips Buy tickets online as they are more expensive at the door. You can go in free as a worshipper, but you will not be permitted to go into the main part of the cathedral (which is stunning) or up the dome Definitely go up the dome. Although tiring with all of the stairs, this is very interesting and there are wonderful views of London from the top on the outside viewing platform Visit the crypt where many well-known people are buried (eg Horatio Nelson, Alexander Fleming and Christopher Wren) Try to visit at a time when you can hear the organ- it is amazing! The audio guide is really engaging for kids Books 'Usborne Young Reading: Nelson' by Minna Lacey 'Dead Famous: Horatio Nelson and his Victory' by Phillip Reeve 'You Wouldn't Want to be in the Great Fire of London' by Jim Pipe The Globe Another great educational opportunity not to be missed! Shakespeare's Globe theatre has been rebuilt after a fire, but it is still very worth seeing. It gives your children a great insight into how Shakespeare's plays are staged Tips Take the tour if possible to hear about the history of the Globe and Shakespeare See a production of one of Shakespeare's plays. The standing tickets are very reasonably priced. Even if you think your kids won't understand a thing, you can just stay for a little while to soak up the atmosphere Books and Films 'Shakespeare Can be Fun: Macbeth for kids' by Burdett Lois (or others in the series) 'Shakespeare's Hamlet for kids' by Brendan Kelso (or others in the series). These books provide short plays in everyday language which is great to act out if you have a number of children! 'Tales from Shakespeare' by Charles and Mary Lamb 'No Fear Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet' by Sparknotes (or others in the series). This series has everyday English on one side of the page and the original text on the other 'Bard of Avon: The Story of William Shakespeare' by Diane Stanley 'Terry Deary's Best Ever Shakespeare Tales' by Terry Deary 'The Shakespeare Stealer' by Gary Blackwood 'Dead Famous: William Shakespeare and his Dramatic Acts' by Andrew Donkin and Clive Goddard 'Tales from Shakespeare' by Marcia Williams (picture version) 'Gnomeo and Juliet' film (a butchered 'Romeo and Juliet' kids' version) 'William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet' film by Baz Luhrman (older children) Buckingham Palace, 10 Downing Street and the Horse Guards You can't really go to London and not see Buckingham Palace! You can watch the changing of the guards at the palace if you get there about 11am (but check the times when your visiting, as it may change). We strolled through the parks to also walk past the Horse Guards (always a favourite for me) and 10 Downing Street (office of the Prime Minister). Books 'When We Were Very Young' by A A Milne (contains the poem: 'Buckingham Palace') 'The Beast at Buckingham Palace' by David Walliams Diana Memorial Playground in the Kensington Gardens This is a playground that we stumbled upon that the children loved. It has a huge pirate ship to play in, a sensory trail, teepees, and plenty of sand. I highly recommend visiting this if everyone has had enough of sightseeing! Kensington Gardens also includes a Peter Pan sculpture, not to mention beautiful fountains and flowers to sit by and enjoy life! Books 'Peter Pan' by J M Barrie (book or Disney film) 'Usborne: 1001 Pirate things to Spot' by Rob Lloyd Jones 'Tough Boris' by Mem Fox (picture book) 'The Magic Treehouse: Pirates Past Noon' by Mary Pope Osborne

June 8th 2023 It’s only 3 weeks to go until we are off overseas again! One of my sons is playing his fiddle in a Celtic band around Scotland, so we will be traipsing after him for a bit. We also plan to visit England and Paris while we are over there. When you live in Australia, it’s bound to be a while before you get to visit Europe again! We are traveling relatively light, with just myself and my husband, our 10 year old son, Matthew, and our 20 year old son, Caleb. My mind is full of what we need to organise before we go… Normally, it would be sorting out who will mind all the animals we have and look after the house, but thankfully this time I won’t need to do that as we are leaving two other older sons behind. Still…there’s a lot to do. Here's my running list of things to think about: Does everyone have a suitable case and cabin bag? I like to use as small a bag as possible. My aim is to get everyone to pack one cabin bag size for traveling only, plus a small backpack that can be folded in the case if are trying to get on a plane with just one cabin bag each. In the past, we have travelled for weeks with one small cabin bag each only – somehow we managed to take everything we required which ranged from puffer jackets for Scotland weather as well as formal outfits and bathers for the cruise ship we were getting from Spain!). This has many advantages: getting on and off planes is a breeze and faster when you don’t have to wait for luggage to come out (more secure these days too, with so many suitcases seeming to go missing in this post-pandemic world!). It also means we can fit everything into the hire car more easily, and makes lugging the cases around easier if we have to walk anywhere with them (think train stations and cobbled streets in Paris!). Luggage organisers can be a good idea to help to fit everything in Have we got our passports sorted? If not…panic! Do the kids need any sort of ID stating they are a student? Are there any clothes that anyone needs to buy before we go? Usually, I decide I desperately need something I can’t do without…my latest thing is buying merino gear for myself (widely regarded as the best travelwear, but I’ll keep you posted, as I think they will be a nightmare to get dry after washing). I have just discovered Facebook Marketplace – I don’t know what I have been doing all this time! I love ebay and Gumtree too, although it can be tricky guessing the size. Have I booked all the plane flights/train trips/accommodation/car hire/museum passes etc that I can before I go? Have I found out the cheapest way to travel around in each place we are going and the cheapest way to see the things we want to? Some cards that might save you money are the Paris Museum Pass, London Pass, Heritage UK Overseas Visitor Pass etc. Are there any homeschool discounts that I can apply for? Of course, this is dependent on the country. I will be unlikely to get a discount in a country where it is illegal to homeschool! I have found this has been a great saving in the past though, so always worth investigating Do I have travel lollies sorted for take-off and landing in the plane (my husband thinks this is ridiculous and completely unnecessary!)? My favourites are Pascal Eclairs and Wethers caramels. Have I got some travel games? Some games we have packed for this trip are a packet of cards (I plan to have a running tournament of ‘Spit’ with my 9 year old), Uno, Bananagrams Duel, Cleudo travel game, Skipbo, and Go Fish for Art: Impressionist & Renaissance Have I got a comfortable pair of shoes? I used to take Kathmandu boots for lots of walking, but I am planning to just take my white casual sneakers and some runners this time around as they are much less bulky. I will keep you posted on how comfy there are! Are all the devices I have charged and ready to go? I have a Kindle that is a lifesaver for all the books I want to read for myself and to my child, and I will be taking my headphones for listening to educational Podcasts and doing free tours online Have I got my money sorted? This time, I will use a travelcard from our bank so that if it gets lost, they will only have access to a small amount of money Have I got a plan for my phone? I will be using a pre-ordered international SIM card so that we have plenty of data for navigating around Do I have some international travel plugs? Finally, I’m reading my child everything I can about the countries we are going to and things we will be seeing. The more he knows (and we know), the more interesting and enjoyable it will be. These are the books we are enjoying at the moment (please see below for a more extensive list of books for England, France and Scotland): Leonardo by Diane Stanley Sea Clocks by Louise Borden Monet’s Garden by the National Gallery of Victoria I also have some ‘required reading’ books that my child needs to read a portion of each night. These have included (please see more below): Horrible Histories Scotland by Terry Deary Horrible Histories France by Terry Deary The ‘Katie’ books by James Mayhew (fantastic for recognising the art in all the galleries we will be going to!). A good place to start is Katie and the Impressionists The Story of London by Richard Brassey My Story: War Stories for Boys by Chris Priestley, Brian Perrett & Jim Eldridge We are also watching some documentaries and films that have been set in London, Paris, and Scotland. So far we have watched and enjoyed: Gangsta Granny Strikes Again directed by Dan Zeff Madeline directed by Daisy von Scherler Mayer The countdown is on and we all can’t wait! Recommended books to read England Shakespeare can be Fun series: Macbeth for Kids by Lois Burdett (and others in the series) Dead Famous: William Shakespeare and his Dramatic Acts by Andrew Donkin Bard of Avon: the Story of William Shakespeare by Diane Stanley & Peter Vennema Good Queen Bess: the Story of Elizbeth I of England by Siane Stanley & Peter Vennema Dead Famous: Winston Churchill and his Great Wars by Alan MacDonald Horrible Histories: Loathsome London by Terry Deary Paris, France Michelangelo by Diane Stanley (for visiting the statues by him in the Louvre) Linnea in Monet’s Garden by Christina Bjork (for visiting Monet’s paintings) Monet by Mike Venezia Da Vinci by Mike Venezia The Royal Diaries: Marie Antoinette by Kathryn Lasky Usborne Famous Lives: Napoleon by Lucy Lethbridge The Scarlett Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy Scotland Dead Famous: Mary Queen of Scots by Margaret Simpson The Dog who Loved a Queen by Jackie French The Last Wolf by Michael Morpurgo #Homeschooling #kids #travel #wolrdschooling