Learning needn’t be confined just to the classroom, as Visit Herts highlights. September has arrived, and with it, a brand-new school year. While the kids are packing up the book bags and bidding farewell to weekday freedom, it doesn’t mean the weekend adventures need to stop. If the chime of a new term has you feeling a little stuck for weekend inspiration, take the family out on an adventure and learn a new thing or two whilst you’re at it.
Celtic Harmony
Celtic Harmony is an expert in hands-on history without a textbook in sight. Hosting family sessions every third Saturday of the month, this incredible pre-history experience will introduce you and your little ones to nature, conservation, and plenty of fun-packed activities. These include making habitat piles, preparing firewood, cutting back shrubs, planting, and more. It’s the perfect way to build your knowledge and teamwork skills, all while enjoying a wonderful morning in a beautiful woodland setting.
De Havilland Aircraft Museum
The only museum in the world with three de Havilland Mosquitos, it was here that the first prototype of the World War II plane was designed and built. The De Havilland Aircraft Museum celebrates the company’s roots in Hertfordshire and its influence on both civilian and wartime aviation. Budding historians and pilots alike can learn about founder Geoffrey de Havilland at the museum and even enter the cockpit of a Mosquito.
Hertfordshire Zoo
Hertfordshire Zoo is committed to animal conservation and the protection of many threatened and endangered species. A day out here will introduce you to fascinating species, from big cats and primates to reptiles and invertebrates, plus a few prehistoric creatures. Their hands-on animal and zookeeper experiences are the perfect way to learn about some of Hertfordshire Zoo’s incredible creatures up close.
Natural History Museum Tring
Did you know Hertfordshire has its very own Natural History Museum? The Natural History Museum Tring is a sister site to the famous museum in London. This incredible, free-to-enter gallery is packed with more than 4,900 specimens, all started by Lionel Walter Rothschild. See extinct creatures, get up close with specimens like polar bears and emperor penguins, and learn about the lives of the Rothschild family, the unusual birds they kept in Hertfordshire, and even how Walter once trained zebras to pull a carriage!
Warner Bros Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter
Now hear us out: apart from being a fantastical day out that will awe any true Potterhead, the Warner Bros Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter is also a great place to learn about the magic of the film industry. See the beautifully crafted props, discover the work that went into every stitch of the costumes, and see the original technical drawings and models from the Art Department, including a model of Hogwarts itself. Step behind the scenes of the special and visual effects that made the quidditch teams fly, and Harry disappear, as well as the creature effects that brought everything from dragons and hippogriffs to basilisks to life.
St Albans Museum + Gallery
In the heart of St Albans City, the St Albans Museum + Gallery is a centre of arts and culture, packed with over 2,000 years of local heritage, exhibitions, and events. With regularly changing exhibitions and installations, you can discover the incredible history of the Town Hall, Courtroom, and Cells and learn about the timeline and tales of St Albans.
Welwyn Roman Baths
Our next stop will take you back 1,800 years to when Romans ruled! At the Welwyn Roman Baths, you and the family will have the chance to see the remains of the original Roman bathhouse and villa, first discovered in 1960 by the Welwyn Archaeological Society. Learn just how sophisticated and forward-thinking the Romans were as you see the frigidarium, tepidarium, and caldarium, as well as the incredible system that provided underfloor and wall heating centuries ago. Discover the way Romans used the baths, from hygiene to social rituals for the wealthy.
North Hertfordshire Museum
Free to enter and packed with local history, the North Hertfordshire Museum is another educational favourite. Tour the three galleries and learn about North Hertfordshire from 90 million years ago. Meet the Baldock Mammoth, learn about Letchworth and the creation of the world’s first Garden City, and the influence Romans, Saxons, and Normans had on the area. In the Terrace Gallery, you’ll have the chance to dress up as a suffragette, see a football collection of local, national, and international importance, and learn about local folklore, myths, and magic.
The Snow Centre
Who said educational days out needed to be purely academic? Home to real snow slopes, The Snow Centre is the perfect place to test out your ski legs and take a lesson or two before ski season. Whether you and the kids are seasoned pros or need to learn the basics, here you can practice your skills with a lift pass for the 160-meter-long slope or take one-to-one or group lessons with fully qualified instructors ready to teach you all they know in snowboarding or skiing.
Henry Moore Studios and Gardens
For the creative kids, we can think of no better place than Henry Moore Studios and Gardens. This home of the artist’s studios and workshops is set in 70 acres of beautiful Hertfordshire countryside that helped inspire his greatest works. Step behind the scenes and see the drawings, etchings, carvings, models, and Moore’s world-famous sculptures in the landscape he helped shape.
