Way on back in January, part of my resolution was to make more time for family days; I wanted us to spend some time together out of the house, just the three of us. Well, it has been much easier said than done but this half term I was determined to keep one day free for us. I’ve been keeping a list of some low-cost places to visit and we decided to go into Liverpool in the morning, have some lunch and visit the Maritime Museum in the afternoon. When the weather gets better I have some places we can visit outdoors but for a chilly February day an indoor activity seemed best.
We managed to get out the house at a reasonable hour and headed into Liverpool city centre first for a little mooch before lunch. The Liverpool One area of the city is pretty good for negotiating a pushchair and we may have fallen into the Disney and Lego shops to pass some time. We found our way to Pizza Express for an early lunch which is always great for the little ‘un’s. Then it was off down to the Albert Dock to visit the Maritime Museum. They had a few different activities on because it was half term; Lucas was too young for them really but we did stop to listen to a lovely Viking lady (and collect some Viking recipes and runes) and we had a peep in one of the learning rooms where they were doing some Pirate Art activities We let Lucas have a wander through the Titanic exhibition which he liked as there are plenty of interactive displays and a dressing up box for children. It was busy but it was nice to see so many children in there.
We took Lucas to have a look at some of the model ships by which time he was thoroughly tired out. While he napped in the pushchair we went and had a look at the International Slavery Museum and the Seized exhibition. The International Slavery Museum was incredibly interesting and very thought provoking; I loved the way this area was set out and as you are going in there are quotes on the walls about slavery and freedom and some amazing artwork from local community groups. I also found the Seized exhibition fascinating; the displays are full of items people have tried to smuggle through customs, some of which are truly unbelievable. It’s a great museum to visit but a word of warning if you have a pushchair, the lifts are so slow; it put us off visiting some floors because we had to wait so long! I have been to the Museum before when I was younger and I loved going back and seeing it again.
How often do we forget about attractions right on our doorstep? All the museums and galleries are free and Liverpool is chock full of them so we will return. We popped into the Museum of Liverpool before we headed home because my Nana is on a video in the People’s Republic! So weird seeing her on screen in a museum and we will definitely go back and explore more; they have an area in there called Little Liverpool which I am desperate to take Lucas too.
All in all our first Family Day was a success and it was so needed. I am really keen to keep these days up and we all enjoy a change of scene and some undisturbed time together. I didn’t take lots of photos because I didn’t want to be too distracted but here are a few from our day.
2 Comments
ahh we love the Maritime Museum- my and my partner spent many a pre-Jared day here! We’ve brought him here too, he loved it, he loves the World Museum too, I know he’s too young for nearly all of the museum but he just loves looking at new things and saying “ooh!”.
May 22, 2013 at 11:21 pmI love the International Slavery Museum too, it’s so fascinating and shocking to read about everything that went on in the past. It’s such a great insight, but tragic to think that yes, it did really happen 🙁
We haven’t been to the World Museum with Lucas yet but are hoping to go soon, I love getting out into the local area with him, especially when things are free! x
May 26, 2013 at 8:31 pm