Fancy a day out with the family? London used to be the place that was made for everyone to travel to, for this very reason. It was easy to find a place in a restaurant, easy to book yourself into a nice Victorian hovel where you could watch up, shower, have breakfast and launch your day with the family. Now, however, things have changed in and tourism is not what it used to be. Granted that the waves and waves of people from all over the world have added billions to the economy, but for the average family, it’s just too crowded to discover London at a leisurely pace. Everything is rushed these days and sometimes we forget that we should be experiencing our culture with the attempt to pass it on to the children. If you’re of this way of thinking that showing children the capital city of their nation in a light that shows the value of culture, then there is still hope yet.
Stopping in time
We count the smartphones in our pockets and cars we drive as part of normal life. But go back even 100 years ago, and the embers of the industrial revolution were still around. Go to the Victoria and Albert Museum, and trapped in time there are exhibits that show the toil and tussle it took to make the UK what it is today. Without people literally giving their lives, working in the factories and making the machines, the free market itself wouldn’t exist. Products were made for the mass market and more and more families could buy things to make life easier for themselves. However, at the time working conditions were horrid and many children were working long shifts as well. A quick tour through this museum will show your children how hard kids their age had to work once upon a time, and perhaps clearing up their room isn’t such a big ask in the end.
Love and jealousy
The institution of the theater has been a staple in the eyes of Brits. We love live-action dramas, heartache and fights for glory. Children are exposed to a lot of entertainment nowadays. They have smartphones that give them access to all sorts of videos. However, the classics of British theater should be experienced in person by young children so they get a sense of the kind of acting performed in real life. Some hit shows are always playing throughout the city, including the famous Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables. These classics have stood the test of time and been passed down from generation to generation. Love and jealousy are two key themes in both of these shows, something that children will begin to experience as they enter their teenage years.
London was all about speeding the entire country into the modern era, before any other city or nation in Europe. Traveling back in time to see how children and workers toiled the machines, will be an eye-opening experience for children that may think they have it rough now. A touch of theater to end the night is a traditional way of how London was experienced for many people a hundred years or so ago.
