Rag rugs and brick making for Year 1

07.06.2023

Just before hallf term, Year 1 set off with great excitement to Chiltern Open Air Museum, which tells the history of the Chilterns through historic buildings, landscapes and culture.

The girls started their day with an introduction into the world of rag rugs. They thoroughly enjoyed learning about how rag rugs came into existence and trying to imagine what life was like in the nineteenth century for children. Following the talk, the girls watched in amazement as they saw a demonstration of how rag rugs were made by hand and could not wait to have a go themselves. They soon realised how fiddly the task was! We were all so impressed with the rag rugs the girls made.

In the afternoon the girls went to their second activity: brickmaking! This was on the other side of the Chiltern Open Air Museum and on the 5 minute walk we walked past a number of different buildings and animals which captured the girls’ attention. We learnt all about bricks and the correct vocabulary to use when talking about bricks. In pairs, the girls had a wonderful time making their own brick in moulds. This was very hard work and everyone was astonished to learn that children were expected to produce 1,000 bricks a day!

It was a very fun and informative day which was enjoyed by everyone.