Our first day back for the start of the new academic year was a lot more interesting than previous years. We spent the night at a sleepover at the Natural History Museum in London. What an amazing experience!
Was it super expensive? YES
Did we actually sleep? NO
Was it an experience we’ll remember forever? OH, YES!!!
We took part in a Dino Snores for Kids event which involved activities in the evening, “sleeping” in the Hintze hall (with a whale skeleton above our heads) and then access to all the museum the following day.
The evening activities kept us occupied from arrival at 18:30 until lights out at midnight. In the first session, we learned about how scientists have worked out what dinosaurs used to look like and then the girls designed a dinosaur T-shirt.
The second activity was a torch-lit trail around one of the exhibits, finding glow-in-the-dark clues as they went.
The third and final activity, and the best one, was a science show all about octopuses. The presenter was so passionate about the topic and that came across in all of the information she shared with us.
Our bed for the night was tucked down in a corner of the Hintze Hall which was the perfect spot – other families didn’t bother us at all. It was surprisingly warm and comfortable on the floor and sleep came easily for the girls; not so much for us parents!
In the morning, once we’d packed everything away and had our breakfast down in a canteen, we had time to explore the museum before the general public was allowed in. I’m not sure where everybody else went, but we were often in rooms on our own which made it extra special.
Overall it was a brilliant, one-off experience and a fantastic start to the new academic year.
