timsanders Posted 4 April , 2017 Share Posted 4 April , 2017 Just booked a two week break near Omiécourt in August with my wife and 2 kids (7+2) - worked out cheaper than a Shepherds Hurt in Wales! I've not been to France in nearly 10 years and never visited any of the Great War sites despite reading and researching on it almost obsessively for the last decade so although we're on a family break it'd be remiss of me not explore some of the Somme sector at least. I know the areas littered with museums and memorials but which, if any, would be appropriate to bring younger children to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mills-bomb Posted 4 April , 2017 Share Posted 4 April , 2017 My honest opinion . . you would be setting yourself up for failure. they are too young to remotely interested in the the subject matter. you will need to try to find some sort of compromise. there is a good museum in Peronne, which has displays which may distract them long enough for you to look at what you want to. also, there is a good restaurant on site, and it is next to good riverside walks. Albert also has a good museum, along side a park where they can let off steam, the cafes & shopping aint bad either. good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mva Posted 4 April , 2017 Share Posted 4 April , 2017 hello from the Somme ! are you staying at the chateau in Omiécourt ? I totally agree with mills-bomb, Péronne and/or Albert would be the maximum for so young children, for one actually, the 2 yo will sleep anyway !!! Not WW1, but interesting for children, not far away from O. : http://www.appeva.org/ Do feel free to contact me, I live 20 km from O. (& am interested in WW1 !) kind regards, martine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
17107BM Posted 4 April , 2017 Share Posted 4 April , 2017 Hello Pal. I noted on a couple of trips, young children's fascination with tunnels. Arras, at the Wellington tunnels and of course Vimy Ridge. Seem to have a draw for children. Must be that hide and seek element. Enjoy your time. Keenan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithfazzani Posted 4 April , 2017 Share Posted 4 April , 2017 There is the Little Train of the Upper Somme details here http://www.somme-battlefields.com/memory-place/little-train-upper-somme Kids never fail to like trains and train rides Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mva Posted 5 April , 2017 Share Posted 5 April , 2017 10 hours ago, keithfazzani said: There is the Little Train of the Upper Somme details here http://www.somme-battlefields.com/memory-place/little-train-upper-somme Kids never fail to like trains and train rides we had the same idea, http://www.appeva.org/ is that "little train" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psjones Posted 5 April , 2017 Share Posted 5 April , 2017 maybe take a Great War colouring book or look for some ideas in education packs to keep them occupied? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 5 April , 2017 Share Posted 5 April , 2017 I can't help with activities, but I wondered whether the older one would enjoy the delightful and sensitive Flo of the Somme ? Hilary Robinson has a couple of other Great War related books, available on Amazon. You might find your journey takes you past some of the real places mentioned and you might be able to imagine (or even re-enact) the events if you go somewhere safe to do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mva Posted 5 April , 2017 Share Posted 5 April , 2017 54 minutes ago, Dragon said: I can't help with activities, but I wondered whether the older one would enjoy the delightful and sensitive Flo of the Somme ? Hilary Robinson has a couple of other Great War related books, available on Amazon. You might find your journey takes you past some of the real places mentioned and you might be able to imagine (or even re-enact) the events if you go somewhere safe to do so. very good suggestion, Dragon ! Horses suffered, but dogs too ... kind regards from the Somme, martine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjohn Posted 5 April , 2017 Share Posted 5 April , 2017 There was a thread some time ago about this. A word of warning there is/was in the museum in Albert , a reconstruction of a trench with very loud sound effects. It scared a ten year old that was with me I wouldn't recommend it for small ones. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psjones Posted 5 April , 2017 Share Posted 5 April , 2017 (edited) 4 hours ago, bigjohn said: There was a thread some time ago about this. A word of warning there is/was in the museum in Albert , a reconstruction of a trench with very loud sound effects. It scared a ten year old that was with me I wouldn't recommend it for small ones. John Took my 4 year old into the tank museum last year, forgetting her dislike of mannequins. The first room of the WW1 section had her a jabbering wreck (Its talking daddy! i dont like it!) and we came out the way we went in. to top it off my 2 year old then came down with flu in the space of about an hour and we had to make an early exit. Edited 5 April , 2017 by Psjones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timsanders Posted 7 April , 2017 Author Share Posted 7 April , 2017 On 04/04/2017 at 19:36, mills-bomb said: My honest opinion . . you would be setting yourself up for failure. they are too young to remotely interested in the the subject matter. you will need to try to find some sort of compromise. there is a good museum in Peronne, which has displays which may distract them long enough for you to look at what you want to. also, there is a good restaurant on site, and it is next to good riverside walks. Albert also has a good museum, along side a park where they can let off steam, the cafes & shopping aint bad either. good luck Thanks! The primary reason for going to France was a good cheap break out in the country, which just happened to be on the Somme! It was only once we'd booked the accom that we remembered Northern France has so little activities for children, we'll make our own fun though, even a trip to the supermarket is an adventure when you're abroad! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timsanders Posted 7 April , 2017 Author Share Posted 7 April , 2017 On 04/04/2017 at 21:02, mva said: hello from the Somme ! are you staying at the chateau in Omiécourt ? I totally agree with mills-bomb, Péronne and/or Albert would be the maximum for so young children, for one actually, the 2 yo will sleep anyway !!! Not WW1, but interesting for children, not far away from O. : http://www.appeva.org/ Do feel free to contact me, I live 20 km from O. (& am interested in WW1 !) kind regards, martine Hello Martine! Thanks so much for the link, will def look at paying this a visit. They're well behaved kids and used to us dragging them around galleries etc. but I'm not sure their interest in GW has developed just yet, it'll be a game of distraction! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timsanders Posted 7 April , 2017 Author Share Posted 7 April , 2017 On 04/04/2017 at 21:11, 17107BM said: Hello Pal. I noted on a couple of trips, young children's fascination with tunnels. Arras, at the Wellington tunnels and of course Vimy Ridge. Seem to have a draw for children. Must be that hide and seek element. Enjoy your time. Keenan. Hello Keenan Tunnels - great idea, thanks! On 04/04/2017 at 21:29, keithfazzani said: There is the Little Train of the Upper Somme details here http://www.somme-battlefields.com/memory-place/little-train-upper-somme Kids never fail to like trains and train rides Thank you! On 05/04/2017 at 10:33, Psjones said: maybe take a Great War colouring book or look for some ideas in education packs to keep them occupied? On 05/04/2017 at 18:03, bigjohn said: There was a thread some time ago about this. A word of warning there is/was in the museum in Albert , a reconstruction of a trench with very loud sound effects. It scared a ten year old that was with me I wouldn't recommend it for small ones. John Thanks both Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bardess Posted 7 April , 2017 Share Posted 7 April , 2017 I would possibly take screen shots of buildings/memorials en route to a specific location and encourage your children to 'spot' them and, maybe, turn it into a journal of sorts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mva Posted 7 April , 2017 Share Posted 7 April , 2017 just this : my parents took me to div. places, France & abroad, when I was 7 or 8 - and not related to wars I don't remember anything ! May I give an advice : let the older one speak to (& play with) same adged French kids : you could be astonished what they understood after a few hours ... kind regards from the Somme, martine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angelab Posted 7 May , 2017 Share Posted 7 May , 2017 (edited) That noisy battlefield bit at the end of the Albert museum visit is VERY scary. You can't avoid it, as it is the way to the exit/gift shop. So if one parent is absolutely keen on that, perhaps the other parent should take the children to Albert railway station to admire the real aeroplane that hangs in the booking hall. Most small towns and villages have a free playground, with climbing frames etc, so try and engineer a break at one of those occasionally. i am just thinking of an "animals" theme, perhaps, but can only come up so far with the various Canadian memorials such as Newfoundland Park that involve caribou monuments, and a poignant statue in, I think, Chipilly, of a soldier embracing his dying horse. EDIT This is a really funny place, http://musee-eia.com/presentation.asp a collection of old aircraft, haphazardly arranged, so you find an old Caravelle just sticking out behind a hedge etc. You can go on board one or two. Open Saturdays; closed lunchtime. And I meant to say that the little train, suggested above, is good fun; just hang onto the 2-y-o, as I seem to remember there are no doors to the little carriages, just a chain. Edited 7 May , 2017 by angelab Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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