We had a fabulous day at the National Museum of Country life today.
We spent most of our time learning about and examining ordinary objects made by people using the materials that they had to hand at the time; mostly straw, willow (sally) and heather.
All sorts of household, farming and fishing items were made using these materials:
Household
- Baskets
- Chairs
- Stools
- Mattresses
- Hats
Farming & Fishing
- Horse collars
- Hen nests
- Cleaves
- Rope
We got to look closely at thatching. We noticed when we looked at the 1901 & 1911 census records for our area in class recently that every house in our community was thatched except for one!
Straw is naturally water resistant and is a fantastic natural insulator.
Finally, we briefly explored the sections “Hearth & Home”, “Trades”, “Farming & Fishing” and “Life in the Community”.
We found the school section particularly interesting. School life was very different from today.
The objects used in school have changed a lot. We don’t use ink wells, quills or slates and we don’t learn the catechism….and our teacher doesn’t use the strap!
Being able to see and handle historical artefacts makes for very engaging and memorable history lessons. We’re very lucky to have such a wonderful facility so close to us.
Craggagh NS 
Looks like you had a great field trip!
Those baskets are huge!
We have a museum that teaches about life in the olden days of Florida. It’s called Cracker Country. Florida Cowboys were called crackers because of the whips they cracked to the ground to round up cattle. We will send photos when we send you your care package. Thanks for Skyping with us today!