"Dinosnores"



With the school minibus packed we set off to the Natural History Museum to stay the night for an event known as 'Dinosnores'.

Four members of staff and fifteen children arrived in London from Herne Bay in Kent around 3 pm on a sunny Saturday afternoon.  The minibus safely parked in a 'very' expensive London car park close to the museum we nipped into the Science Museum for a quick wander round before the doors opened at the Natural Museum at 18.45 for our overnight stay.

The queues getting into the museum surprised us. Over 500 people took part, families, parties, schools.  It was all very organised. We were to be known as the Red Tyrannasorus Rex group and this felt like a promising start. The museum, as well as architecturally being imposing and grand, houses an extensive and interesting collection.

We were shown our 'accommodation' for the night which was essentially a wooden floor and a red yoga mat. The children appeared thrilled with this. The adults less so. We were however sleeping under the skeleton of a large dinosaur which certainly added a slight 'frisson' to the evening.

Lots of different activities followed. A trip to space, dinosaur T shirt making and exploration of the museum. As night fell, the excitement rose and tiredness did not appear to overtake anyone other than the teachers. 

Preparations for bed included a lot of teeth brushing and not much else. Lights off at midnight and hush fell. The snore in Dinosnore was all too true. With so many people sleeping in the museum there was certainly enough snoring to bring the dinosaurs back from extinction.

After a difficult night on a hard floor, dawn broke with shards of lights coming in from the glass ceiling above our heads, bringing to life the skeletons and stuffed animals in glass cabinets surrounding us. 

Breakfast was supplied by the museum and a talk from the animal man kept tired children's attention well. By 9 am it was all over and a bleary eyed set of children and teachers made their way back to Herne Bay both enriched and stimulated with a feeling that they had just taken part in something rather special.

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