A curious weekend in Bristol – Being Brunel exhibition with kids
It’s no secret that travel is an education – but you don’t even need to leave the country for a trip that answers questions you’d never thought of asking before. Or so I discovered on a weekend in Bristol.
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It’s a city I once lived in, several aeons ago, working in my first proper job after university. While it was already a great place to make my home, Bristol’s regeneration and general cool makeover only really happened after I left and I’ve always wanted to go back to see how much it has changed.
Last weekend, I finally managed, heading back for the opening of new museum Being Brunel at SS Great Britain – so with the constant refrain of when I was younger, when I lived here, running through our two days, I added who, what, where, why and how to make our theme one of curiosity.
For more things to do in Bristol with kids, check out my top picks
Who?
That’s the question at the heart of the new exhibition about Isambard Kingdom Brunel – who was the man behind the visionary engineer? And if you think visiting the Being Brunel exhibition with kids is going to be a dry serious business, focused on scientific principles and endless figures, you’d be wrong.
With six galleries and 150 exhibits, the collection illustrates not just what Brunel achieved (let’s start with the Clifton suspension bridge, Thames tunnel, Great Western Railway, the move away from paddles to propellers and towards unified time across the country) but who he was.
A chain-smoking workaholic whose cigar case held 48 cigars, enough for one 20-hour day. An insecure doubter, supported loyally by his father, forever aware of his short height – at 5ft, there’s a reason he’s never seen without his 8in stovepipe hat.
A dedicated designer, prepared to be swung across the Avon Gorge in a basket (rather him than me) as part of the project to build the famous bridge. An exacting boss, calling his assistant “a cursed, lazy, inattentive, apathetic vagabond”.
An artist, capturing snapshots of life in pencil sketches. A diarist whose handwriting practically needs a code breaker.
As well as lots of chances to get hands on, from a replica of his office to a Top Trumps style game themed around his big projects, the heart of the attraction is a giant 8m high model of his head – which you can step into, watching a video to see the world through Brunel’s eyes. Minnie declined…
Then next door, the SS Great Britain herself, with the history of the boat, a chance to dress up in Victorian costume (bonnets are not me…), as well as being able to go down to hull level, venture through the cabins, and head up to the main deck – or even up to the rigging if you fancy.
I did, but as you have to be aged 10, Minnie’s presence meant I had to decline.
How?
The colours and intricacy of street art are something I love – and as home to Banksy, Bristol is a great place to spot plenty. You can take street art tours as well as ambling round spying one or two creations while you wander, as we did in Stokes Croft.
But the question we had answered is… how do you create some of this street art? And how hard is it anyway? With stencils, as Where The Wall’s Stencil Art Spray Sessions showed us. And there’s definitely more to the technique than just pointing your spray can and hoping for the best.
With special mini size cans for smaller hands – Minnie was not the only small artist enthusiastically spraying away alongside more practised stencillers – we had a hummingbird design to test out our new-found skill with the water-based paints, and windscreen washer hand movements.
I’d mostly hoped for a fun hour indulging her love of art. But we came away with a creation that is very definitely going on our wall.
Where?
If you’re staying in a city as individual and fun as Bristol, you don’t want to check in to a soulless chain hotel, right? Not when you could sleep in an Airstream caravan on the roof of a hotel, anyway.
At Brooks Guesthouse, there are four ‘Rockets on the Roof’ perched on top of the 23-room guesthouse (with lovely and rather more standard hotel rooms inside if you prefer).
Checking in to Rocket 1 (best name ever to give at breakfast), we had one of the 20ft models with a small double bed tucked into one corner, and two sofa benches which can convert into kids beds. Plus a proper shower!
It’s all rather cunningly designed, and especially with two of us, it never really felt cramped (although I did discover that one switch operates all the lights except the reading lights over the bed). There are more plug sockets close to the bed than I’ve encountered in some traditional hotels too.
It’s worth knowing that while there are curtains on the windows, there’s also a skylight above the bed – and on what felt like the first sunny day of the year, as the clocks went forward for spring, we did get the light pouring in early on.
With a five-year-old next to me, I had already been woken up twice. Otherwise, pack a sleep mask!
Downstairs, there’s a great breakfast including smashed avocado on sourdough – mine came sprinkled with pomegranate seeds – as well as an honesty bar. Opposite St Nicholas Market, you’re in the heart of the city, and easy walking distance to the waterfront, but we weren’t particularly bothered by late-night noise either.
Why?
Anyone who’s ever had a child has had to field an apparently neverending series of ‘Whys?’ Aged five, Minnie’s questions are more specific now (‘What’s an interesting fact about emperor penguins?’ ‘How long will the sun last?’ ‘What noise do hamsters make?’) but I love her endless curiosity.
Well, as long as she waits until after I’ve had one cup of coffee.
So We The Curious seemed designed for her. Bristol’s science museum and planetarium (formerly AtBristol), everything is designed to get you questioning, experimenting, being hands on. There’s something hugely fun about playing with valves, levers, switches and pumps plus electricity, water and air (not all together) and seeing the results.
Meanwhile the opportunity to map out your perfect day made me realise just how hard it is, as an adult, to divorce yourself from a 24-hour clock.
There was the chance to put organs back in the human body (tricky), tests of your reaction time, information about DNA and the way we rely on appearance and stereotypes to make decisions, plus an opportunity to read the weather.
Presented with a room that messes with your perceptions, all slanted floors and optical illusions, I almost had to have an unexpected sit down, while Minnie merrily rolled a ball apparently uphill.
When we arrived at about 11.30, we discovered the next Planetarium showing suitable for under sixes (a 2D rather than 3D version) was at 2pm. I ummed and aaaahed about whether we would stay that long, or whether we’d be exploring more of Bristol by then.
How wrong can you be? At 3pm, having only properly explored one of the two floors, I all but dragged a reluctant Minnie out, in the knowledge that we hadn’t had lunch and had to get our bags back to the car for the drive home in time for school.
She’s already asked to go back (We did).
What else…
Our weekend kept us mostly around the waterfront, and even then we could have packed more in with more time.
Given the chance, I’d have loved to wander through Clifton with its quirky shops, that beautiful bridge and brightly coloured houses – plus the zoo (now closed and merged with the Wild Place Project to form the Bristol Zoo Project).
There’s more street art to be found around North Street, as well as Stokes Croft, plus art, architecture, food and markets – and the social history museum M Shed or a chance to cruise around the harbour with Bristol Ferry Boats, both of which were on my list.
But as this was my daughter’s weekend as well as my own, we managed to fit in two of her favourite things – the Bristol aquarium and a double scoop cone (chocolate and mango) at Swoon Gelato. Not to forget fantastic pizza (aubergine and ewe’s curd for me) at the Pi Shop on the waterfront [EDIT: now closed].
Which only leaves one question. When are you going to visit?
For more ideas of great UK days out with kids, check out my pick of our favourites, as well as the best things to do in Bath with kids nearby
PIN FOR LATER: BEING BRUNEL EXHIBITION WITH KIDS
Disclosure: My weekend in Bristol, including my stay at Brooks Guesthouse, entry tickets, ice cream and pizza, was courtesy of Visit Bristol and the individual attractions. All opinions and memories of Bristol in the olden days are my own.
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What do you mean? Bonnets are SO you 😉
This looks such an uber cool weekend you had! I really don’t know Bristol well at all – but this has made me realise I need to visit – if only to check into Rocket 1!
Definitely beats the stovepipe on me! 😉 And get your name down for the Rocket once you’re back in the UK…
This is such a good read, my 6 year old would absolutely love the Brunel exhibition. I’m almost tempted to pay a visit to Bristol when we’re camping in Somerset at May half term just to take him there!
Thanks! I was really impressed by the exhibition – my daughter (not quite six) loved it but there was lots to interest adults as well, really well pitched. I’d definitely recommend a day in the city in May if you can.
I’m so glad I found your blog, will be following!
Thank you! Hope you find more posts you like.
I love the way you’ve done this post! Very creative! My kids both love to visit museums and this looks like it would be right up their street. Isambard Kingdom Brunel sounds like quite a character.. as a fellow 5 footer I may have to steal his giant top hat idea!
Thank you! And he certainly was – I did try a stovepipe hat on too, and the extra height was tempting…
You do yourself down, Cathy. You look very fetching in a bonnet! Another thing that looks good is the pizza. I could certainly have some of that. I studied for my undergraduate degree in Bristol, and I’m always surprised when we go back to visit friends. It always seems so much….cleaner! And it’s interesting to see which bits have grown and flourished. The waterfront area’s really transformed since my days there.
Why thank you! Was rather fun trying one out. And yes, the waterfront is unrecognisable from when I lived there – could imagine spending a lot of time around that area (especially for the pizza…)
Looking forward to visiting the Being Brunel exhibition over the hols!
Hope you enjoy! I thought they had a great mix for kids, really interactive but loads to discover for adults as well
I have visited Bristol before, but you’ve made me realise that there is still so much to see with the kids. The ‘We are curious’ museum sounds right up our street and is somewhere I think my children would love
I suspect we could have spent most of our weekend in We The Curious alone – my daughter certainly could.
I do love Bristol. Will have to return. Love the factoids about Brunel, the cigars and ‘wee man’ syndrome. The ‘curious’ centre sounds like it worked brilliantly, v Alice in wonderland.
#citytripping
It was fascinating to learn a bit more about him, I realised he was something of a 2D figure from my history lessons – and very easy to fall down the rabbit hole of We The Curious
What a great weekend in my home city. My girls love the We the Curious science centre it’s great for all ages. Funnily enough I had just been looking at the stencil art session and wondering what it was like, I think mine may be old enough to have a go at that. It’s always great to get suggestions for new things to do in your own city and it’s also lovely to visit somewhere you haven’t lived for a while. You always see a different side to somewhere when you go with kids – ice cream beats cocktails! Thanks for hosting #CityTripping
I can imagine we’d visit We The Curious a LOT if we lived nearby – and definitely check out the stencil art, it was so much fun (and I think for ages 5/6 up)
What a strange weekend you had indeed! I would love to stay in an airstream caravan! And painting by stencils looks fun, but hopefully not just for kiddies haha! Pinned! #CityTripping
Definitely not just for kids – there were probably four or five under 10s, a couple of teens and everyone else distinctly grown up. The great thing was that you could adapt it with different designs or use the smaller cans for kids.
Bristol certainly is a great city. The Brunel exhibition looks great. There is a new Wallace & Grommit statue hunt planned for this summer too! Wilbur #citytripping.
That sounds the perfect excuse to go back again
Looks fantastic – we spent 24 hours in Bristol a few years ago and fell in love with the city! Would really love to plan another trip and I’m sure my kids would love the Brunel exhibition too – I’ll keep this in mind thank you.
It’s such a fun city, our weekend was packed and there was a lot more I’d have loved to have done.
great look for you:) #citytripping
Haha, thanks! 🙂
We used to love visiting Bristol – there is a seriously good travel book shop there! I love history and learning new stuff so I am going to tell my husband all about Brunel’s tobacco addiction and short stature!!! #citytripping
Oh I shall have to add that to my list, I love a travel bookshop – and definitely a great exhibition for adults as well as kids
Ladybug would love We the Curious. She is also reaching the age where she asks endless questions about everything. #citytripping
It’s perfect for that, questions very much encouraged.
Loving your Airstream digs!! #citytripping
They were so cool!
I am such a sucker for science museums, I would love to visit.
#CityTripping
They are so great for getting you thinking
Love the bonnet look! We loved our visit to SS Great Britain and Being Brunel. One of the best days out in the UK we’ve had for a while. So well done and very interactive for kids. We will definitely return during the summer #CityTripping
Thanks! It’s a look, for sure – and SS Great Britain and Being Brunel were brilliant, we could happily have spent all day I think.
Bristol is a favourite city of mine! I really love that colourful wall too #citytripping
It’s such a fun place – really vibrant
I’ve never been to Bristol, but I’ve heard great things! I’ll definitely have to check it out sometime soon. I loved your description of Brunel, very informative and witty! How could anyone smoke that much in one day?! Wow. And the spray painting looks like so much fun, especially for little ones! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂 #CityTripping
Thanks! I know – I can hardly imagine how anyone physically gets through so many cigars. The spray painting was fantastic, would have loved to do more than help my daughter.
I have 5 very active kids, and so interactive and hands-on style museums are the best! I am from so far away in Australia, and we are currently in Guatemala, but I have dreams of taking my crazy bunch over to the UK and we will definitely be visiting Bristol now! Thank you for all the fun information and inspiration 🙂 #CityTripping
It’s amazing how much museums have changed since I remember these dull dusty places as a kid – Bristol is a great place for families too (although I’d take Guatemala as well!)
I always forget how great Bristol is, and I love the idea of staying in an Airstream. #citytripping
It was a really cool place, and a great location
I enjoyed reading about your weekend in Bristol. My son would love that science museum and the stencil art workshop! #CityTripping
Thanks! They were both really fun – perfect for kids.
This looks like such a fun getaway, and I love the strencil painting, and street art. I’d love to visit Bristol and seek out some Banksy pieces! #citytripping
Bristol should definitely be on your list – one of the big UK street art centres, especially getting to have a play yourself.
It’s a city that definitely hadn’t changed the last time I visited, I really really want to go back soon. Plus Mr R went to Brunel University, so I guess we should visit really 🙂 #citytripping
I think so! Whether it seems different or not, I found so much to do there.
I am an Isambard fan girl and NEED to go to Bristol now!
You do! Everything you ever wanted to know and then some
So pleased you had such a great time in Bristol! Being a local I’m definitely biased, so loved reading your thoughts on all the different attractions – really interesting to see what visitors think! Haven’t done the Being Brunel exhibition with kids yet, but it’s defiitrly on my list! #citytripping
It was so fun to go back after such a long time – so many changes, especially down by the waterfront. And I was really impressed by Being Brunel, we could have spent a lot longer there and at SS Great Britain with more time to spare.