Natural History Museum
by Daisy Turner (9 years)
I went for a sleepover with my Brownie pack. We got a space in the main hall by the tail of the big dinosaur. Once we had sorted our stuff out we did some fun workshops. First we painted some shells with blue clay; then we learnt about maggots and put our hands into a big bowl of them – YUCK! Then there was a dinosaur hunt only lit by our
torches. We had to find clues and work out the name of a dinosaur. Finally we all went to bed, after midnight! It felt really special to be sleeping with the dinosaurs. Dino Snores at the Natural History Museum. Remaining sleep- overs this year: 15 Oct, 13 Nov, 11 Dec. Ages 8–11, group size: min 5 children, 1 adult, £45 per person. Tel 020 7942 5792  nhm.ac.uk

The Golden Hinde
by Allegra Levine (9 years)
My mum organised for 31 of us and 6 parents to do a sleepover on the Golden Hinde (a replica of the ship in which Sir Francis Drake sailed round the world in 1580). We found out what it must have been like on board. For starters, they would have bumped their heads a lot, as we did, espe- cially where we slept on the floor in amongst the cannons. We managed to get to sleep by 11pm but we woke up very early! We were divided into three groups: officers, barber- surgeons and gunners. We learnt about what each did, for instance what happened if they needed a leg amputated, and how they got punished. The actors were all very funny. All the Night Living History £39.95 per person (min 20) Tel 020 7403 0123 goldenhinde.com

MORE MUSEUM SLEEPOVERS

Science Museum Sleepovers for 2010 sold out; tickets for Jan–Jun ‘11 released 6 Oct. Ages 8–11, min 5 children, 1 adult, £35 per person.
2 7942 4777 c sciencemuseum.org.uk The British Museum Available to Young Friends. Next available dates: 20/21 Nov and 11/12 Dec. Ages 8–15, max 5 tickets per Young Friend (incl parent). £27.50 per person. (Membership £20/year.)
Tel 020  7323 8195  britishmuseum.org