Virtual Children’s Christmas Fair: Arts and Crafts Hammersmith

Arts and Crafts Hammersmith (a collaboration between Emery Walker’s House and the William Morris Society) will show you how to make angel peg dolls based on William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones angel illustrations, tapestries and embroideries.

To complete the activity, you will need: a wooden peg, a sheet of kitchen roll, a glue stick, a pair of scissors, felt tip pens, biro pen or pencil, a helpful adult, printed worksheet

You can download the worksheet here and watch the video below:

 

Virtual Children’s Christmas Fair: Benjamin Franklin House

Have you every wondered how Benjamin Franklin might have celebrated Christmas, while he was living in London at 36 Craven Street? Join our Education Manager for this live session and learn all about Georgian Christmas traditions. You’ll also find out how you can make your own simple festive wreath at home!

To complete the activity, you will need: 1 paper plate, wrapping paper, scissors, PVA glue (or tape), ribbon or string, stickers and other decorations

Watch the recording below:

Virtual Children’s Christmas Fair: John Wesley’s House

John Wesley’s House is an 18th century townhouse, where John Wesley, one of the main founders of the Methodist Church, lived from 1779 – 1791.

Christmas at the House is a special time, when we’d usually decorate the House and welcome visitors to experience the sights, sounds and smells of a traditional Christmas. This year we are delighted to be joining in with Benjamin Franklin House’s Children’s Christmas Fair to share some of this with you virtually!

Join Gemma, Learning and Community Engagement Officer at John Wesley’s House to explore a little of the building’s history and learn how to make your own personalised Christmas Angel.

To complete the activity, you will need: 1 paper plate, paper, decorative paper (optional) scissors, tape, felt tip pens

Watch the recording below:

Virtual Children’s Christmas Fair: Newington Green Meeting House

For over 300 years people have gathered at Newington Green Meeting House to ask questions, work together and learn more about the world. Inspired by the many scientists that have called Newington Green Meeting House home – we are going to conduct our own festive science experiment. Amy Todd, Community and Learning Manger at Newington Green Meeting House, will show you how by manipulating how materials react with eachother – and with the help of some paint and glitter – you’ll be able to make your own mini snow storm in a jar!

To complete the activity, you will need: a glass jar, white paint, alka seltzer, glitter

Watch the recording below:

Virtual Children’s Christmas Fair

We’ve teamed up with friends from across the heritage world to bring a range of fun festive craft ideas to you this December! Follow the links below:

Click here to find out about Georgian Christmas traditions and learn how to make a festive wreath with Benjamin Franklin House

Click here to make a personalised paper plate angel with John Wesley’s House

Click here to make a snowstorm in a jar with Newington Green Meeting House

Click here to make an angel peg doll with Arts and Crafts Hammersmith (a collaboration between Emery Walker’s House and the William Morris Society)

Click here to make a paper crane using origami with Leighton House Museum

Franklin’s Young Inventors: Special Guest

Saturday 5 December, 11.30am GMT. Register here for this 30-minute virtual class.

Franklin’s Young Inventors is our weekly science club for aspiring scientists in Key Stage 3 (ages 11-14). This autumn we are delivering our science club virtually via Zoom on Tuesdays at 4.30pm GMT or Saturdays at 11.30am GMT. Participants will learn all about the experiments carried out by Benjamin Franklin and his British friends as well as trying their hand at practical investigations. This week we’re delighted to welcome a very special guest, Hamid the Supersonic Science Professor, who will deliver his amazing Bubble Science show!

The Bubble Science show has been thrilling audiences around the country for five years with the art, magic, science and fun of bubbles. Hamid has performed to thousands of people from children to OAPs from, Rocket bublles, Helium bubbles, Volcano bubbles, Tornado bubbles to Foggy bubbles, and even Cube bubbles – Bubble Science is a show to enchant adults and children alike with Hamid’s unique blend of skill and humour.

With infectious enthusiasm, Hamid explains some enchanting facts about bubbles, bringing science to life and into the realm of fun. As well as exploring the dynamics of bubbles, Hamid invokes much laugter and gasps of amazement from all ages.

This wonderous show combines breath-taking artistry, surprising science and enough spellbinding bubble tricks to keep all ages spellbound.

Most suitable for Years 7-9 (US Grades 6-8) but all ages welcome!

For more information, contact our Education Manager.

Funding for Franklin’s Young Inventors has generously been provided by the United States Government.

Thanksgiving Quiz

Tuesday, November 24 2020, 6pm GMT/1pm EST

Join us for a fun virtual America-themed quiz for Thanksgiving!  Enter as an individual or a team. Winners will receive exclusive Benjamin Franklin House treats.  All proceeds will go toward advancing our mission to bring history and innovation to life at the only surviving Franklin home.

£5 entry – Buy your tickets here 

 

Virtual Family Day: Halloween at Benjamin Franklin House

Please note this is a past event. View upcoming events here

Join our virtual family day this half term to learn about the history of Halloween, hear a spooky tale and find out how to make some ghoulishly good decorations.

Suitable for children aged 5-11

E-mail education@benjaminfranklinhouse.org for more information

Ben’s Book Club: ‘Christmas Traditions’ by George Goodwin

Wednesday December 9th 2020, 5pm BST/12pm EDT. Register here.

Join us for the December instalment of Ben’s Book Club, a monthly virtual gathering looking at themes relating to Benjamin Franklin, the 18th century, and American history.

This month we will be taking a festive break by talking to George Goodwin, our Author in Residence, about his book Christmas Traditions, an entertaining and enlightening guide to the sacred and secular traditions of Christmas, with many of the latter being 19th-century Anglo-American creations that owe much to Washington Irving and Charles Dickens.

When first experienced in childhood, Christmas seems all of a piece and to have a wondrously timeless quality, as its different aspects blend snugly together. With a collection of charming facts, quotations and anecdotes, George considers the history of the season’s most important festive elements. Beautifully illustrated with images from the British Library’s own vast collections, Christmas Traditions rekindles the memories that are an essential part of the magical nature of Christmastime.

George Goodwin is Honorary Author in Residence at Benjamin Franklin House in London, a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a Makin Fellow at the British Library’s Eccles Centre for American Studies, who sponsor his Christmas talks. As well as being the author of Christmas Traditions (2019), George has written three highly-acclaimed historical studies which include Benjamin Franklin in London: The British Life of America’s Founding Father.

Christmas Traditions is published by the British Library and most of its illustrations come from the BL’s own magnificent collections. It is available here and here and through all good bookshops.

Join us even if you don’t have a chance to read the book by the event date!

This event is free of charge but please consider making an online donation here to support the work of Benjamin Franklin House.

US Presidential Debate 2020

US Presidential Debate with representatives from Republicans Overseas and Democrats Abroad and moderator, veteran pollster, Sir Robert Worcester   

In association with the Eccles Centre for American Studies at the British Library

 

 

Please note this is a past event. View upcoming events and all past virtual talks here. 

Just weeks away, the contentious 2020 US presidential election between incumbent Donald Trump and challenger Joe Biden is set against deeply divided ideological lines and a global pandemic.  Veteran pollster, Sir Robert Worcester, will ask Greg Swenson, representing Republicans Overseas and Bill Barnard, representing Democrats Abroad why each believes their candidate is best placed to lead the United States over the next four years.

Sir Robert Worcester is the founder of opinion research firm, MORI. He spearheaded the 800th Anniversary Commemoration of the Magna Carta and is a governor of the Ditchley Foundation. He is Chairman of the Emeritus Governors and Honorary Fellow, LSE; Visiting Professor and Fellow, King’s College London; Honorary Professor, Warwick and Kent (former Chancellor); Adjunct Professor, University of Kansas; Deputy Chairman, Magna Carta Trust; Vice President, former Chairman, Pilgrim Society; Vice President, International Social Science Council/UNESCO, United Nations Association, European Atlantic Group; Governor, English-Speaking Union; past Member, Fulbright.

Greg Swenson is a member of Republicans Overseas and a founding partner of Brigg Macadam Ltd, an emerging market investment banking firm in London. He has over twenty years of banking, alternative investments, and global markets experience.  He spent his first eleven years in the industry at Lehman Brothers, holding several positions in the fixed income area from 1992 to 2003. Greg holds an undergraduate degree from Boston College and MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management of Northwestern University and is a frequent business and political commentator on BBC, CNBC, CNN, Fox News and other media platforms.

Bill Barnard is university professor and author of Dixiecrats and Democrats. Former Chair of Democrats Abroad UK, and former international Treasurer of Democrats Abroad, the official arm of the Democratic Party of the United States. He attended five Democratic conventions (two as a member of his state delegation and three as a political analyst and commentator for state-wide public television) and two Republican conventions as an analyst and commentator.  Bill says he was a Democrat by inheritance, passing out flyers for Adlai Stevenson in 1952 and “a Democrat by persuasion by 1960,” campaigning for John F. Kennedy in the deep south at the age of 18.