Ahoy maties! Our Cutty Sark adventure took place on a beautifully sunny day in Greenwich over the October half term. The boys attracted lots of attention in their almost matching Tootsa MacGinty tops (scroll down for more about the brand).
Cutty Sark is one of the world’s most famous ships and was once the fastest vessel on the high seas. Reopened to the public in 2012, the 19th century tea clipper is in amazing condition and exploring above and below deck (including right underneath the ship) offers a fantastic family day out.
The babes were invited on board to try out Captain Woodget’s Apprentice, an app developed by augmented reality tech company Gamar to help 21st century kids interact with the historic clipper.
The game lets little ones become part of the Cutty Sark’s crew, simply by holding a tablet or smartphone near an object on the main deck and seeing it magically pop up on screen. Using the app, Ezra and Jed were able to feed the ship’s chickens, make the bell go ding and even steer the ship (all virtually, thank goodness)!
There were a couple of technical issues when the app didn’t work so smoothly, much to the boys’ frustration. But they persevered (with assistance from the friendly and passionate Gamar team) and soon were wandering about the ship, immersed in the app’s activities and taking selfies that appeared inside the game itself.
Ezra’s view: “The game was really fun. I especially liked catching the monkeys. And the chickens were funny!”
Jed’s view: “Can I play again mum?”
It might seem strange taking your kids to a cultural activity only for their heads to be buried in a screen. But actually the game is designed so that children have to pay more attention to their surroundings, making it a clever way to bring historic sites to life.
Gamar has created similar apps for the British Museum and the National Maritime Museum and we look forward to trying those out in the near future.
After Jed finally let go of the Gamar iPad, we had a proper look all around the Cutty Sark, including the fascinating displays on the lower decks. As someone who loves her daily cuppa, I especially enjoyed the quotes about tea inscribed on the floor.
Tootsa MacGinty
I thought our day out on the Cutty Sark would be a perfect time for the babes to model gifted outfits from cool and colourful kids brand Tootsa MacGinty (doesn’t it sound like a sailor or pirate?).
Tootsa Macginty makes ethical, unisex clothing and accessories for children ages 0-8 and their signature tops feature cheeky animals that transform at the slide of a zip. Eat your heart out Mick Jagger!
Tootsa MacGinty sent these along with their popular Day of the Dead sugar skull top for Ezra and a smart pair of jeans for Jed, with a sweet little bear that peeps out of the back pocket.
These clothes are made for kids who like to stand out in a crowd, and I especially love how playful and durable they are for super active babes about town!
Cutty Sark is open daily at King William Walk, Greenwich SE10 9HT. Tel: +44 (0)20 8858 4422 (Cutty Sark DLR/Greenwich rail). Entrance charges apply.
Gamar’s range of interactive apps for Cutty Sark and other venues are available on iPhone and Android. Visit www.gamar.com
Shop the range online at tootsamacginty.com
What a great thing to do during school holidays. Love the pictures of J and E, so cool as always. Need to take Isabelle, she would love it!
I think my daughter would LOVE to try out that app! We haven’t been on the Cutty Sark yet, though I’ve been meaning to take her for ages.
Really love how awesome your Babes look in their Tootsa Macginty outfits. What a fantastic name for a brand too!
Lovely review xx
Aww thanks so much Tinuke, I love those outfits too. Cutty Sark is so much fun, I recommend and we plan to go back and explore Greenwich further x