Illustration showing Queen Victoria and Prince Albert at Osborne

The Kids Rule! Guide to The Victorians

Welcome to the Kids Rule! guide to the Victorians, where you can learn about England’s history, discover more about our sites and find loads of fun things to watch, read and do! Here's what we've got in store for you:

Young children reading a copy of The Kids Rule! Guide to Victorian England

THE KIDS RULE! GUIDE TO THE VICTORIANS

Read Kids Rule! magazine online to learn about the Victorians, including the story of Queen Victoria’s holiday home on the Isle of Wight, the experiments famous biologist Charles Darwin did in his garden and what would have been included in a Victorian feast. Plus, we’ve also got a quiz to help you discover if you could have made it as an apprentice gardener.

This is the tenth in our series of Kids Rule! magazines following the history of England. Each issue is designed to help you discover more about our properties through fun facts, illustrated stories and games.

Read The Magazine

Who was Charles Darwin?

Who was Charles Darwin? | History in a Nutshell

You know the name, but who exactly was Charles Darwin? Join us on a whistle-stop tour of Darwin’s life and legacy, from his epic voyage across the globe to the home-grown experiments in his back garden at Down House.
HISTORY AT HOME LIVE! – CHARLES DARWIN AND DOWN HOUSE

Watch TV's Ben Shires and expert guest Antony O'Rourke in this video history lesson. Learn about Charles Darwin and his home of four decades, Down House, where he worked on many of his experiments and ground-breaking theories.

Mrs Crocombe with young English Heritage Members in Victorian period costume

INTERVIEW WITH MRS CROCOMBE

We sent young English Heritage Members Ollie and Jack to Audley End House and Gardens to meet Mrs Avis Crocombe, who was the cook at the house in the 1880s.

Find out about life in the kitchen at Audley End, how many people Mrs Crocombe had to help her prepare the meals, and just how the food made it from the kitchen to the dining room. She also shares the secrets to preparing a delicious custard pudding!

Watch the video

Things to make and do: get creative with our Victorian themed activities

Colour your own Victorian city

Download the colouring sheet, and use pencils, pens or paints to bring this bust industrial scene to life in your own way!

Download your colouring sheet

BAKE YOUR OWN DELICIOUS QUEEN DROP BISCUITS

Bake some queen drop biscuits, using instructions from a handwritten recipe in Mrs Crocombe’s very own book. Download the recipe, and ask an adult to help you to make the biscuits.
DESIGN A BIRTHDAY CARD FOR QUEEN VICTORIA

Discover how Queen Victoria liked to celebrate her birthday as well as the history of birthday cards, then use this as inspiration to design a card fit for a queen!
QUEEN VICTORIA AND PRINCE ALBERT DRESS-UP KIT

Download a Queen Victoria mask and sceptre, and a Prince Albert mask and moustache. Follow the instructions to create your props then strike a royal pose!
More things to make and do

Browse our best ideas and get hands-on and crafty with history. From model historical homes to costumes and coats of arms, there’s plenty to be inspired by. Simply download our easy-to-use templates and instructions!