Family Workshop: Build Your London - From Rubbish to Residence
Imagining the Skyline Together
As part of Heritage Open Days 2025 - celebrating this year’s national theme of architecture and the built environment - families stepped aboard The Golden Hinde for a hands-on creative challenge. Over two bright September mornings, our Hold became a workshop of imagination for Build Your London: From Rubbish to Residence, an activity that invited children (and their grown-ups) to reimagine the city skyline using recycled and found materials - from paper scraps to Thames-side treasures. The event asked how London’s architecture reflects both past and present, and how even the humblest piece of “rubbish” can be transformed into something beautiful.
As participants rifled through boxes of paper, cardboard, and string, questions began to surface: What did Southwark look like 500 years ago? Which buildings today feel like landmarks? Where would you live if you could build your dream home? These small conversations gave the activity depth. Parents didn’t just watch their children play - they joined them in discussing design, history, and sustainability.
Hands-On History
Families chose from printed images of landmarks like Tower Bridge, The Shard, and St Paul’s Cathedral before creating their own versions. Some worked carefully from reference, sketching and then layering shapes. Others went wildly imaginative, stacking cardboard towers or fashioning futuristic domes from bottle caps. One child proudly declared their structure “the pirate house of tomorrow,” while another explained how they made a Tudor roof using nothing more than folded brown paper.
Behind the fun of glue sticks and tape lay important learning. Recycled materials opened conversations about sustainability, while the skyline images helped children connect modern architecture with Southwark’s history. By the end of each session, the Hold was lined with collages and models - a temporary city built from scraps, infused with the energy of families working side by side.
Learning Together
Survey feedback from visitors revealed something striking: parents didn’t view the event as just “something for the kids.” They consistently described it as a shared experience, a way to learn together as a family. One visitor commented that they “liked the smell of the ship,” showing how even the sensory environment deepened the sense of history. Another noted the workshop was “really enjoyed by the children - all ages,” demonstrating that the format worked across different groups.
Many were first-time visitors, with one parent writing: “Came for HOD activity - more of these would be great.” This shows the workshop wasn’t simply entertainment: it was a gateway. It brought new families aboard and positioned the Hinde as a place where children and adults can discover history hand in hand.
Looking Ahead
The lessons from Build Your London are clear. Families want structured, creative programming that allows them to co-learn, not just occupy time. They value sensory detail, hands-on making, and the chance to connect the ship’s story with wider London history. For us, this is a strong foundation to build on - literally and figuratively.
As we look ahead to more family-focused workshops, we’ll continue to ask: How can The Golden Hinde serve as a space for shared discovery? If the answer lies in glue, cardboard, and a lot of imagination, then we’re more than ready.
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