Shaping the Future by Preserving the Past: Heritage Crafts for the Next Generation

Published 15:38 on 27 Apr 2026

Families are invited to roll up their sleeves and step into the past at the Weald & Downland Living Museum, West Sussex, with Try a Trade on the 9 & 10 May. This lively, hands-on event has been designed especially for children to explore traditional crafts and historic skills. Set across the Museums stunning 40-acre open-air site, this engaging experience offers a full day of creativity, discovery, and interactive learning, giving young visitors the chance to try their hand at time-honoured trades and techniques.

Our Try a Trade weekend perfectly captures what makes the Weald & Downland Living Museum so special, bringing history to life in a way that is interactive, engaging, and accessible for all ages. By encouraging children to get hands-on with traditional crafts, we are creating meaningful connections to the past while inspiring curiosity, creativity, and a deeper appreciation for our shared heritage. Clare de Bathe, Museum Director.

A Do Touch Experience

At the heart of Try a Trade is a true do touch approach, where visitors are encouraged to get involved, try things for themselves and learn by doing. Every corner of the Museum invites multi sensory, immersive discovery, with a have a go spirit for children and adults alike, turning curiosity into real understanding while helping to sustain rural skills as a living practice.

Free Kids Activities & Heritage Craft Experiences

Children can enjoy a wide variety of free activities, perfect for curious minds and creative hands. Budding craftspeople can:

•  Be a Carpenter Discover traditional woodworking and try using wooden planes in the Carpenters Shop
•  Be a Sawyer Work as a team using a traditional two-person saw
•  Make a lucet braid
•  Create cordage (string)
•  Learn wool carding using authentic South Downs sheep wool
•  Craft a traditional corn dolly

These activities provide a fun and accessible introduction to historic crafts, helping to inspire the next generation while keeping traditional skills alive.

Visit the Trade Recruitment stand

Families can also visit the Trades & Crafts Recruitment Stand to book premium hands-on workshops, offering a deeper dive into heritage skills. Available on a first-come, first-served basis, these activities require a small donation (from £1.50) to support the Museums educational programmes:

•  Be a Potter Create a clay coaster
•  Be a Baker Make and bake a bread roll
•  Be a Dairymaid/Dairyman Churn butter and take home a butter pat
•  Be a Miller Weigh and bag flour, plus try the quern
•  Be a Blacksmith Forge your own hook (age 8+)
•  Be a Hurdle Fence Maker Create a mini hurdle fence (age 6+)

Spaces for these activities are limited per day, so arriving early to book on arrival is recommended, each child can book up to three activities to take part in, and the tasks are suitable for children aged 4+ (unless stated otherwise). Once booked, families are free to explore the Museum and enjoy their scheduled activities throughout the day.

Take Home More Than Memories

After completing their activities, children will receive a Try a Trade Certificate, a special keepsake celebrating their newly learned skills and hands-on experience.

Events like Try a Trade are all about inspiring the next generation to connect with our heritage in a meaningful and hands-on way. By giving children, the chance to try traditional skills for themselves, we are not only creating a fun and memorable day out but also helping to keep these important crafts alive for the future. Hilary Cunningham, Learning & Programme Manager.

Over this weekend visitors can immerse themselves in the past, learn practical skills, and enjoy quality time together in one of Sussexs most distinctive heritage settings.

Plan Your Visit

Make a full day of your Try a Trade experience and enjoy the chance to unplug, get outdoors, and explore history at your own pace in one of Sussexs most distinctive open-air settings. Alongside the hands-on activities, the Weald & Downland Living Museum offers an onsite café, gift shop, and free parking to help make your visit easy and enjoyable.

As this popular event is expected to be busy, advance booking is recommended to secure your place.

For more information and to book your tickets today, visit wealddown.co.uk.

About the Weald & Downland Living Museum

The Weald & Downland Living Museum is an open-air museum in Chichester, West Sussex, dedicated to preserving and sharing the rural heritage of southeastern England. Through historicbuildings, traditional skills, and immersive events, the Museum brings the past vividly to life for visitors of all ages.