Following the success of its 2013 debut, Somerville played host to the second ever Family Fun Day on Saturday the 12th of September, 2015.
The event offered activities and entertainment to a fantastic turnout of 362 alumni and families. As well as having outdoor activities, including a climbing wall, lawn-sized games and a bouncy castle, the event also acted as an introduction to some of the subjects offered at Somerville.
“Thank you very much indeed for a super day on Saturday.” One parent emailed in to say. “The children absolutely loved all the activities and had a great time – all helped by the lovely weather you organised! Thank you for all your hard work; it was a very memorable day.”
Undergraduate students gave tours of the college grounds and offered an insight to life at Somerville. Additionally, there were talks by tutors spread throughout the day, all of which had a Family Fun Day twist.
The five sessions of the day were: The Mathematics of Social Networks, Rhymes – Revolting and Otherwise, Harry Potter and the Translator’s Headache, Bugs as Drugs: Tales from the Intestine, and Funny Money – Is It All a Big Game?
“After all that anxiety and fixation on the Met Office forecast, the sun shone for us” said Sara Kalim, Director of Development. “All the activities went without hitch, the tutor sessions seemed to be well attended and much appreciated.”
Puffin Beach Vintage Ice Cream Van was very well received with a steady flow of customers throughout the day and even sent around custom made Somerville mini cupcakes. The campus welcomed musical entertainment from Jazz Duo, an accordionist and guitarist playing and singing jazz standards.
One of the star attractions of the day was the Bucking Bronco. Record-holder Jack was not going to let anyone stand in the way of his prize, following an impressive 61 second ride. The adult record holder, Chloe, won a bottle of bubbly for her 43 second record.
The Derby Hoppers allowed for both adults and children to compete against each other in a giant inflatable horse race. Somerville crowned an unexpected derby champion, three-year-old Emile. Emile did not let her disadvantage of being small get in the way of a triumphant record, bouncing her way to victory.
The Circus Workshops ran perfectly in the sunny weather, with even the young attendees managing to learn plate spinning and poi. The professional face painters were ever popular with the children, transforming them into butterflies, animals and even a spooky skeleton.
The event could not have been possible without the generous donations of Somerville alumni. If you have any comments or suggestions for Somerville’s next Family Fun Day, don’t hesitate to contact our alumni office. A gallery from the event is available to view here and there is also a video from the day.