As a home educating family we like to add an educational twist to our day trips

When in Brighton for a super sunny late summer day

We took to the skies

With the British Airways i360 Viewing Tower

This futuristic glass viewing pod

That the children likened to The Great Glass Elevator

And the spaceship in David Litchfield’s Lights On Cotton Rock

Ascends up 136 metres

To give the most amazing views over the city of Brighton

And the land and sea beyond

The views were absolutely breathtaking

A feeling of being on top of the world

And seeing as far as the eye could see

It was a little bit of real life magic

Like flying!

The whole experience was brilliant

We arrived at the i360 building a little early

We wanted to use the loo

Browse the brilliant gift shop

That was littered with lovely children’s books

Once checked in for our flight

We were able to look around the exhibition

Showing how the tower and pod were built

While the children were interested in the timeline and pictures

They were captivated by the workings of the i360

Watching the pod being pulled up and down the column

When the time came to board the pod

We were welcomed warmly

The children were able to eat their snacks

And roam around the viewing pod

William headed straight for the maps

To identify landmarks in the city and beyond

I was drawn to the sea

And to the bar!

We got a cup of coffee

But it was not very nice at all

It was made using a coffee bag

And despite leaving it to brew for a while

It really did not taste good

Looking out over the sparkling blue sea

Was mesmerising

I felt very close to Baby Tilda up in the sky

Hovering over the sea

Edie walked laps of the pod

Stopping to stare out the great glass windows

With her binoculars every now and then

Esther and William were busy talking about the people looking like ants

As our flight took us higher and higher

I imagine if you are a young child

Living in Brighton

This would be such an exciting voyage

Spent spotting sights that you know

For us it was an awe and wonder exercise

To see so much from so high up

Land and sea and sky

The world is a wondrous place

And seeing so much of it in one go

Is a humbling yet magnifying experience

The children are still talking about their flight over Brighton

One week on

The flight’s total time is 30 minutes

Making a perfectly doable activity with young children

It is something a bit different

Something a lot exciting

Bea is big teller of when she is unhappy

And we did not hear a bad word from her

She loved the whole experience

It was Bea that spotted the playground

That we went on to explore

After we disembarked

The BA i360 encourages schools and families to visit

They have some brilliant worksheets that you can print from their website

They have special offers for local residents

And the experience is free

For Blue Peter badge holders

We went up mid morning on a sunny summer day

I think early morning or evening in autumn could be magical

And a late night festive flight to see the city lit up for Christmas

Would be an unforgettable experience for young and old alike

I know that we will not forget our trip to the Brighton skies

For a long long time

We were invited to experience the BA i360 free of charge in return for an honest review