Ask youngsters about the Second World War and many won’t have a clue about the dramatic impact it had on family life.

But that could all be about to change this weekend at Maidstone Museum where children can learn about the Second World War.

It’s an ideal opportunity for an educational family day out with a difference.

The Home Front Bus is “a unique living history experience” contained in a classic double decker.

The inside has been transformed to recreate the period feel of those wartime years. There’s a detailed reconstruction of a 1940s living room, a bombed-out street and an air raid shelter. The period features and artefacts replicate the sights, sounds and smells of the Home Front.

As visitors move through the bus, they are told about the impact the war had on ordinary families.

In the living room, they learn about the precautions everyone had to take and the effects of living in constant fear. There’s a portrait of domestic life, evacuation and the upheaval caused by the disintegration of families.

In the shop, the focus shifts to food rationing, the need for families to grow their own vegetables and the importance of community spirit.

On the upper deck, where there’s a recreation of a bombed-out street, the emphasis is on the realities of bombing raids and the role of an air raid warden.

And, then, to add a touch of realism, there’s the sound of an air raid siren, at which point everyone retreats to the shelter and listens to the bombs falling outside.

There are first-hand accounts of children who experienced the blitz. The outside of the bus forms a fifth set where there is still much to learn about evacuation, transport, blackout, the black market and propaganda.

Entry to the Home Front Bus is free but there are some paid events such as a children’s Second World War workshop with craft activities. The bus is open from 10am to 5pm on Saturday, August 2 and Sunday, August 3.