The Monkey Tree

Trip to a Museum...If pomp and ceremony aren’t your thing and you want somewhere warmer, why not try one of London’s many museums. Museums have come a long way from the days of silence and glass display cabinets that I remember as a child. Most of them will have child friendly activities for half term week.

At the Science museum, you can guide your little ones in their first steps towards science with fun exhibits and dedicated children's galleries. Under 5s can explore their curiosity about patterns, stage a puppet show and see the wonders of kaleidoscopes and there is also The Garden - an interactive gallery created especially for the very youngest visitors.

Children (and big kids) can launch a rocket, capture a multicoloured shadow, turn their head into a sound box and control a magnetic cloud in the recently redeveloped Launchpad gallery, the largest free interactive science gallery in the UK. Experienced ‘Explainers’ can help your children understand the gallery and will also be running demonstrations and performing science shows such as ‘Flash Bang Wallop’ and ‘The Bubble Show’.

There are other galleries for older children and the latest technology for the teenagers. On our last visit, I was intrigued to see a group of teenagers laughing their heads off, so I wandered over to see what could be so amusing. I found myself transported back (a few) years, looking at the museums displays of mobile phones – remember those bricks, and early computers?

Visits to the Science Museum and all the half term activities can be viewed at www.sciencemuseum.org.uk. There is also an indoor ‘picnic area’, so remember your picnic! Nearest tube South Kensington.
A bit closer to home and an easy journey on the Central Line is the V and A Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green. Although this is quite a small museum it contains one of the largest and oldest collections of toys in the world. Every holiday they have a variety of drop in events that can include story trails, art and crafts or treasure trails, as well as their permanent exhibitions. Surprisingly, on our last visit the children in our party (aged 4 – 10) were fascinated by the old toys and dolls, especially the original Star Wars, Dr Who and Thunderbirds memorabilia. They also have an indoor picnic area and a nice café for the grown up Luke Skywalkers and Princess Leias!

For more information visit www.museumofchildhood.org.uk. Nearest tube Bethnal Green.