British Museum: Living and Dying/North American Galleries

Before I had children I was a frequent visitor of the British Museum. It is one of my favourite museums and each time I go I see something different. It isn't just that the museum contains some of the best and most inspiring collections in the world; the whole atmosphere of the museum is engaging. And this was not lost on Garden Boy on Sunday when I took him there for the first time. Walking into the Great Court Garden Boy's focus, in total wonderment, was drawn upwards, and he uttered a single 'Wow'; a word he repeated over and over again as we continued to explore.

We stayed at the museum for an hour or so while Garden Girl was with Garden Dad, watching the big screen for the very first time. So engaged was Garden Boy with the objects, that we only managed to look through two of the galleries. We didn't look at a map, but just wandered into rooms, which happened to be the 'Living and Dying' themed gallery and the North American gallery.

All the objects in the Living and Dying gallery relate in some way to how different cultures approach the challenges of maintaining health and diverting troubles in a spiritual way. There is an abundance of carved objects on display and Garden Boy was thrilled to look at the faces carved in wood, looking at the different features and facial expressions. There was also lots of colour and pattern in the gallery which provided a delightful focus for a little boy proud to be able to tell me the names of the shapes and colours he was seeing, pointing with a twinkle in his eye when he knew he was going to get it right.

Many of the objects were large so it was easy for Garden Boy to explore and engage with objects on his own, although there was also a lot that I had to lift him up to see. Aside from 'wow' his second most repeated word as we wandered the galleries was 'More' as he searched for more fantastic things to see. What impressed me most about this gallery for visiting with toddlers however, was the inspiration the objects gave me for follow up activities. We will be building our own papier mache tree of life on which Garden Boy will hang photos and magazine cutouts of images that are important to him. We will also be getting out the face paints and drawing designs on our cheeks similar to the ones carved and painted on many of the wooden figures we saw. We will be getting out the fabric paints to create our own geometric designs like those on the clothes we saw in the North American gallery and we will be making our own rattles with different faces drawn on them, using paper plates. 

I really wanted to buy a glossy photo book with the objects we saw to discuss with both Our Little Museum Visitors when doing these activities but it was time to meet Garden Girl and Garden Dad for lunch so I didn't really have time to browse the shop. I will however, be looking online for images to use and heading over to our local library for books with similar images as soon as Garden Boy is recovered from the sickness bug he has been struck down with this week. And it won't be long before we return to the musuem with Garden Girl to show her what we saw and explore some more.

Practicalities

• Steps lead up to the main museum entrance but just round to each side of these steps there are llift which will take you up to the top level. These lifts are suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs, although it isn't immediately obvious how to make them work and they have the sensation of being quite rickety and unstable while they are moving. I should say though, that they do move very slowly and are in reality very safe.
• Signs show very clearly where to go to access the lifts.
• There is a level entrance from Montague Place if preferred.
• There are disabled toilets and baby changing facilities throughout the museum as well as baby feeding areas for breast feeding mums.
• Most of the galleries and all the special exhibitions are accesssible by lifts which are located in the Great Court. 
• The museum can get very busy so it is essential to keep toddlers close by, as despite the large spaces, it is easy to lose sight of them amongst all the legs. 
• As there is so much  to see I would also suggest avoiding some of the more popular galleries, such as the Egyptians, at the weekends when the number of people getting in the way can make it frustrating for toddlers who can't really see round all the people.
• The museum does run a number of free trails and handling sessions for families so it is worth visiting their website before visiting to find out more if you want your visit to be more focused.
• There is no parking at the museum although it can be possible for disabled visitors to arrange parking facilities with the museum if they phone in advance.
• The museum is also within the congestion zone and there is very little parking on the nearby roads so it is advisable to get to the museum by public transport. Details of the nearest tube stations and bus stops can be found on the British Museum website. 
• There are cloakroom facilities but there is a charge of £1.50 per item to leave things here. Fold away pushchairs are free to leave at the cloakroom but with the cost of leaving changing bags and any additional baggage you might have lugged with you to keep the children entertained on the train/bus I prefer to take the pushchair with me through the galleries. 
• There is a museum shop onsite and online.

Admission Prices

• Admission to the museum is free, although there are sometimes charges for special exhibitions 

Opening Times

• Open daily, 10am till 5.30pm
• Closed on 1st January and 24th - 26th December   

Learn More

To find out more or to check for updated information prior to your visit, have a look at the British Museum Website.


Little Museum Visitor Rating
**** 

Imperial War Museum, London

The Imperial War Museum in London isn't really designed with toddlers and young children in mind, although this doesn't mean it isn't worth a visit with your little ones, especially if they have older siblings as it is a fabulous place to take an older child or teenager who is eager to learn more about the World Wars. In terms of a toddler however, you should not expect to spend the whole day there. Most of the displays are unsuitable for children of a young age with the objects telling a story that is very reliant on the accompanying text to appreciate. Throughout much of the museum the objects diplayed are not familiar to young children and have complicated stories to tell which will be difficult for a toddler to comprehend. An introduction to a few of these of objects is fine but a full day of this would not keep them engaged.

Our Little Museum Visitors however loved the Large Exhibits Gallery. This a huge, open, indoor space, filled with vehicles and large weapons from the World Wars. It includes a number of aeroplanes which fascinated Garden Boy and they were both thrilled with the opportunity to step inside part of an aeroplane and pull faces through the window. There is lots of space for them to have freedom to explore what they are drawn to in this gallery and Garden Dad was happy to wander with them, reading out amazing facts to them from the information boards.  They easily spent an hour in this gallery and would have stayed for longer had we not dragged them away to the 'Children's War' exhibition.

The Children's War exhibition is really the only other gallery that a toddler would find engaging. Despite containing some familiar objects such as toys and room settings, there is also a lot here that they will be unfamilar with such as gas masks and ration books which will raise enough questions and difficult concepts for them for one visit. It is a great place to introduce them to a difficult part of their history however. Garden Girl showed some understanding on a very basic level that it was a difficult time and food supply was short. She could identify with creating a vegetable patch and making your own clothes because things were not available in the shops. She was amused that there was no TV in the living room but liked the idea of telling stories together instead and listening to the radio and dancing. Garden Boy liked the toys, the barriers, navigating the staircase and sitting at the desks in the replica school room. The yellow brick road, leading to a short tunnel, provided much enjoyment for them both.

Even though these galleries are portrayed from the point of view of children in the war, it isn't an easy exhibition to show a toddler. There is a lot to explain and it isn't worth taking them if they are tired. They need to be willing to listen if they are not just going to run around aimlessly not looking at anything and will need some guidance. These galleries are also not easy to navigate with a pushchair. The 1940's house is on two storeys and there is no lift down that we could find so you will need two adults to juggle the children and pushchair down the steep 1940's staircase. The pushchair was also in the way a lot in the house part of the exhibit, blocking the path for other visitors while we stopped to look in the rooms. We were in the way a lot and this made us hurry around part of the exhibtion that they were both enjoying. There was no noticable place to leave pushchairs or belongings in the museum either, so we had no option really but to lug the pushchair around with us.

If you are in this part of London and have a couple of hours to fill, or a member of your family has a particular interest in the World Wars then it is worth taking your toddlers. We have friends who live close by and we take our Little Museum Visitors for a few hours whenever we visit them but I wouldn't otherwise plan a day trip there with them.

Practicalities

• Only some of the galleries are really suitable to create an enjoyable visit for toddlers. If you plan your visit to only incorporate the Large Exhibits Gallery and The Children's War you will save yourself some frustrated wandering around a maze of galleries in which your children will become increasingly bored and frustrated. (Note, The Children's War exhibit is a temporary display and ends in December 2012).
• The Large Exhibits Gallery and most of the museum is accessible with a pushchair and wheelchair but the 1940's house is difficult to navigate with a pushchair and a wheelchair user will not be able to access the upper floors at all.
• There is a cafe on the ground floor where you can buy hot food or sandwiches. As we usually eat with friends close by we haven't tried out the cafe so I can't comment on how good the food is but I did check the menu and they do offer a children's lunch box.
• There are wheelchair accessible toilets in the museum, although not on all floors and there are also baby changing facilities. 
• The main entrance to the museum has steps leading up to the doors and a further couple of steps once inside. We carried the pushchair in, but if you require wheelchair access or prefer a ramp then there is another entrance on the right of the building which is signposted.
• The museum staff are friendly and welcoming to children.
• There is no museum car park and there is only limited meter parking on the nearby roads. The museum is also located within the congestion charge zone so it is recommended that you travel by bus, tube or train. Details of the nearest bus stops and tube and rail stations can be found on the Imperial War Museum website.
• There is an onsite museum shop.

Admission Prices

• Entry into the museum is Free
• There is sometimes a charge for special exhibitions

Opening Times

• Daily, 10am till 6pm
• Closed 24th-26th December

Learn More

To find out more or to check for updated information prior to your visit, have a look at the Imperial War Museum website.

Little Museum Visitor Rating
***