Local kids celebrate the launch of the new West Midlands Family Fun website by reinacting Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery's The Music Lesson by Jacob Ochtervelt. Photo: Mike Hayward.

Museums across the West Midlands have been celebrating the launch of a brand new website designed especially for families.

Family Fun Events, launched on July 19 2005, provides up-to-the-minute information about a new programme of family orientated days out happening across the region.

The website, a joint project between museums in Stoke-on-Trent, Birmingham, Coventry, Ironbridge and Wolverhampton, officially launched last week with a series of co-ordinated events across the West Midlands.

Kids visiting Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery for the Family Fun launch dressed up in 17th century costume to recreate a real-life version of a Dutch masterpiece called The Music Lesson by Jacob Ochtervelt.

Dressing the Dutch masterpiece part at BM&AG. Photo: Mike Hayward.

Meanwhile, families at The Potteries Museum went on safari with a nature trail and interactive natural history quiz.

Other events included Art Xperience at Wolverhampton Museum & Art Gallery, Design for Life at Enginuity, while The Herbert’s latest exhibition Little Big Room, provides a story book wonderland for its younger visitors.

The Family Fun website is also being promoted across the region with a television and press advertising campaign. Susannah Penn, the website’s project manager, has been co-ordinating the project and gathering vital information from each of the participating museums.

“People don’t always think of museums as somewhere to take kids in the summer holidays,” explained Susannah. “What we’re trying to do is make people more aware that museums can be fun and that there is something here for everyone.”

The events kick off a whole raft of family-focussed activities, days out and kids clubs that will take place across 35 museums throughout the summer, all of which are detailed on the Family Fun website.

Children taking part in a workshop at Enginuity, Ironbridge. Courtesy Enginuity.

The project started out last year at Wolverhampton Art Gallery and was such a resounding success that it has been extended to include museums across the whole of the region.

“We’ve tried to make it more dynamic and interactive and interesting to people,” said Susannah, “and it’s something that will continue throughout the autumn and winter.”

Themed kids’ games and hands-on activities can also be found on the site and new information is being added all the time.

If you missed out on the launch, don’t worry, all the events and activities are ongoing. You can find out more about family-friendly events by visiting the Family Fun website at www.family-fun.org.uk.

Roslyn Tappenden is the 24 Hour Museum Renaissance student journalist for the West Midlands region. Renaissance is the groundbreaking initiative to transform England's regional museums, led by MLA, the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.