Little soldiers on the assault course. Photo courtesy of REME.

‘Make-it-‘n’-take-it’ does have an air of the barked military order, but is, in fact, the name of a the latest Family Friendly club at REME Military Museum.

Aimed at five to twelve year-olds the club allows children to get stuck in with as range of activities from building a waterproof shelter, making a Morse Code transmitter to designing a Christmas card to send to a REME soldier.

"Get down soldier!" One of the children learn the ‘leopard crawl‘. Photo courtesy of REME.

Getting right in to the Family Friendly swing, the workshops are on six times a year and each day focusses on a different theme. The next one, ‘Art in Camouflage’ on July 2 2006, is on from 10.30am to 12.30am and 1pm to 3pm, and there is plenty to be getting along with.

Activities include ‘Camouflage Animals’ where kids will invent their own animal and explain how it evolved to blend into its background – a prize goes to the most inventive.

Where did you get that hat? Photo courtesy of REME.

Other things to Make and Take include a diorama - a small scale scene constructed in a box - and a thaumatrope – the old optical illusion with two discs stuck back to back which, when spun, appear to be one image. Make your soldier blend into a jungle background…

“The MINTI Club is an excellent chance for parents and their kids to spend quality time together,” says Alice Purle, Education Officer at REME. “The parents enjoy the activities as much as the kids.”

Atten-SHUN! Photo courtesy of REME.

Kids get a stamp each time they go – three stamps gets a certificate and six stamps wins a reward.

For more information about MINTI Club events and to book go to the REME Museum website, detailed below.

Nicola Tann is the 24 Hour Museum Renaissance Student Writer for Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire. Renaissance is the groundbreaking initiative to transform England's regional museums, led by MLA, the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.