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MGM 2007 - Top Ten Kids' Events In Museums And Galleries
By 24 Hour Museum Staff
21/05/2007
Image: a photograph of a teepee overlooking a picturesque wooded mountainside
Learn all about Native American life at Stevenage Museum on May 26. © Apache Arts
Museums and Galleries Month 2007 continues apace enticing museum and gallery goers with a vast range of events happening throughout May.
As we approach the end of the month (as well as half term and the bank holiday) we continue our run down of taster events with a top ten of kids' events from our listings database. Each of them is designed to inspire young minds whilst having lots of fun in a museum or gallery near you.
At Stevenage Museum on May 26 they are exploring the world of the Native American by offering visitors the chance to meet Terry Pickard, a member of the Chiricahua Apache tribe.
Visitors will hear Native American tales, have the chance to use traditional tools and even dress in real traditional clothing from tribes all over America. The day will also involve the chance to make a good luck charm to take home. Sessions take place at 12 noon, 1.30pm and 3.00pm. Cost £2.00 (£1 conc) per person.
They are experienced hands at working with kids at Caldicott Castle. Courtesy Caldicot Castle
They will be off with the fairies at Caldicott Castle on May 29 with a series of workshops that will appeal to all budding Harry Potters and fairy princesses in your family.
The Magic and Fairies Workshop invites families to go along and make wands, wings, crowns and magic spells – everything you might need to build an entire fairy world. If you can’t make the first event it runs again on May 31 between 11am and 4pm.
Most of us know the stories of Roald Dahl but how much do we know about the man behind the stories? The Archive Yourself event at the Roald Dahl Museum will reveal the remarkable man himself – an inventor, an RAF pilot and a photographer as well as a prolific writer.
Image: a photograph of a girl and woman looking at objects on a table next to large chair
Courtesy of Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre
Behind-the-scenes archive tours will allow visitors to find out more about who Roald Dahl really was, whilst kids can bring along an old shoe box, some photos and things that represent them to create their own archive with the help of the staff. 2pm to 3.30pm. Suitable for 8+ year olds.
Another event for 7–11 year olds takes place at Wolverhampton Art Gallery on May 30 with an enticing event called Gorgeous Garlands – a chance to make paper garlands inspired by the bright colours and flowers to be found in the current Pleasure Gardens exhibition.
Developed by seven artists, the show features a bizarre collection of works in photography, sculpture, video and installation that explore the relationship between man-made worlds and botany. It’s a wonderful show that has all the necessary elements to fire the imaginations of children. 10.30am to 12pm.
Image: a photograph of two giant mushrooms
Lots of inspiration at Wolverhampton Museum's Pleasure Gardens. Picture: Maria Ledinskaya, Wonderworld 3, 2005-6. © the artist
Ever since the days of Long John Silver kids have always had a fascination with pirates and at Charnwood Museum they have got an event that does exactly what it says on the tin. Their workshop - suitably named Pirates Galore! – takes place on May 31 between 10.15 and 4pm.
Suitable for 3-12 year-olds, kids will be able to wear pirate hats, perch a parrot on their shoulders, swashbuckle their way round the museum with swords and sashes and make all they need for adventure on the seven seas. Booking essential.
There will be a different kind of adventure at Corinium Museum on May 31 between 10.30 and 12.00 with a children’s holiday activity from the Cotswold Museum Service called Medieval Mayhem.
Image: a photograph of a child screaming in front of an animal skull
There's hands on activites and a Bone Bonanza at the Grant Museum of Zoology on May 31. © Grant Museum of Zoology
Aimed at kids between 7 and 12 years old, the day will let the little ones find out what life was like for medieval folk and even have a go at making a jug to take away.
From medieval mayhem we move onto curious collections at the Grant Museum of Zoology on May 31 between 10.00 and 3pm.
Hands-on activities will explore the amazing objects from all of University College London’s fascinating collections, including zoology, Egyptology, geology, archaeology and art.
Visitors are encouraged to make a day of it and visit the Bone Bonanza event running at the same time, which among other things, challenges children to make a complete gorilla skeleton out of a jumble of bones. That should keep them quiet for an hour or two!
Image: a photograph of two children reading a book
Seven Stories will be helping kids have fun and learn at the same time with World Play Extravaganza throughout the May half-term. © Seven Stories
Up in Newcastle Upon Tyne at Seven Stories: the centre for the children’s Books in the Ouseburn Valley they are running kids’ activities that might help improve their reading - whilst having a whole load of fun.
Word Play Extravaganza runs through May half term between May 29 and May 31 with the resident writer on hand for drop-in activities for kids aged 8–14.
The Craft’s Study Centre in Farnham is running the intriguing Urban Field Workshops for children aged 5 to 12.
Image: a photograph of a child lying on a red rug on a gallery floor
There's lots of fun to be had at the Crafts Study Centre. © Donna Wilson/Carmel McElroy
A tie-in with their current Urban Field exhibition, featuring new work by leading makers of glass, metals and textiles, the sessions for 5 to 7-year-olds run between 10.30 and 12pm, whilst the 8-12s are invited to attend between 1.30 and 3pm.
The exhibition features some distinctly innovative new work by some of the country’s most individualistic designer-makers - so there should be inspiration-a plenty to keep young minds active…
These are just a few of the dozens of kids' events happening in museums, galleries and heritage sites across the UK - not just for MGM 2007 - but every week.
To discover more, just enter the letters 'MGM' into the search box on this page or see the What's on page to search by date or place to find something happening near you.
Stevenage Museum
St Georges Way, Stevenage, SG1 1XX, Hertfordshire, England
Open: Mon-Sat 1000-1700
Closed: Bank Holidays
Caldicot Castle
Caldicot Castle, Church Road, Caldicot, NP26 4HU, Monmouthshire, Wales
Open: April 1st - October 31st
Mon-Sun 11.00-17.00
The castle will be open for special events in November for Bonfire Night and December for several events during the Christmas season. See website for further detail.
The castle us open year-round for weddings, medieval banquets, children's parties and murder mystery evenings. Please see www.jamesonsevents.co.uk/caldicotcastle.html for further details.
Closed: November to March, open to schools and groups by arrangement.
The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre
Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre, 81-83 High Street, Great Missenden, HP16 0AL, Buckinghamshire, England
T: 01494 892192
Open: 10.00-17.00 Tues-Sun and Bank Holiday Mondays
Closed: Most Mons, Christmas Day and Boxing Day
Wolverhampton Art Gallery
Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Lichfield Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1DU, West Midlands, England
Open: Mon-Sat 10.00-17.00
Closed: Sun & Bank Holidays
Charnwood Museum
Granby Street, Loughborough, LE11 3DU, Leicestershire, England
Open: Mon-Sat 1000 -1630
Sunday 1400 -1700 April-October and 1300-1600 November-March
Open Bank Holidays. (Please call for times)
Open at other times by request for groups.
Corinium Museum
Corinium Museum, Park Street, Cirencester, GL7 2BX, Gloucestershire, England
Open: Monday to Saturday 10 am to 5 pm
Sunday 2 pm to 5 pm
Bank Holidays
Grant Museum of Zoology
Grant Museum of Zoology, Department of Biology, Darwin Building, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, England
Open: Every weekday 1300-1700
Other times by appt.
Seven Stories, the Centre for Children's Books
Seven Stories, 30 Lime Street, Ouseburn Valley, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 2PQ, Tyne & Wear, England
Open: Mon-Sat: 10.00am - 5.00pm
Sun: 11.00am - 5.00pm
Crafts Study Centre
Crafts Study Centre, University for the Creative Arts, Falkner Road, Farnham, GU9 7DS, Surrey, England
T: 01252 891450
Open: Tuesday-Friday 10am-5pm
Saturday 10am-4pm
Closed: Bank Holidays, Sundays and Mondays, closed Saturday 20th December 2008 and reopen Tuesday 6th January 2009.
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