Museum visits are a great activity – they’re just as much fun in summer, too, reports Beatrice Squires.
Museum visits are a great activity when the weather turns cold, but they’re just as much fun in summer, too. Many museums have fantastic outdoor spaces, from playgrounds and gardens to trails and courtyards, giving children the chance to run around, soak up some sunshine and enjoy a breath of fresh air between family-friendly exhibitions.
Featuring world-class anthropology and music collections, an aquarium, a butterfly house and beautiful gardens, the Horniman Museum & Gardens in Forest Hill is a wonderland for children and adults alike and hosts both temporary exhibitions and family events. The sprawling 16-acre gardens are worth a visit alone and include lush meadows, a wildlife area, a Sound Garden with musical instruments, and regular events such as Music Jerk ‘n Tings (22 Aug), a celebration of Caribbean culture. The wonderful new nature-themed Kusuma Nature Play Area includes climbing webs, balance beams, a slide, a basket swing and sensory planting areas.
Over in leafy Greenwich, you can easily while away an entire day at the National Maritime Museum gazing at its handsome Neoclassical architecture, collections of world-class art and temporary exhibitions. As for the kids, they’ll have their own fun taking part in outdoor family craft and storytelling events such as Songs of Work and Sea with Paul Rubinstein (4 Aug) and Moonbound Paper Rocketswith Mita Nathwani Bhuyan (18 Aug). And mini swashbuckling adventurers can bring their dreams to life at the Cove Playground as they steer the ship to safety, navigating a giant Kraken and a fearsome shark along the way.
And if it’s raining, don’t worry, as the indoor AHOY! Children’s Gallery offers plenty of nautical play opportunities, too.
When you’re ready to leave the seas behind, why not take to the skies at the Royal Air Force Museum London? Families can explore more than 100 historic aircraft within the six hangars, sit inside a real aircraft cockpit, experience flight-themed simulators and learn about the Royal Air Force through exhibitions and interactive displays. There’s even the AeroPlay! soft-play space to explore indoors, but perhaps the real cherry on the cake for children is the outdoor RAF Museum Playground, where little pilots can ‘fly’ mini models of iconic RAF aircraft including the famous Spitfire and the Sea King helicopter.
Chocks away!
