British Museum for 8yo?

[BrassicaBabe]

Hi

We've done the Natural History Museum. Looking for our next outing. I have good memories of the British Museum. But umm about 30 years ago! How good is it for a couple of 8 year olds please?

Thanks
x

We went to the British Museum with 9 year old DS a few months ago and he thought it was great. It was very busy though and that was as soon as it opened on a Sunday morning.

Plenty to do and see. They also have little activity back packs. It helps if you prep them before hand.
My 7 year old prefers the Science Museum to both the BM and the NHM. Especially the Wonderlab bit.

I was just there yesterday. It's fantastic. I was with my 17 year old who loved it when he was little as well.
You can pick and choose. The Ancient Egypt rooms are totally fascinating. There's a great Samurai suit of armour in the Japan rooms. I love the Indigenous Australian/NZ display hall. And there's a great kids' section in the gift shop.
It wasn't too crowded and it was a Saturday.
Plus the area around the museum is wonderful. You'll be in such an architecturally rich and historic part of London.

Science museum, as mentioned by potolbabu, is more interactive and probably more 'fun'. But if you've done the Science museum, then the British Museum will be perfectly wonderful too.

Mine (8&10) loved the BM when we went recently.

Our game plan was to go Greek, Roman, Egyptians (mummies was heaving) then British.

The DC are into their ancient civilisations and archaeology so it was much more up their street than the science museum.

I'd say plan ahead about which bits you want to see, link it to what they're learning in school or are currently into rather than trying to do it all. It's less interactive than some so you have to work quite hard to keep them interested at just looking at stuff

Great, there's a helpful list om their website of the most interesting things/rooms to take rhe children to.

Take a packed lunch... £5 for a sad salad wrap and £2 something for a bottle of water

DD always loved the mummified cats although she loves living ones too. Rosetta Stone

Don't forget the Docklands Museum for a future visit!

My kids (I have a younger one) also love the Transport Museum.

www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london-docklands

Only five stops on the jubilee line from Waterloo then a walk to the quayside. You can get even closer if you use the dlr.

Also Museum of London and HMS Belfast are great for younger kids, not so crowded as other London museums. Don't forget the Monument too, especially if they have done the Fire of London at school.

If you can get to it (limited opening) the Ragged School open Sunday was amazing! Great fun for the parents as well as the children, and they conveyed a lot of information in among the pretend lesson. I am not surprised it is becoming over-attended, hopefully that will translate into more money and more sessions!

www.raggedschoolmuseum.org.uk/sunday-open-house/

It's wonderful! I love the British Museum. The Museum of the Moving Image is great too, lots of things for youngsters to do.

We're not from London and don't travel down often. Our kids 8, 9 and 11 loved the Oxford natural history museum and the mummies in the mummy's in the ahiological museum. Can't see why they wouldn't love it!

The museum. Of London is fab too

I loved the British Museum at that age especially the Egyptians and the Lewis Chess Men. And the bog men! What eight year old doesn't love an old wizened preserved corpse with grains in his stomach?

The website has lots of ideas and worksheets and stuff for them if that's your thing.

Yes!! Mummies!

Also mine loved the Tate Modern when they were little.

The activity booklets are great and kept my 8 and 5 year old entertained. Work out which bits you want to do before you go, you can’t even attempt to do it all in one visit.

This is brilliant. Thanks.

Another reason I focused on BM is because Dad wants to come and that's his favourite museum. So a great bonding experience. I'll check out the worksheets as they should like a great addition.

I also recommend the Postal Museum, surprisingly fun and interesting, especially the Mail Rail