British Museum - beware

[clare21]

We looked up the activities on the British Museum, saw they had kids activity packs which included 'mask making'. So off we trooped on the tube. Let's just say this particular pack (Africa) wasn't much fun for me 61/2yr old DTs. Not remotely creative, in the way that say the art trolley / activities at the National / Tate are. It was a case of looking at fabric in a display case, and looking at the scraps of fabric you'd got in your pack and deciding which fabric would be best to mend the display piece. No you don't get to sew or anthing, it's just looking. And the masks - oh dear, no creativity there either. I took everything back to the library and explained why not a success and we were given much better activity sheets to do at home. It might be right for lots of kids, but I am afraid not mine. Case of beware how you interpret what it says about activities on museum site...

But surely your children were interested in the mummies, and the exhibits in general?

Personally I find all 'activities' in museums a bit deadly, and they are not more than a way to get children to take a closer interest, perhaps. My rule is, if he wouldn't be interested in the museum per se (including any hands-on children's areas or sections) , then don't go - I would never go just because of the ativities.

That's a shame. We liked the BM (esp the mummies) but didn't really do much of the activities really.

I think they can only be quite general quick things to do; I guess to keep people moving on through.

I did get told off in there though TWICE! Once for sitting on those steps and once for standing too close to something. I am very well behaved usually too! Dc thought it was absolutely great, mummy getting told off and not them for a change