’Let’s Pretend We’re Archivists!’

Time and Place Projects in London helped children to understand the world of archives through role play, with staggering success. Children from four Hackney primary schools formed their own learned societies – including the Beastly Society (animal enthusiasts) and the Wardrobe Society (fans of costumes) – and took on pen names. They then created an archive for their society, including rolls of honour tied up with ribbon, beautifully bound journals, portraits of members, letters and certificates. These were all carefully conserved and catalogued and made accessible to fellow societies, parents and friends. There was a big emphasis on authenticity, with the children getting real kick out of using genuine archive equipment. Email: natasha.tap@virgin.net

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Cabinets and pods

Middle Street Primary School in Brighton bases its out-of-school hours learning provision on the concept of ’Cabinets of Curiosities’. This concept symbolises the school’s desire to encourage exploratory learning which follows children’s own interests beyond the formal curriculum, promoting a sense of wonder and the making of connections across different areas of knowledge. Children have created several cabinets which contain curious objects and ideas for creative, open-ended activities. The cabinets inspire children to form groups called ’pods’ and pursue topics which particularly fascinate them. This provision is linked closely with work in school hours; some pods feed ideas and resources into the cabinets which are then used in the classroom, and others take work which has begun in the classroom in new directions. See www.curiosity.org.uk/.

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Hands On Base

The Hands On Base at the Horniman Museum in South London is a child-centred space packed with objects which give an insight into world cultures and the natural environment. It aims to engender a sense of awe, richness and exciting possibilities. A key element within the Hands On Base is Discovery Boxes containing sets of fascinating objects which inspire children and families to play and explore using all their senses. The themes include ‘adornment’, ‘red’, ‘the life of a gourd’ and ‘teeth’. Children can also play with puppets from around the world in a large-scale puppet theatre, and try on gorgeous clothes from various cultures.
See www.horniman.ac.uk/education/hands.php.

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Where Art Becomes An Adventure

Playful activities in the Children’s Gallery at the Ferens Art Gallery in Kingston upon Hull focus children’s attention on the artworks on display. ’Prop Boxes’ contain intriguing objects which allow children to recreate a scene in a painting. Children can match details of paintings on the covers of ’Comfy Cushions’ with the actual artwork, and then use ’Viewfinders’ to isolate details in other paintings which they might want to put on a cushion. ’Listen Up!’ encourages children to match soundtracks with paintings and imagine what other noises they might hear, whilst luxurious ’Feely Fabrics’ give a hands-on experience of fabrics shown in portraits and interiors. Many of the activities are mobile and encourage children to explore other parts of the Ferens. See www.hullcc.gov.uk/museums.

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Learning through Trees

Forest Inspirations is a charity based in Devon which uses hands-on experience of the forest environment as a tool for learning, particularly for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. It draws on the Danish Forest School concept of working with children and young people in the outdoors to help them to develop their self-esteem, social skills and a strong sense of identity. Forest Schools focus on empowering children, identifying individual learning styles and allowing children to have a sense of achievement through hands-on activities using natural materials. Email: info@forestinspirations.org.uk

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W5 - whowhatwherewhenwhy

W5 is a large hands-on centre which is part of the re-development of the harbour area in Belfast. Its role is to give learners of all ages access to the fun and excitement of finding out about the world around them through first-hand, practical experiences. It includes a gallery for under 8s called START, which takes inspiration from the best children’s museums in the USA. Children can play with water, build rollercoasters, communicate to each other from the turrets of castles, shop in a miniature supermarket and even build a house. See
www.w5online.co.uk.

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Roald Dahl Children’s Gallery, Aylesbury

The Roald Dahl Children’s Gallery at Buckinghamshire County Museum is a magical environment where children are inspired by Roald Dahl’s stories to explore and discover the unexpected. The experience is like walking into a giant pop-up book, and integrates museum objects with constructed exhibits. For example, children can study minibeasts with a video microscope inside the Giant Peach and discover buried treasures from the past as they crawl along Fantastic Mr Fox’s tunnel. In the spirit of Dahl’s writing, humour and imagination are all essential ingredients. See www.buckscc.gov.uk/museum/dahl.