Talking about Museums

Starting your exciting project with the class can include opportunities for children to share their own experiences of museums. By asking questions about places they have visited, the people they went with and the things they saw.

Why not start off with circle time to talk with children about museums? Find out what the most exciting things children themselves have seen on a museum visit. Use this information to excite children about making their own pretend museum in their class.

You could share a story about a museum trip as part  of a whole class introduction.

Suggested books include:

• Harry and the Dinosaurs at the museum (Ian Whybrow, Adrian Reynolds)
• Maisy Goes to the museum (Lucy Cousins)
• The Museum of Me (Emma Lewis)
• Katie’s Picture show (James Mayhew)
• Lost in the Toy Museum (David Lucas)

Video about a trip to a Tees Valley Museum coming soon.

I went to the museum and I saw….

Take it in turns to go around the circle and name an exciting thing you’ve seen at a museum. You can extend this activity by remembering the whole class list of objects seen at a museum. Create an image file of the objects mentioned by the children.

Looking for Brown Signs

Did you know that brown signs can include a variety of symbols for different types of attraction? Follow this link to discover a variety of different types of brown sign around the UK. Can children work out which kind of destination the sign is pointing to? This activity can start to sew the idea about trips out. It can also plant the idea of a need for brown signs as part of their own museum.

Museum Collage

Collect leaflets of museums and local visitor attractions. Why not have children cut out, stick and label pictures that interest them to create a whole class collage.