National Army Museum to launch new family activity packs in time for half term

The other day Big Girl and I came running down Smith Street towards Chelsea’s National Army Museum, eager to get to the museum for a family pack preview we had been invited to. National Army Museum, which is already a popular family destination due to the Play Base play area for young children, has come up with new family kits that can help parents make visiting the galleries at the museum more interesting for children.

The new packs, which will be ready for half term and can be borrowed from the front desk, are designed for children aged 2 and over, and there is a film activity kit for children aged 8 and over.

When we tested the packs for younger children, Big Girl got to choose a rag doll to take around the museum, and a bag with two activity kits. The rag dolls will also come with a variety of outfits for children to choose from, and children will recognise the characters from Play Base.

In our bag, there was one kit about being Neat and Tidy, which included a sponge and button and brush, and one about the Base Camp, which included a mat and cards with characters to place around the mat. We carried the bag around, and spent an hour upstairs exploring the interactive exhibits.

I particularly like visiting the top floor where there is a wall with paper poppies to fill in, guardsmen costumes to try on for children, and magnets to use for designing army-inspired fashion. When walking around this gallery we talked about the importance of looking after uniforms, and Big Girl had fun pretending to clean the button in the Neat and Tidy kit. The Base Camp kit was great as an activity when sitting down in the cafe for a well-deserved juice and coffee.

An educational morning out!

For more suggestions of family-friendly galleries to visit in the National Army Museum, I like the online guide to family favourites

Tags: Family activities, Family day out, Half term, London, Museum, National Army Museum, Review