Fun for children and families
There is lots for children to see and do at the Museum.
Eager explorers can expect a fun filled day out!
The ages here are just suggestions and some children may like to engage in activities we've suggested for younger or older children.
Museum of the Home has been shortlisted for the Kids in Museums Family Friendly Museum Award!
Kids in Museums began the Family Friendly Museum Award in 2004 to recognise heritage sites that are the most welcoming, fun and accessible for families. Find out more at kidsinmuseums.org.uk
During your visit
Mini Playhouse
Children can create their own worlds in our mini playhouse!
Free to use Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm.
Trails to follow
Illustrator Emma Thrussell brings the activities to life with her characterful drawings. Available daily, you can pick them up from leaflet stands around the Museum!
Free | Donations welcome
Home Galleries Family Trail
Get creative with this interactive trail packed with a range of fun activities to get children thinking about what makes them feel at home.
Mini Gardeners Family Trail
From creating your own outdoor orchestra to learning fun facts about the animals hiding in the garden, there's lots to keep those little green fingers busy!
Sensory Explorer Bags
Pick up a sensory explorer bag from reception, filled with things to help make your visit enjoyable and calm.
Click to find out more
Currently included in the backpack is:
- Fidget toys
- A magnifying glass
- Colour viewfinder
- A kaleidoscope camera
- A glitter wand
- Magic drawing board
At reception you will be asked to leave a contact phone number to sign the bag out. This is in case you accidentally forget to leave the bag behind when you leave.
Playroom and Sensory Den
We celebrate children’s Right to Play at the Museum.
Click to find out more
- Our play room provides a safe space for children to play with home themed resources, including our mini market, kitchen and a dress up station for imaginative and role play.
- Our range of inclusive and beautifully illustrated children’s books is updated regularly, telling stories of home, identity, belonging and the world.
- We are a registered warm bank and have several resources to make the space comfortable for a longer stopping time. Relax on our sofas, bean bags or rocking chairs for as long as you need.
- The sensory den is a safe enclosed space for children to explore light and texture. In the den you will find soft matting, colourful lighting, and sensory toys.
Facilities for babies and children
Prams and buggies
The Museum is accessible for prams and buggies.
There are some larger lockers at the reception area for buggies and a buggy park (not locked) at the end of the Home Galleries.
Baby changing
There are baby changing facilities in each of the accessible toilets across the Museum (there are four of these).
Baby feeding
Baby feeding
Parents and guardians are welcome to breastfeed or bottle-feed anywhere on the Museum's grounds.
The Reading Room/Playroom offers comfortable seating and the Garden Reading Room is a little off the main route and is often much quieter.
Child-friendly eating
Child-friendly eating
Kindly note that consuming food or drink in the Museum galleries is not permitted.
Picnics
You are welcome to picnic in the Kingsland Road Gardens, please take your rubbish home with you or use the bins we provide. Please check our full opening hours for any planned closures.
Lunchroom & child-friendly eating
We welcome families with young children at the Museum. We have a lunch room at the north end of the galleries (just before Rooms Through Time begin).
Museum café
Molly’s Bar & Kitchen welcomes you to relax before, during or after your visit to the Museum. Doors are open from dawn to dusk, and a children's menu is available.
Quieter spaces
If you would like to find the quieter and less crowded spaces we recommend:
- The Garden Room parallel to the Reading Room
- The children's seating area before the Domestic Game Changers gallery on the Ground Floor
- Gardens Through Time
Family map
Download a family-friendly map of the Museum, perfect for one of our free family days. Pick one up at the reception, or view it from your mobile device.
Fun in the galleries and gardens
Read more
An installation commissioned by the Museum for families, created by poet Valerie Bloom MBE and illustrator Kremena Dimitrova.
The large-scale artworks explore the world of Stuart dining, the lives of enslaved children in London and the gendered expectations of girls and boys, past and present, through poems and interactive games.
Domestic Game Changers
In the Rooms Through Time | Ground Floor
For ages 6+
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Discover everyday items which have transformed the ways we live in our homes in this fun interactive display.
From chatting to Alexa to powering up revolutionary household items, there's lots to hear and touch!
Home Galleries interactives
Home Galleries | Lower Ground Floor
For ages 8+
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Adventure through the new Home Galleries and have a go at the interactives dotted throughout the displays.
From playing a game of Mario Kart in the retro living room, to seeing who can get rid of the most bed bugs there's lots to touch, play, see and smell!
Gardens
Kingsland Road Gardens and Gardens Through Time
For all ages
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Our gardens are a great place to play and roam free, here are five challenges:
- Go on a bug hunt in the Gardens Through Time
- Smell your way through the Herb Garden
- Have a picnic on the lawns
- Explore the gardens through colour and sound
- Let your imagination run free creating fun outdoor games
Activities for families to do at home
Game time
What are you playing?
Dear diary
What have you been up to?
Be more polar
Polar bears isolate too!