Living museum – Get hands-on with history in Early Years

Visiting living museums can help your children get hands-on with history and build their cultural capital, says Lorna Williams…

Planning a visit beyond your early years setting can unlock learning opportunities that tap into all aspects of your children’s development and align with the learning and development requirements of the EYFS.

There are many places you could go, but have you ever considered taking your group to a living museum?

Whether shopping in the high street, joining story time at the library, or sampling working life as a postie, these experiences have a host of benefits, allowing children to learn in relatable but different settings while building their cultural capital.

Living museums allow children to step back in time and immerse themselves in a different era. Having real examples of “now” and “then”, showing what’s the same and what’s different, enables adults to help young children build an understanding of time and its passing.

Costumes, props and authentic buildings bring the past to life, as does having an opportunity to talk to characters in period costume and get a glimpse of what life was like – there really are no silly questions for them to ask, but I’m sure your children’s imaginations and unique trains of thought will challenge and amuse even the most experienced staff!

Learning life skills at the living musuem

Visits needn’t only have a history focus, though. They also provide valuable opportunities for children to practise life skills, such as learning to cross the road safely or boarding a bus, in a controlled environment.

Similarly, recreated homes, shops and workplaces provide a safe place to expose children to the roles of important members of society, such as police or healthcare workers, and encourage interactions with adults outside of children’s usual network.

This exposure to the world of work and positive role models might even lead to early careers inspiration.

Live interpretation direct from trained museum staff has the advantage of not relying on the written word or having fixed pacing or messaging that recorded interpretation might have.

This increases accessibility for an early years audience. Communication can be a two-way exchange, a conversation, reacting to the group’s understanding and interest.

Living museums build understanding of cultural, social, technological and ecological diversity, enriching children’s perspectives, while exposure to fiction and non-fiction stories widens their vocabulary and communication skills.

Sadly, not all children get the opportunity to visit museums and other cultural organisations with their families. It’s recognised that exposure to such settings builds cultural capital and, in turn, helps children feel that museums are a place for them.

Living museums rich in people stories help children to recognise their place in society and make history relevant to their contemporary life.

A visit might be a foundational step in a lifetime love of museums, opening up future engagement with cultural offers.

Planning your visit

When planning a trip, look for providers with programmes dedicated to an early years audience who pitch both the content and delivery mechanisms at the required level.

Content will vary depending on the museum’s collections, but suitable delivery might utilise role play, promote children’s creativity, or give opportunities to get hands-on.

Multisensory, active engagement will aid the formation of memories and help the experience stick. Plus, don’t forget to check out the venue’s facilities to be reassured the practical needs of your group can be catered for.

These might include toilets with toddler steps and nappy-change places, a covered, bookable space for lunch or a snack, flexibility on arrival and departure times to fit in with your usual schedules, and an opportunity for a pre-trip planning visit to complete risk assessments, see the site, and feel fully prepared for your day out.

Finally, don’t forget to have fun! The joy of a living museum visit comes from its immersive nature – meeting people, hearing stories first-hand from costumed guides, seeing real buildings and objects, and walking around in history.

Despite all the possibilities for learning and development, the biggest takeaway should be an enjoyable day out broadening your children’s experience of the world they live in.

Lorna Williams is the programme development manager (learning) at Black Country Living Museum in Dudley.