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Trying on a Highland bonnet at the National War Museum

Learning opportunities for children and families

Exciting events across our five museum sites bring our collections alive for children and families.

Family-friendly displays

Our museums are full of hands-on fun and amazing discoveries for children.

  • The Imagine gallery at National Museum of Scotland is aimed at families with children under eight, allowing them to spend time together exploring and creating stories, art and music, all inspired by real objects from around the world.
  • Adventure Planet at National Museum of Scotland helps children explore the natural world, whether it’s uncovering the skeleton of a dinosaur in our 'Dino dig', dressing up to dive to the bottom of the sea or crawling through the roots of a giant oak tree.
  • The Connect gallery at the National Museum of Scotland is full of exciting objects and interactive games, from rockets to robots and clones to cars, while our Discovery zones offer kids (and adults!) the chance to play games, solve puzzles and dress up as characters from history.
  • Fantastic Flight! at the National Museum of Flight has three rooms of hands-on activities which explore how aeroplanes fly, how they are built and the skills needed to fly them.
  • The National Museum of Rural Life immerses you in the life of a working 1950s farm, complete with cows, pigs, chickens and horses.

These are just a few of the highlights for families – visit our museums to find out more.

Family events

Our programme of events is full of exciting opportunities that make learning fun. See history come alive as you meet people from the past, from Roman soldiers to Victorian engine drivers. Make science go with a bang, discover strange stories or create your own monsters, flying machines, costumes and more.

All our events are listed in the what’s on section, and you can also sign up for our e-newsletter to make sure you don’t miss out.

Schools programme

Each of our museums offers a range of events structured around key elements of the Curriculum for Excellence framework. We have rich resources for learning and teaching, with a full programme of events for schools, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunities, outreach and online resources. You can find out more about our schools programme here.

Online learning resources

Our online resources make learning fun. Journey into an Egyptian tomb or discover more about people of the past with our interactive games, become an archaelogist investigating the Iron Age remains at Birnie in north east Scotland or unlock the mysteries of the Lewis Chessmen.

Community projects and resources

At National Museums Scotland, we want our collections to reach and connect with as many people as possible. We offer community projects and resources to meet the needs and interests of different groups around Scotland. To find out more, contact c.mclean@nms.ac.uk.

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  • Imagine
  • Adventure Planet
  • Connect
  • Fantastic Flight!
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National Museums Scotland, Scottish Charity, No. SC 011130