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Summer Holiday Programme

Summer Holiday free family activities

Join us for a six-weeks of summer activities at the National Museum of Scotland.

Summer at the Museum

Date: Mon 2 July - Sun 12 August
Time: Times will vary - check plasmas screens on arrival at the Museum.
Cost: Free, drop-in or sign-up on day
Booking: Suitable for families

There's something different happening every day so spend your summer with us! Our six-week programme has regular drop-in object, craft, and science sessions, gallery encounters and special guest events featuring the Japanese Star Festival, Big Top Glasgow traditional games, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh Pathology activities, A Slice of Life gallery character encounters and Royal Observatory space activities.

Daily activities for August

Day

Activity

Times & Location

Further information

Wed 1

Craft: Musical Instruments

Be inspired by our Sounds Global exhibition and make a simple musical instrument to take home.

12:30 – 16:00

Studio 2

Learning Centre Level 4

Drop-in

Children must be accompanied

Thurs 2

Gallery Safaris

Join us for short, interactive family treks round selected galleries on themes such as dragons, toys, and kings and queens.

11:30, 12:30, 14:30, 15:30

(20 minutes)Sign up for a limited place with your safari guide at the Lighthouse Lens in the Grand Gallery 10 mins before start time.

Suitable for families with children aged 6+.  Children must be accompanied.

11:30, 12:30 – Kings and Queens

14:30, 15:30 - Jacobites

Fri 3

Trails and Colouring

Pick up one of our themed Family Footprints trails to explore the galleries in a different way or enjoy some downtime doing some colouring in

Pick up a trail all day trail from the Info Zone or between 12:30 – 16:00 from the Learning Centre Level 4.

Colouring from 12:30 – 16:00

Studio 2, Learning Centre level 4

Drop-in

Children must be accompanied.

Sat 4

Special Guests: Royal Observatory Edinburgh – Rockets!

Come and make and launch your own rocket!  Meet our special guest character who will tell you the top 3 things you need to know about space…

Rockets: 12:30 – 16:00

Hawthornden Court, Level 1

Special Guest character: 11:00 – 13:00, 14:00 – 16:00.

Earth in Space gallery, Level 1

Drop-in

Children must be accompanied

Sun 5

Object Handling

Get to grips with some real and replica objects from across our handling collections from meteorites to elephant teeth!

12:30 – 16:30

Grand Gallery Level 1

Drop-in

You may be asked to wear gloves depending on the selected objects.

Mon 6

Gallery Safaris

Join us for short, interactive family treks round selected galleries on themes such as dragons, toys, and kings and queens.

11:30, 12:30, 14:30, 15:30

(20 minutes)  Sign up for a limited place with your safari guide at the Lighthouse Lens in the Grand Gallery 10 mins before start time.

Suitable for families with children aged 6+.  Children must be accompanied. 

Today’s themes:

11:30, 12:30 - Treasure

14:30, 15:30 - Vikings

Tues 7

Science: How to build a lighthouse?

Learn about the engineering behind Scotland’s most famous lighthouses and help build one

12:30, 13:30, 14:30, 15:30 (30 mins)

Hawthornden Court, Level 1

 

Drop-in science show

Children must be accompanied

Wed 8

Craft: Butterfly and Beastie headbands and necklaces

Come and make your own bug-inspired accessory to take home

12:30 – 16:00

Studio 2

Learning Centre Level 4

Drop-in

Children must be accompanied

Thurs 9

Gallery Safaris

Join us for short, interactive family treks round selected galleries on themes such as dragons, toys, and kings and queens.

11:30, 12:30, 14:30, 15:30

(20 minutes)  Sign up for a limited place with your safari guide at the Lighthouse Lens in the Grand Gallery 10 mins before start time.

Suitable for families with children aged 6+.  Children must be accompanied.

Today’s themes:

11:30, 12:30 - Kings and Queens

14:30, 15:30 - Egypt

Fri 10

Trails and Colouring

Pick up one of our themed Family Footprints trails to explore the galleries in a different way or enjoy some downtime doing some colouring in

Pick up a trail all day trail from the Info Zone or between 12:30 – 16:00 from the Learning Centre Level 4.

Colouring from 12:30 – 16:00

Studio 2, Learning Centre level 4

Drop-in

Children must be accompanied.

Sat 11

Special Guests: A Slice of Life characters

Step back in time and encounter some interesting folks from Scottish history – all with a story to tell.  Pick up a meetings map to find all the characters – who will you meet today?

11:00 – 13:00, 14:00 – 16:00

Punishment wifie – Scotland galleries level 1, Edinburgh Doctor – Scotland galleries level 3, Steam Engine Driver – Scotland galleries level 4, Egyptologist – Ancient Egypt gallery level 3.

A ‘meetings map’ can be picked up with pictures of the characters and their locations. These are avilable next to each character, at the Info Zone, Entrance Hall and interactive galleries.

Sun 12

Object Handling

Get to grips with some real and replica objects from across our handling collections from meteorites to elephant teeth!

12:30 – 16:30

Grand Gallery Level 1

Drop-in

You may be asked to wear gloves depending on the selected objects.

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What are these links?

Netsuke of carved wood, a kappa with ivory tusks and moonstone eyes standing and holding cucumbers, signed: Japan, by So-ju

Netsuke of  Kappa holding two holding cucumbers.

Related pages

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National Museums Scotland, Scottish Charity, No. SC 011130