Two children looking at a willow sculpture of a pheasant.

Top activities to try with kids

Sow the seeds of curiosity with a family visit to our museum and historic working farm.

You are here Home National Museum of Rural Life Things to see and do Top activities to try with kids

Play park and picnic area

Our ever-popular play park has a musical arbour, basket swing and magnifying posts to help you get closer to nature. With picnic tables and plenty of wide-open space, our play and picnic area is the perfect place to take a break during your visit.

A young child playing with bamboo chimes at the National Museum of Rural Life.

Make some music with the bamboo chimes inside the musical arbour © Andy Catlin

The play park equipment is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

All aboard the Farm Explorer

Take a ride on our Farm Explorer tractor-trailer and travel to our working farm in style, enjoying the sights as you go. Farm Explorer tractor-trailer ride tickets are available at the museum ticket desk. Tickets are on a first-come first-served basis with limited availability each day. From Monday 30 October the last tractor to the farm departs at 15:00, and the Farmhouse closes at 16:00.

A tractor pulling along a carriage of visitors at the National Museum of Rural Life.

Get an elevated view of the farm on board the Farm Explorer.

Willow Sculpture Trail

Discover the delightful willow sculptures inspired by the farm wildlife and resident animals as you explore outdoors Download the trail here.

Two young children looking at a willow sculpture of a pheasant.

Spot your favourite characters on the farm recreated in willow.

Garden Detectives

Take a close-up look at plants, learn amazing facts about nature and experience some sounds and smells from a real garden.

Exploring the interactive displays your little ones can gain new skills and investigate your own garden with the eyes of a garden detective.

A young child popping their head through a hole that is surrounded with painted flower petals.

A young investigator exploring Garden Detectives

Spot the scarecrow

Our scarecrow frightens birds away so they don't eat the seeds and plants in the farm's kitchen garden which is just down from the farmhouse.

Look out for the scarecrow on a your visit and see what's growing in the garden.

Two families walking along a trail in a garden with a scarecrow.

See what seasonal produce is growing in the kitchen garden.

Watch out for wildlife

As well as our farm animals, the fields are full of wild creatures. Can you spot a hare or a fox? A mouse or squirrel? A kestrel or a sparrowhawk? Or maybe some beautiful butterflies?

A flock of birds flying away from a grassy field.

A flock of birds captured in the fields on the farm.

Make friends on the farm

Meet cows, pigs, horses, sheep and hens on our friendly working farm in the fields and the byres. You may even see our friendly farm cats patrolling the farmyard.

A cat walking by a young child outside a farmhouse.