Essential Information
| Type | Family fun |
|---|---|
| Location |
National Maritime Museum
|
| Date and Times | Select dates between 28 July and 1 September 2024 | Drop-in activities |
| Prices | Free |
At the National Maritime Museum, we take play seriously! This summer, come and enjoy lots of maritime-themed fun for the whole family.
Unless specified, activities are drop in and will take place in the Learning Space, located on the ground floor of the National Maritime Museum.
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July
Sunday 28 July: Ocean sunsets
Join us for this sunset art workshop. Inspired by beautiful ocean paintings in our collection, you'll use oil pastels to create stunning sunset scenes over the sea.
Monday 29 July: Sensory fishes
Experiment with different materials and texture to collage your own sensory fish.
Tuesday 30 July:
Sensory sea monsters: Manatees for mermaids, dinosaur bones for dragons…use our sensory boxes to learn about how real sailors mistook sea creatures for otherworldly beings – and invent a new sea monster from your discoveries!
Play Outdoors Tuesdays
11am-1pm and 2pm-4pm
Head to the lawns in front of the National Maritime Museum for a fun-filled adventure, perfect for under 5s and their adults. Our fantastic team of Early Years facilitators have created playful activities, encouraging little ones to explore the theme of water.
Play Outdoors Tuesdays takes place every Tuesday during the summer holidays.
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August
Thursday 1 August: Cyanotype printing
Discover the Victorian art of cyanotypes and investigate the shapes and forms found on beaches. We will use sunlight to create the images of seaweed, shells and much, much more!
Friday 2 August: Songs from around the world
Come on a musical adventure and explore traditional maritime-themed songs from Hawaii, Jamaica and the Torres Strait Islands. The songs will feature live instruments, movement, lights and even some delicious fruits!
Monday 5 August:
Families takeover: Join us for a unique family activity where you'll design and explore an immersive art gallery on the lush grounds of the Queen’s House.
Engage your senses and creativity as you shape a living art experience! Come with your ideas on what changes would make art galleries more accessible – and friendly – places for your family.
Games without wires: Meet members of the Caribbean Social Forum and learn how to play games from around the world.
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Tuesday 6 August:
Play Outdoors Tuesdays
11am-1pm and 2pm-4pm
Head to the lawns in front of the National Maritime Museum for a fun-filled adventure, perfect for under 5s and their adults. Our fantastic team of Early Years facilitators have created playful activities, encouraging little ones to explore the theme of water.
Play Outdoors Tuesdays takes place every Tuesday during the summer holidays.
Maritime flags
"Man overboard!", "Turn to Starboard!", "Stop the Ship!" – explore the world of maritime signal flags through live music, singing, movement, games and sensory play.
Sunday 11 August: Sea breeze creatures
Get creative with poster paints, straws and sticky eyes to make fun and unique sea creatures using blow painting.
Monday 12 August: Playful paintings
Inspired by Minoru Tanabe's Sunset seen from the sail training barque Nipon Maru, families can create their own sensory abstract painting. Use your hands and blunt tools to swirl paint around in sealed plastic pockets for a fun and colourful experience!
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Tuesday 13 August:
Play Outdoors Tuesdays
11am-1pm and 2pm-4pm
Head to the lawns in front of the National Maritime Museum for a fun-filled adventure, perfect for under 5s and their adults. Our fantastic team of Early Years facilitators have created playful activities, encouraging little ones to explore the theme of water.
Play Outdoors Tuesdays takes place every Tuesday during the summer holidays.
Wednesday 14 August:
Unity tote bags: Explore Sarah Hawke's crochet kanga on display in Traders: the East India Company and Asia gallery and delve into her perspectives on colonialism, revolution and connections through our unity tote bag workshop.
Inspired by her diverse roots from Tanzania, India, and Brixton, which convey a message of unity, this workshop offers families a chance to create a tote bag as a memorable keepsake from their museum visit, thinking about their own identity.
Games without wires: Meet members of the Caribbean Social Forum and learn how to play games from around the world.
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Sunday 18 August: Labyrinth exploring
Ancient Cretan maps depict the labyrinth – a confusing maze that is hard to navigate. Join us to create a huge labyrinth in our grounds (or inside, weather dependent). We will also be making finger labyrinths to take home. Come and see where it leads...
Tuesday 20 August:
Play Outdoors Tuesdays
11am-1pm and 2pm-4pm
Head to the lawns in front of the National Maritime Museum for a fun-filled adventure, perfect for under 5s and their adults. Our fantastic team of Early Years facilitators have created playful activities, encouraging little ones to explore the theme of water.
Play Outdoors Tuesdays takes place every Tuesday during the summer holidays.
Medicinal marvels
Explore the herbs sailors used as medicine, and then create your own herbal medicine pouch to take home!
Sunday 25 August: Ocean sunsets
Join us for this sunset art workshop. Inspired by beautiful ocean paintings in our collection, you'll use oil pastels to create stunning sunset scenes over the sea.
Tuesday 27 August: Play Outdoors Tuesdays
11am-1pm and 2pm-4pm
Head to the lawns in front of the National Maritime Museum for a fun-filled adventure, perfect for under 5s and their adults. Our fantastic team of Early Years facilitators have created playful activities, encouraging little ones to explore the theme of water.
Play Outdoors Tuesdays takes place every Tuesday during the summer holidays.
Wednesday 28 August: Underwater sculptures
Inspired by Rowan Mersh's Asabikeshiinh Aeris (Bronze Dreamcatcher), families can work together to describe images from our collections to each other and shape them from playdough or clay.
Thursday 29 August: Families takeover
Join us for a unique family activity where you'll design and explore an immersive art gallery on the lush grounds of the Queen’s House.
Engage your senses and creativity as you shape a living art experience! Come with your ideas on what changes would make art galleries more accessible – and friendly – places for your family.
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September
Sunday 1 September: Labyrinth exploring
Ancient Cretan maps depict the labyrinth – a confusing maze that is hard to navigate. Join us to create a huge labyrinth in our grounds (or inside, weather dependent). We will also be making finger labyrinths to take home. Come and see where it leads...
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The Cove playground
An exciting new playground at the National Maritime Museum. Get ready to explore The Cove!
What’s On
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