Mother: Museums can be very one dimensional - you can look at the artefacts and it can be quite difficult for a child to be absorbed. And I think when you've got old artefacts that don't jump out and sing and dance at you, then it can be even harder. So if you've found ways like in these activity bags to make the actual artefacts to come to life, then they will remember them.
Mother: Hello, morning. Have you got any activities going on this morning?
Museum Staff: Yes, we have back packs. And the back packs happen every Saturday morning. You just have to have a look along the front here or along the side here and choose which activity you would like to do.
Boy: We wanted to do the Fancy Furniture. So she gave us a Fancy Furniture rucksack and inside were lots of toys and they told us to go to each room. My best one was the number 3, where we had to look around the room for some certain animals or people.
Interviewer: Have you found one?
Boy: I found one - those two ones beside the little picture.
Girl: These two look like those.
Interviewer: Oh yes what are they?
Girl: Mermaids.
Interviewer: They look like mermaids don't they, they've got tails.
Boy: Look at the bottom of these of these two side bits, at the bottom holding them up are sphinxes.
Interviewer: Oh yes.
Girl: And then on the other side we had to make our own fireplace using all the animals and stuff.
Interviewer: It says you can decorate your own fireplace here.
Boy: So we can look at that and decorate our own with this?
Interviewer: Yes, chose your animals.
Girl: I think it was really good!
Boy: We explored this room and there was this plate with lots of animals like the beach. There were lobsters, frogs, snakes, lizards. I really found that really fun.
Girl: I really enjoyed it! I think my favourite one was the music one where you had to listen to all this music and see which one was the best.
Mother: I think the music room was a success because by listening to the music it brought it to life. You could see they really enjoyed that! They imagined themselves being in the room in that era. I think it was very tactile and all the senses were used. And I think for children that means the communication gets through to them even more so. I think they've learnt a lot and also will remember this.
Girl: Look at those wheels two of them are squiggly and the other ones aren't...
Boy: Yes, they look like a kind of fish!
Mother: I think my children have certainly enjoyed today. In fact, they were very keen to do all the activities in the bag even though we were running out of time. So I that's a good sign for them wanting to return.