Education & Communities

Early years learning

Children in the Museum of Liverpool's early years gallery Little Liverpool

A visit to a museum or gallery can make a positive contribution to the early learning goals of the early years foundation stage. While the area of 'knowledge and understanding of the world' might appear to be the most obvious, our museums and galleries offer many opportunities for a young child's PSE, language, and creative development.

All National Museums Liverpool venues are child-friendly and offer many opportunities for fun and enjoyment as well as learning. They are well supplied with toilets and nappy-change facilities and are accessible for prams and buggies. Dropping-off can usually be arranged as can a space for lunch.

We welcome groups from nurseries and infant schools. You can explore them in your own way on a self-guided visit, or book a museum or gallery-led session in which one of our staff introduces the children to some of our marvellous objects or paintings. Almost all of these sessions include a practical activity.

Areas of special interest for younger children include:

• Little Liverpool gallery at the Museum of Liverpool - a new hands-on fantasy world specially for children under six
• Big Art for Little Artists at the Walker Art Gallery, a gallery specially designed to introduce art through fun activities, books, jigsaws and computers.
• The 'Sunshine Show' in the Planetarium at World Museum. The cartoon character, Sunshine, helps children identify the colours of night and day through songs and games. The show can also include 'The Zoo in the Sky'. Colouring sheets are available.
• The Sea Urchins play area at Merseyside Maritime Museum, which has seafaring-themed costumes, activity sheets and story books. You can find out how heavy a diver's helmet is, ring the ship's bell or take the helm at a ship's wheel.

Please have a look at our learning sessions database for further details about organised activities.

We do ask you to book all visits and sessions in advance. When you contact us we can tell you all you need to know to make your visit a success. We can discuss details of lunch and cloakroom facilities, and suggest resources to enhance your visit. If you wish we can arrange to meet you before you come, or arrange CPD sessions for groups of practitioners interested in the techniques of learning from objects. All our services are free.

We are currently extending our provision for early years children and are looking for practitioners to work with us in developing new sessions. If you are interested, do please contact us.

Community projects with early years children

The Communities team is keen to offer learning opportunities to very young children, children with special educational needs and children in vulnerable circumstances. As well as introducing these groups to our museums and galleries, we are developing outreach activities for these children and their parents or carers.

We are building relationships with groups from areas of deprivation and social exclusion as well as those with disabilities. We are visiting early years providers and family organisations to raise awareness of what we can offer.

Further information is available on the Children page of the communities section of this website, or to find out more send Helen MacBryde an email or contact her on 0151 478 4818.

For more information

• Learning sessions database - our list of what's on offer for groups
• Planning your visit
• Learning resources - teachers' notes, pupils' worksheets and trails etc
• Merseyside Children First Forum - co-ordinated by National Museums Liverpool, this is a network for early years practitioners, parents and carers, creative practitioners, young children and cultural providers
• Contact us - by email or by phone