A small child reaching up to place a pirate hat on the head of an adult sitting near them who is trying to focus on a craft project at the same time.

Play Fridays

A morning of play with special activities for children under 5.

When: 3 Jul 2026
Best for ages: 0-5
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Access considerations

Day visit activity

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Relax, play and have fun together in our Play Friday sessions for under 5s and their grown-ups. 

Each month, our Theatre of Curiosity space comes alive with a different mini-adventure developed specially for our youngest visitors. 

Play Friday - Friday 3 July - Inside Outside

Enter a world beneath the waves where you can transport seashells and dive into an ocean of sensory play! 

Our Play Friday sessions are developed using the theory of schematic play to encourage open-ended exploration and help children learn about the world through play. 

This month is based on the transportation schema, where children are fascinated with moving objects or themselves from one location to another. By carrying, pushing, and hauling items, children build spatial awareness, motor skills, and an understanding of distance and cause-and-effect

Upcoming sessions:

3 July - Under the Sea

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Play Friday takes place in a large open space in the centre of the ground floor. On busy days, the space can be noisy.

 

Most activities will be at floor height and the space can get a bit messy.

 

You can come and go as you please between Play Friday and the rest of the exhibition. 

 

There will be a member of staff in the space who will be happy to help with any additional access needs.

Access and support

Storytelling for under 8s also runs upstairs in the Studio at 11am.

 

Stay all day! Pre-schoolers and toddlers also love our parachutes, Build It area, giant bubbles, invisibility cloaks and much more.  

 

You can come and go as you please. Just hold on to your tickets to show the team when you come back.

Plan your visit

Activities for little ones