British Museum – Winter 2009 Fun for Children

Enjoy the Best Winter Holiday Activities for Young People

Nov 20, 2009 Frances Spiegel

The BM offers children's events for the 2009 winter holiday related to its current exhibitions, Professor Munakata's British Museum Adventure, and Moctezuma Aztec Ruler.

With the winter holidays approaching it’s time to check out children's activities at London museums. The British Museum is renowned for their broad range of family events, with something for all children from the age of five upwards.

Moctezuma Aztec Ruler – Family Workshops

Moctezuma: Aztec Ruler will be open until 24th January 2010 and the Museum is offering the following activities related to the exhibition.

Explore the Aztec World of Moctezuma – a family workshop investigates everyday life for the Aztecs, using a variety of items from codices to chocolate whisks, and war drums to costumes.

• Saturday, 5th December 2009, 10.30, 12.00 and 15.00. Ford Centre for Young Visitors. This a a free, drop-in event, suitable for ages 5+.

Design a Magical Mosaic – Participants will discover the materials used by the Aztecs, such as gold, seashells, turquoise and jade, to create the colourful masks for which they are so well-known. Using Photoshop children will mix colours and patterns to create their own mosaic design to print out and take home.

• Saturday, 5th December 2009, 11.30–15.30. Samsung Digital Discovery Centre. This a a free, drop-in event, lasting approximately 30 minutes, suitable for ages 7+.

Make a Mismatch Creature – This event is linked to the Moctezuma exhibition. Participants will explore the many strange creatures in the British Museum and then create their own fantastic animal and take it home on a T-Shirt.

• Sunday, 6th December 2009 and Saturday, 19th December 2009. 11.30-15.30. Samsung Digital Discovery Centre. This session lasts for approximately 1 hour and is recommended for children aged 7+. Free, no pre-booking required.

Animate an Aztec Codex – In another activity related to the Moctezuma exhibition participants will create their own animated film based on the picture books of the Mexica (Aztec) civilisation.

• 21st, 22nd, 28th, 29th and 30th December 2009. 11.00–13.00 and 14.00–16.00. Samsung Digital Discovery Centre. Free session, recommended for children aged 7+. Pre-booking required.

Professor Munakata’s British Museum Adventure – Events

Professor Munakata’s British Museum Adventure will be open until 3rd January 2010, and the Museum is offering the following events directly related to the display.

Manga, Create a Comic Workshop – This talk will be led by Helen McCarthy, author and leading manga expert.

Participants will learn about the comic art form known as manga and the Japanese comics that have made it so popular. The event will include a tour of the display and visitors will make their own manga-style comic in a digital workshop.

• Saturday, 12th December 2009. 12.30, 14.00 and 15.30. Room 3. Admission free and places must be pre-booked. Sessions last for approximately 75 minutes. Recommended for ages 7+

Photography Mystery Trail – A mystery trail will take participants on an adventure through the galleries just like Professor Munakata. Clues must be solved and evidence gathered using a digital camera. The photographs will be viewed in the Samsung Digital Discovery Centre. The photos may be posted on the web and the best one will be printed out to take home.

• Sunday, 13th December 2009. 11.30-15.30. Samsung Digital Discovery Centre. Free, drop in session, suitable for ages 5+ and lasting about 1 hour. Deposit required.

The British Museum has many other interesting activities for children. British Museum – Winter 2009 Events for Children provides further information.

With such a lot of choice there's no excuse for boredom during the forthcoming holidays. Further information regarding all exhibitions and family events is available from the British Museum.

HOL101

The copyright of the article British Museum – Winter 2009 Fun for Children in Art Galleries/Museums is owned by Frances Spiegel. Permission to republish British Museum – Winter 2009 Fun for Children in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Turquoise Mosaic Mask,Aztec/Mixtec c.AD1400 Mexico