I have always been a lover of museums, give me a placard to read and something old to look at, and I'm good to go for hours!
Then along came the children and I realised I was going to have to re-analyse my approach to museum visits. Long gone were the days of taking an hour to lap a room, we now needed a plan to engage and educate!
And honestly? It took a bit of trial and error. A lot of whinging, "when are we done?" cries, and one particularly memorable moment where my child was more interested in the fire exit sign than a 2,000 year old artifact. But we got there — and what I've learnt along the way has genuinely transformed the way our family experiences museums.
So if you're heading into a museum with little learners in tow, here's what has actually worked for us.
Letting Go of the Plan (Or at Least Loosening It)
My natural instinct in a museum is to be thorough. Follow the route. Read (almost) everything. Take it all in.
With kids, that approach lasts about seven minutes.
What changed everything for us was learning to follow their lead rather than the suggested visitor route. I started letting my kids pull me toward whatever caught their eye — even the small, tucked away things that nobody else seemed to stop at. And more often than not, that's exactly where the most interesting conversations happened.
When children feel like they're exploring rather than being guided through something, they engage completely differently. The questions start coming. The curiosity switches on. And suddenly you're deep in a conversation about ancient civilisations or how bridges were built or why people wore that — and none of it was planned.
Giving Them a Job
This is probably the single most useful thing I've discovered. Give your kids a purpose before you walk through the door.
Not a strict itinerary — just a gentle mission. Something to look for. A question to investigate. A challenge to complete.
Children are natural investigators, and the moment they have something to find or figure out, the museum stops being something happening to them and becomes something they're actively part of. The difference is remarkable.
This is actually why I created our free Museum Explorer Challenge — because I wanted something I could print and hand to my kids that gave them that sense of purpose and direction without me having to orchestrate every single moment myself.
It's got observation challenges, a little scavenger hunt, sketching pages and space to record their discoveries. Simple, easy to use, and it genuinely keeps them engaged from the moment we walk in.
Five Questions That Work Anywhere
Over time I developed what we call our 'detective questions,' they work in front of absolutely anything — Roman artifacts, antique furniture, stuffed wildlife, ancient weapons — it doesn't matter:
- What do I notice?
- What might this tell me?
- What questions do I have?
- What has changed since this was made?
- What has stayed the same?
These five questions have opened up some of the best family conversations we've ever had. And once your kids have them, they start using them instinctively — not just in museums but at historical sites, on nature walks, everywhere you travel together.
Sketching — This One Surprised Me
I'll be upfront — I started encouraging my kids to sketch at museums because drawing is simply part of how our family moves through the world. I'm an illustrator, so pencils and sketchbooks are always in the bag.
But what I didn't expect was how much it changed the way they looked at things.
When you slow down enough to draw something, you notice details you would have completely walked past. The pattern worn into the edge of something centuries old. A tiny symbol carved into a corner. The way something is constructed that you only see when you really study it.
My kids started noticing things I missed. And honestly, that still happens — and they absolutely love it.
It doesn't matter if the sketch is perfect. It doesn't need to be. What matters is the slowing down, the looking closely. That's where the real learning happens.
Our Museum Explorer Challenge has sketching pages built in with simple prompts to help kids look a bit more carefully before they start drawing.
What We Do After the Visit
Some of our richest conversations have happened on the drive home or over dinner after a museum visit — not inside the museum itself.
A few simple questions are all it takes:
- What was the most surprising thing you discovered today?
- If you could take one object home to show someone, what would it be and why?
- Is there anything you want to find out more about?
That last one is my favourite. When a child leaves a museum with a question they want answered, something has genuinely stuck. That curiosity following them home long after the visit is worth so much more than seeing every exhibit on the map.
You Really Don't Need to Know All the Answers
I want to say this clearly because I think it matters.
I am not a historian. I have no formal teaching background. I'm a mum who loves learning and loves travelling, and half the time I'm discovering things right alongside my kids.
And I genuinely think that's one of the most valuable things you can show your children in a museum — real curiosity. The freedom to say "I have absolutely no idea, let's find out together."
Museums are so much more enjoyable when you approach them that way. There's less pressure and more adventure. And the memories you make exploring together are far better than any perfectly executed museum tour.
If you'd like a little something to help make your next visit feel more like an exploration and less like hard work, come and grab our free Museum Explorer Challenge. Print it out, pack some pencils, and let your little adventurers loose.
I'd love to hear how you go — come and find us on Instagram and share your museum adventures. We're always there cheering your family on!
Happy exploring,
— Cydney
Want more travel learning ideas? Explore the Go Little Adventurers Junior Explorer Series— destination-specific activity packs designed to help children discover history, geography, and culture through real adventures.
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