Hello!

The first time I ever visited a museum I was four years old. 

My younger sisters had just been born and my father took me, just me, on a special 'Daddy/Daughter' trip to the Natural History Museum as a reward for being good with the two new squalling new borns in the house; and the visit has remained vividly in my mind ever since. Being lifted up into the huge Tyrannosaurus Rex's mouth, eating Dino Nuggets, gazing up at the dusty Blue Whale model and returning again and again (and again) to the tiny sleeping, breathing dinosaur model have been memories I've treasured for many years, and which have influenced me in no small way. 

Over the years, my love and passion for museums has grown and grown and has focused in on the role of, and provisions for, children and education in museums. In September 2011 I left my office job to pursue a career in the museum field, and undertook work as a nanny to finance this. This meant I now gained a small, brilliant, enthusiastic and willing partner to come with me and join in with my enjoyment of museums and give me a two year old's brilliantly different and clear view of the capital's museums.
 

So, over the recent months Yiannis and I have been exploring many of the exceptional museums London has to offer, and I have started this blog to share with other families, nannies, carers and museum professionals what we thought, where is worth visiting and where we can improve our museum services particularly for the under 5s. As many of the city's museums are supporters of the Kids In Museums manifesto, I have often used the elements of this document to focus my articles - please do have a look at the Manifesto to see what numerous museums purport to provide for families in museums:

http://kidsinmuseums.org.uk/manifesto/

Some museums live up to the promise, some don't and others excel in it without being official supporters.
 

I hope you find the blog informative and even entertaining; and that you have as much fun playing in museums with your small people as I have!