Address: Herbert Art Gallery And Museum, Jordan Well, Coventry, CV1 5QP
Museum opening times: Usually 10am – 4pm but do check online for exact timings.
Website: www.theherbert.org
Earlier in the week, the Smallhousebigtrips family drove over to Coventry to meet up with my sister in law and check out the Herbert.
The girls were really excited with the water fountains outside the Herbert and I was a bit gutted I hadn’t come with their swimming costumes and towels as they would have loved to run in and out of the fountains.
Instead they stood and posed outside the modern looking building before we headed on inside to explore.
Once inside we had a nosey at the shop which we walked through first. The shop was well stocked and had a variety of things, averagely priced for both adults and children.
We carried on exploring and found a room which was holding a “When I grow up, I want to be a…” exhibition.
The session we attended was the “When I grow up I want to be a photographer” session which involved cutting out a template to make your own camera and decorating it with various papers, pens, sequins and a variety of craft pieces.
It cost £2.50 per child and the girls absolutely loved it. We spent about 45 minutes doing the session and it was money well spent.
The girls got to take the cameras home with them and 4 days later, they are still playing with them around the house.
Marianne White who was leading this session at the Herbert was fantastic. A credit to the museum.
After this, my sister in law arrived and we headed to the World of Play exhibition in the Gallery. This is a world of imagination and open ended learning for children aged under 5. The room has a variety of things children can play with. I didn’t take my professional camera and instead only had my mobile phone on me, so my photographs are not the best. The website (listed above) has a section on World of Play with some great photos you could look at. It’s a free exhibition. The girls really enjoyed it and we would definitely go back again. The exhibition is running until 2nd September. Is in Monday to Saturday 10am – 3:45pm and Sundays 12pm – 3:30pm.
For those with children who have Special Educational Needs, there’s a private early bird session on Wednesday 8th August between 9am and 10am.
We went and explored what else the museum had to offer. There was lots and unfortunately we didn’t get to see it all as the museum closed. It is a very family friendly museum. With things to touch, dress up with, look at and make/build.
The Museum has a variety of family sessions throughout the summer holidays, but one to mention is the Play Family Day Exhibition on 10th August 2018 from 10:30am – 3:30pm. There will be a variety of free activities and some charged activities. As a little teaser there will be things such as Knights and Princesses session where you can make your own medieval hat or helmet, hobby horse racing, colouring… Check out the website for more details.
Definitely a place to pop to over the summer holidays.