Kids Takeover the Museum!

On Saturday 22nd November Havering Museum took part in the Kids in Museums Takeover Day. This day encourages children and young people to get involved with their local museums and heritage sites and take over meaningful roles alongside the staff and volunteers working there. Our Takeover Day was held instead of our Hedgehogs club session. The children took turns in working in different roles in the museum in pairs and swapped with each other one to ensure that they all had a turn at each of the jobs.

With Ryan from our collections team the children had a look at some of our blacksmith tools and had a go at cleaning each of them with a brush. They had to wear an apron, gloves and face mask to ensure they did not get any of the rust on to their skin or breathe any of it in. They looked very professional with their equipment.

Some of our Hedgehogs cleaning the blacksmith's tools.

Some of our Hedgehogs cleaning the blacksmith’s tools.

The next activity the children took over was to work on the till and at the front of the museum with Keith our Saturday team leader and Monica our Friday team leader. The children were able to greet visitors as they came to the museum and had a go at working the till. Some of them enjoyed it so much they didn’t want to change over to the next task!

Two of our Hedgehogs working on the till with our Saturday team leader Keith.

Two of our Hedgehogs working on the till with our Saturday team leader Keith.

After completing two of the days jobs we all stopped for a squash and biscuit break, after all this is an important part of the working day!

The children enjoying their biscuit and squash break.

The children enjoying their biscuit and squash break.

The last job they were able to take on was to put together a new quiz to be used in our galleries when other young people visit the museum. The quiz the children put together last year on Takeover Day needed to be replaced as many of the objects in the galleries have now been changed. So the children, in their pairs, took turns with Sandra from our Saturday team, to put together some new questions for a new quiz. They came up with some great questions and the quiz is being typed up by Sandra ready to be used in the galleries over the Christmas holidays.

Our Hedgehogs with Sandra in the galleries putting together our new quiz.

Our Hedgehogs with Sandra in the galleries putting together our new quiz.

After all of the excitement of the Takeover day we met back in the learning zone to receive our certificates from Kids in Museums.

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The children all had a great time taking over the museum and all of the volunteers really enjoyed working with them. Thanks to Ryan, Sarah, Sandra, Keith and Monica for helping out on the day. We look forward to the next Takeover day in 2015!

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  1. Peter Stewart on 1st December 2014 at 19:07

    Well done to all involved…you did the Museum proud and made all our young members of the Hedgehogs Club enjoy the time of their lives. Peter Stewart – Chairman

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