{"id":2850,"date":"2020-10-20T12:11:12","date_gmt":"2020-10-20T11:11:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonducklings.co.uk\/?p=2850"},"modified":"2023-04-06T20:44:28","modified_gmt":"2023-04-06T19:44:28","slug":"national-maritime-museum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/londonducklings.co.uk\/national-maritime-museum\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Brilliant Areas for Kids at the National Maritime Museum"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich is a brilliant place to go with younger kids, but make sure to book the Ahoy gallery beforehand to avoid disappointment. Check our 5 recommended areas to get the most out of your visit to this exciting museum where the maritime history of Britain comes to life.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Just like South Kensington is the great hub of national museums in West London, Greenwich is a cluster of historical attractions and museums in South East London<\/a>. The Royal Museums of Greenwich consist of four distinct museums and experiences: Royal Observatory,<\/a> Cutty Sark<\/a>, National Maritime Museum and Queen’s House.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Child-friendly Greenwich<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Maritime Museum is located between the Greenwich town centre <\/a>and the Royal Park. This makes the museum a perfect stop as you can just walk outside after your visit stepping right into the wonderful park. If your kids still have any energy left, we can warmly recommend the Greenwich Park Playground<\/a>, just a 10 min walk from the museum. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Britain’s rich naval history in mind, it’s no surprise that this is the world’s biggest collection of historical maritime artefacts. The museum is absolutely massive, so it makes sense to make a plan for what you want to prioritise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Content:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Areas recommended for kids at the National Maritime Museum<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. AHOY! Children’s Gallery<\/strong>: <\/a>Great for role-playing in a maritime environment<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. All Hands on Deck:<\/a> <\/strong>Highly interactive gallery on the 2nd floor <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. The Great Map<\/strong>:<\/a> Experience the world at your feet <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Sea Things Gallery:<\/a> <\/strong>Lots of interesting maritime artefacts that can be touched<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. The Nelson, Navy, Nation gallery:<\/a><\/strong> Check out the fatal bullet-hole of the famous Admiral’s coat<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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    \"National
    There’s plenty of space for kids to explore the museum <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    5 areas in the National Maritime Museum brilliant for kids<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    1. AHOY! Children’s Gallery at the National Maritime Museum<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \"ahoy
    The Ahoy! gallery is great for role-playing different maritime jobs!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Location: Ground floor, east wing <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This play area is just brilliant for younger kids! Ahoy! is recommended for children aged 0-7, and is located on the ground floor just to the left of the main entrance. If visiting during the weekend or school holiday you need to buy a ticket but it’s free on regular weekdays. The space is not huge and can feel quite cramped when full of children and parents. However, the gallery is well planned out with several small play elements, which means kids can move swiftly from one area to the other. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"the
    The Great Map where you can explore the world by boat sailing from one continent to the other<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    All the various installations play on a maritime theme; buying and selling seafood, stoking the boiler of a steamship and repairing a hull of a ship are just some of the activities. Our toddler’s absolute favourite is the air pressure cannon that shoots ping-pong balls on a sailship while our five-year-old probably enjoys steering a ship on a rescue mission in the Arctic! There is a lot going on and the gallery is really popular, so we try to visit as early as possible when the kids have high energy levels and there is a bit more space to run around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Note:<\/strong> The Ahoy! gallery is free of charge on weekdays during term time, but you should still book in advance to avoid disappointment. During weekends and school holidays, the price is \u00a33 per child (free for babies under six months) including one free adult ticket for each paid child. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. All Hands on deck at the National Maritime Museum<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \"interactive
    A great thing about the Maritime Museum is all the interactive exhibitions<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Location: 2nd floor, west wing <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    At the All Hands<\/strong> gallery you can explore what life is like on the high seas as you examine the ship Seahorse, foil pirates, and make a feast for the sailors. Lots of interactive play areas to keep your kids busy and entertained. The All Hands children’s gallery is for the slightly older kids, recommended for 6-12s. The gallery is free and open daily. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3. Journey across the Great Map <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Location: the 1st-floor central area <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Great Map is exactly what it says on the tin: Basically a giant map that is laid out on the floor! Five models of modern ships are available for kids to play with, and kids are free to run around as they want. After spending time in the slightly claustrophobic Ahoy! it’s great for kids to have some more space and run around. There are often events and interactive games being organised, but our kids often enjoy just playing with the ships and running around. The Great Map is located on the first floor at the centre of the museum and is open daily.
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    \"Children
    The Great Map area is really convenient as parents can relax and have a coffee while keeping a good overview of the kids running around<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    4. Sea Things gallery<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Location: 1st floor, east wing<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For school-age children, this is a great area. Here the kids can get up close to more than 600 maritime objects, talking sculptural busts and activities and quizzes to discover and share. Everything you see has some type of connection to the sea of course, and there are more than 50 ship models to admire!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"See
    Sea Things Gallery where kids can explore different maritime artefacts <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    5. The Nelson, Navy, Nation gallery<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Location: 2nd floor, south wing<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Yes, we are talking about the coat that Admiral Nelson was wearing when he was fatally wounded at the Battle of Trafalgar! Not the most interesting for the smallest kids – at the end of the day, it is just a coat. However, for schoolchildren starting to learn about Britain’s history, it’s pretty cool to see Nelson’s actual coat with the bullet-hole intact!
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    Admiral Nelson’s famous coat with the bullet hole from the Battle of Trafalgar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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    Other Greenwich Highlights<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Greenwich really is a centre for child-friendly attractions in London. In addition to the Maritime Museum, here are some of our favourites:<\/p>\n\n\n\n