School holidays are the perfect opportunity to explore museums, galleries and historic houses as a family, however over half of UK parents worry about taking their children to museums or galleries, concerned they'll be too loud or excitable. That's exactly why Art Fund launched Kids Aloud - to show that museums aren't just for quiet adults. They're spaces where curious, creative, and yes, loud kids belong. Throughout the year, venues across the UK host special family-friendly events, from seasonal craft days to interactive workshops designed for energetic young explorers.
Journey through time with Ancient Adventures
Want to bring prehistoric Britain and ancient civilizations to life? The Andover Museum and Museum of the Iron Age in Hampshire is a fantastic starting point, with exhibits spanning from Stone Age flint tools to Iron Age settlements. With your National Art Pass, Plus Kids, you can all enjoy half-price entry to explore real archaeological finds and imagine life thousands of years ago.
To enhance the experience, Collins Ancient Adventure puzzle book turns history into an interactive mystery. Children become time travelling detectives, solving puzzles about Stone Age hunters, ancient artefacts, and historical civilizations. When they arrive at the museum having already puzzled over flint tools and mammoth remains in their book, those glass cases suddenly contain answers to mysteries they've been working to solve.
Unearth geological wonders with Earth Escape
For budding paleontologists, the Natural History Museum in London is unmissable. With your National Art Pass, Plus Kids offering half-price entry to special exhibitions, families can explore the Fossil Marine Reptiles Gallery, home to specimens collected by pioneering fossil hunter Mary Anning herself - including her famous ichthyosaur, plesiosaur, and pterosaur discoveries from the early 1800s.
Collins Earth Escape puzzle book follows in Mary Anning's footsteps, taking young readers on a geological adventure filled with fossil mysteries and earth science puzzles. When children solve puzzles about marine reptiles and fossilised creatures in their book, then see the actual specimens Mary Anning discovered nearly 200 years ago, it creates an incredible connection between past and present.
Travel to the stars with Science Secrets
The Science Museum in London's spectacular new Space gallery is an absolute must-visit for families. Your National Art Pass, Plus Kids gives you half-price entry to special exhibitions, and the permanent Space gallery features real spacecraft that have actually been to space, including Apollo 10's command module and a three-billion-year-old piece of the Moon. For budding astronomers, the Royal Observatory in Greenwich offers another stellar destination where families can enjoy half-price entry with National Art Pass, Plus Kids, standing on the historic Prime Meridian line and exploring the wonders of space and time.
Collins Science Secrets puzzle book takes readers on a journey through scientific breakthroughs, from Archimedes' ancient Greek inventions to Marie Curie's work with radioactivity, and into space exploration with pioneering astronauts. After solving puzzles about spacecraft and lunar missions, seeing the actual Apollo command module or standing where astronomers measured time itself? That's when museum visits become unforgettable adventures.
Making memories that last this half-term
A National Art Pass, Plus Kids does more than save money on family days out, it supports museums to continue their vital work inspiring the next generation. Whether you're exploring ancient history, marvelling at space technology, or playing in award-winning galleries, you're giving your children experiences that bring learning to life.
For £15, you can add Plus Kids to your National Art Pass membership, giving your family incredible benefits: half-price entry to exhibitions at world-class venues like the Science Museum, plus free entry to over 250 museums, galleries and historic places nationwide. With shop and café discounts included, you can make the most of every visit without breaking the bank.
Discover free or half-price entry to museums across the UK, from Bletchley Park, The Story Museum, Enginuity, ThinkTank and the Cutty Sark - amongst hundreds more! Plus 50% off exhibitions at the National History Museum, Science and Industry Museum, National Maritime Museum and National Museum of Scotland.
When you pair those museum visits with Collins Museum Mystery Puzzle Books (Ancient Adventure, Earth Escape, and Science Secrets), you're creating complete learning adventures where children arrive excited, engaged, and ready to explore.
Planning ahead for October half-term? Buy your National Art Pass, Plus Kids now to enjoy free express delivery, ensuring it arrives in time for the school holidays. Visit artfund.org to get your pass and start saving today!