We noticed that the Museum of the Origins of the Polish State had prepared a special event for families. It is named Family Sundays. We wanted to try, so a few minutes before 11 AM we went to the Museum building. In the hall, a group of children had gathered with their parents.
In the lobby of the museum, models of Gniezno in ancient times were placed. Kids liked it, so we knew we needed to include something like this in our next trip plans.
At 11 AM the museum staff appeared and took us to the basement of the building. There, in an interesting way the children were familiarized with the role of the museum, the kids found out the differences between replicas and original pieces. Together with our guides in the room, there was a mysterious box of the items being discussed. Children had the opportunity to actively participate in the program, answer questions, and for better viewing of details, they even received magnifying glasses. Justine was chosen to help pull out items from the trunk. She pulled out old bones, which in ancient times were used as skates. It seems that people once liked to slide on ice.
Photo by: MPPP
We moved to the next rooms, and in each of them we had a presentation of another object pulled out of the trunk. At the end of the tour, the kids had to answer quiz questions that tested what they had learned. And another nice surprise – everyone left the museum with a gift. We got the book and the Memo game.
Photo by: MPPP
Family Sundays at the museum are a great initiative. I think other museums could do the same. The subject of the museum’s collections is not easy or particularly engaging, but we witnessed that with a little effort it is possible to intrigue children. It is worth mentioning that “Family Sundays” are free and the meetings are held regularly. Children already asked when we will come back. Probably soon, because we really liked that place.