As summer approaches and the weather becomes ever more sunny, there are plenty of fun activities at our museums from mermaid yoga to medieval intrigue to exploring the exciting world of Vikings. Here are the highlights coming up over the May half term, from Saturday May 27-Sunday, June 4.
Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery
Kicking the half term off at Norwich Castle, transport yourself back to the 12th century and take part in England’s first civil war known as The Anarchy from 27 May through to 3 June.
Role play as a historic character in this 30-player social game of deduction, diplomacy and deceit. Running alongside the anarchy event throughout the half term are plenty of other exciting activities including the Arms and Armour Demonstrations where you can discover gruesome facts about medieval armour and weapons!
If weapons don’t take your fancy, you can explore the museum guided by your imagination and inspired by historical artefacts in the Knight’s Trail activity starting off in the Rotunda. Alternatively, you can learn how to play Medieval Board Games such as Nim, Nine Men’s Morris and Farkle or unleash your creative side with the Medieval Heraldry designing activities which will both be available throughout the day over the half-term from 27 May through to 3 June.
Norwich Castle Museum and Gallery
Strangers Hall, Norwich
Across to Strangers Hall and you can follow in the footsteps of the sixteenth century Strangers and enjoy your delft pottery for the See Blue activities! Design your own ceramic or paper commemorative plate to take away and for the young adventurers, have fun with our See Blue trail on 31 May and 4 June.
Museum of Norwich
The Museum of Norwich are feeling fashionable this half term with the “sole” focus on shoes! Shoe About You on 30 May is a creative based activity where visitors can design a 3D shoe that paints a picture about them whilst having the opportunity to learn all about the stories of the shoes in the museum’s collection.
Time and Tide Museum, Great Yarmouth
Mermaids are in high fashion at Time and Tide Museum this half-term with the Mermaid Tales event! From Saturday 27 May to Sunday 4 June explore mystical mermaids and their stories with self-led craft activities and dress up for everyday of the holidays. The wonderful storyteller Justine de Mierre will be hosting the Mermaid Tales Storytime sessions on Wednesday 31 May giving audiences mystical engaging tales of the sea creatures throughout the afternoon.
Finally, inspired by the motion of the ocean and movements of mermaids, join folks at Time and Tide for Mermaid Yoga on Thursday 1 June, where you can embody being a mermaid during yoga practice. Transport yourself under water for an hour and immerse yourself in this unique experience!
Elizabethan House, Great Yarmouth
Elizabethan House is a beautifully decorated building telling its story from Tudor to Victorian times. Focusing on the floral William Morris wallpaper that adorns the stairwell, but also discovering the huge variety of decoration from around the house and the centuries, drop in on 29 May to learn more about patternmaking with print artist Julie Bolus and have a go at printing your own Patterns of the House.
Tolhouse Gaol, Great Yarmouth
After the discovery and disposal of a World War 2 bomb earlier this year near Toalhouse Gaol on Southtown road, you can take a closer look and learn about the bombing raids that occurred during World War 2 and their impact on the building itself as well as the seaside town on 1 June as part of the From the Skies event.
Cromer Museum
Join Tilly the Talespinner’s storytime on Tuesday 30 and Wednesday 31 May for wonderful true stories with a little myth and magic thrown in for an exciting storytelling spectacle! Expect sea rescues, heroic deeds, faithful canine companions and a very talkative crab. Cromer museum will be joining forces with the amazing Henry Blogg Museum for this event where storytelling will alternate between the museums over two days with different stories being told at each.
Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse
At Gressenhall where the beautiful blossom is in full swing all over the site telling us Summer is well and truly on the way, It’s time to go outside and see the Gorgeous Gardens throughout half-term from Saturday 27 May to Sunday 4 June. Get involved by growing your own produce, try the Flower Power trail across the museum displays and go bug hunting on Saturday 27 May and 3 June between 1-4pm.
On Monday 29 May you can meet the master composters for a special day of Cracking Compost! Get inspired for your latest garden project with eco crafts and food waste tips or perhaps try your hand at rag rugging and take a closer look at the wonderful world of waste materials from hedge cuttings to farm manure!
If you would rather get hands on with a different activity, you can spend the afternoon getting stuck in with the much-loved arts and craft sessions – Art Attack!. Two sessions take place over the May half-term, one on Sunday 28 May and the other on Sunday 4 June with both sessions following the theme Blooming Marvellous.
Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse
Ancient House Museum, Thetford
Heading to our Thetford museum, You can become a river raider as you hunt for silver coins all over the museum as part of our new Viking Trail on Tuesday 30 May through to 30 June. The very same day our new trail begins you can find out what life was like in Viking Thetford by meeting exciting characters, playing some Viking games and getting stuck in with crafts to immerse yourself on the family event day The Vikings Are Here! which takes place for one day only on Tuesday 30 March.
Lynn Museum, King’s Lynn
Continuing with the Viking theme, the Lynn Museum this half term will be having their very own Viking Trail which families can participate in during their visits from Tuesday 30 May through to Sunday 4 June. On Thursday 1 June , the museum will be exploring the world of the Vikings, through the eyes of the archaeologists who help us understand them for the Viking Archaeology Family Event. Join the team for activities, crafts and the previously mentioned trail!
