The Best Ways to Explore the British Museum with Kids

London has over 30 FREE museums available to the public to explore and enjoy!  It would be wonderful to be able to visit them all, but what could be more British than visiting the British Museum with your kids on your trip to the UK?  

Opened in 1759, the British Museum contains over 8 million artifacts pertaining to human culture from around the world, and displays over 80,000 objects for public viewing.  I’m hard-pressed to keep my kids’ attention on 8 things, let alone 80 or 800!  So how do you make the British Museum fun for kids?

Note: The Best Ways to Explore the British Museum with Kids post may contain affiliate links from trusted partners and websites such as Amazon, and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you).

7 tips for exploring the British Museum with kids

1. Prepare Children for the British Museum

Research

• Before you travel, take some time to research what you will find at the British Museum that might spark your kids’ interests.  Go to the British Museum website: https://www.britishmuseum.org and find out the different cultures and histories that sound interesting.

Library

• Head to the library.  Read fun and fascinating books together about the artifacts you will see.  Look for books on ancient Egypt, the Romans, or China.  This will give your kids the context they need to feel excited about seeing the collections in the museum.

Online

• Take a virtual tour or watch videos.  On the British Museum website, you can explore the artifacts up close online before you see them in person.  You can also watch YouTube videos to get an idea of what the museum spaces are like.

2. Make the British Museum Your First Stop of the Day

After Breakfast

After sightseeing all morning, it will be difficult to get kids engaged and pumped to do more walking to see “old stuff.”  

So plan to make the British Museum the first stop of the day.  This way you will all have had a good breakfast, and everyone’s brains are ready to engage in making meaningful connections! 

British Museum Hours, Location, Fees

Museum hours are daily 10:00am to 5:00pm.  

The museum is FREE, but you can request tickets in advance to ensure you are able to get in.  

The British Museum is located in central London right next to the quaint Russell Square park. The British Museum building is easily accessible from the Russel Square tube stop on the Piccadilly Line.  There are two entrances you can use: at the front on Great Russell St. and in the back on Montague Place.

3. Head to the Information Desk for an Explorer Trails Map

In the center of the museum on the ground floor, you will walk into the Grand Court.

This room has the recognizable glass ceiling along with the cafe and gift shop. 

In the front corner is the Family Information Desk.  Here you can ask for one or several Explorer Trails maps.  These kid-friendly workbooks are based on topics such as Ancient Egypt or Fantastic Beasts. 

One of my sons loves ancient Egypt and the other is more into Roman culture, so we grabbed both of those.  The attendant also told us where we could look for some early British artifacts, which I wanted to see. 

These workbooks take you into various rooms of the museum and task you with finding fun images or pictures within the artifacts.

I worked with my 6-year-old on these and we had a lot of fun.  My eleven-year-old could do this on his own.  And the 14-year-old was content to stroll through each room, taking it all in without a guide.  That’s cool.  Each child was learning and making meaningful connections.

4. Accept a British Museum Mission as a Family

Museum Missions are fun activities that you complete with your phone or tablet.  Using the British Museum website, choose a favorite themed mission. 

Within each mission there are 5 activities:

• Find
• Preform
• Discuss
• Look
• Pose

These activities appeal to a variety of ages and learning styles in children.

The Find and Look sections help children hone their observation skills.

The Discuss section helps older tweens and teens analyze and synthesize information and connect what they see to their own life.  

The Preform and Pose are great for kinesthetic learners and extroverted little stars.   Plus, the fun pictures will provide sweet memories when you look back at your trip.

5. Take a Break and have a snack

If your children are needing a break, stop and have a snack or lunch to refuel.  

The British Museum has several dining options, including a restaurant, a cafe, and a pizzeria.  There is outdoor seating, if you have littles that need to move and wiggle more than the museum rooms allow.  

Also if you want a quaint little park, head to the cafe in Russel Square called Caffe Tropea, then find a shady spot to enjoy some ice cream and fresh air. 

6. Let each family member choose something interesting to them

Take some time before you visit to allow each person to pick their favorite part of the museum. 

If you’ve taken my advice and prepared your kids ahead of time for seeing the British Museum, then you’ve piqued their interest in some particular culture or artifact.  Now let them decide what to see. 

This way everyone feels ownership in part of the experience and will be engaged, rather than roaming mindlessly from room to room.

Bonus

Make sure to take a minute to walk through the Clocks and Watches Rooms (38-39) and the Money Room (68) on the Upper Floor. 

The Clock Room has a time piece from the 1500s as well as a digital alarm clock, which my 11 year old son thought was “so old!”  Cheeky. 

It also contains a Congreve rolling ball clock that looks like a marble run. It uses a brass ball that rolls in a zigzag pattern across a board to keep the time.

The Money Room is a timeline of money throughout the ages as well as highlighting interesting money from around the world.

7. Take a British Museum Guided Tour

The British Museum offers paid tours by knowledgeable guides during the weekends.  These tours can give you expert insights into some fascinating parts of the museum.  

The tours are £14 per person and are recommended for ages 12 and up so this would be great for your middle school and high school-aged history buffs. 

8. Use a British Museum Audio Guide

9. Go on a Treasure Hunt in the British Museum with Kids

Another alternative would be to purchase a treasure hunt! 

THATmuse offers planned-out museum treasure hunts for traveling families.  At the beginning of the hunt, a guide will meet you at the museum, take you inside, and explain the plan.  If another family signs up at the same time, you can have a friendly competition. 

The guide will give you background information, your pack, and best practices.  Your pack includes a map, pencils, and sealed envelopes with clues that take you throughout the museum. 

There is no time limit, so once you start you can take as much or as little time as you need.  This would add some fun and excitement to your visit.  The chase is on! 

London Activities After the British Museum

Need more ideas for family friendly activities to London? 

The London Pass is a program that allows you to buy credits to see over 80 attractions around the London area for a specific amount of days. You can access all the attractions through the london pass app.  For a family, this is a great budget-conscious way to see some of London’s most sought-after attractions.  The British Museum, London Pass, and family bike tours are all ways to experience London as a family.

You can discover more about the London Pass in this post where I explain all about it: The London Pass: the Best Sightseeing Value for a family in London

Day Trips from London: York

York is a charming city that is very family-friendly. If you are looking for a day trip or the next stop on your trip through the UK, York should make the list.

York has hands-on interactive museums, medieval walls to hike, and Harry Potter attractions all over the city.

Check out all the fun activities for families in York in this post: 10 Lovely Activities In York England With Children.

Travel Helps

Let me know your best tips for visiting the British Museum with kids

The British Museum is kid-friendly in so many ways and it is definitely a budget-friendly family experience to add to your list for your UK trip.

If you found this post helpful, don’t forget to Pin, Share, and Subscribe.