Finally the Natural History Museum have started doing sleepovers for kids. Last Saturday night was the first of what is to become a regular event at the venue. The first “Dino Snores”, for 200 children. Not surprisingly It sold out within days and proved to be such a success the museum now plans to allow 400 to sleep there every month.
The man who bought my old house is a curator at the Natural History Museum and was there for the event. It sounded like it was a huge success. What a brilliant idea. I’m going to try and get some tickets for my youngest child – he’d love it.
The children attended in groups of five and naturally had to be accompanied by an adult. One of the highlights was a torchlit treasure hunt through the dinosaur gallery. Staff hid reflective discs containing clues among the exhibits, which children had to find.
Films were screened and TV naturalist Nick Baker gave a talk on bugs with one of the museum’s entomologists, Erica McAllister.
Terry Lester, part of the museum team that helped organise the event, said: “For a long time we’ve been inundated with requests from people asking if we do sleepovers, so we thought it was time to give it a try.
“The evening sold out very quickly, and although Saturday’s event was a trial, we’ve already decided to make it a monthly event for the full capacity of 400.
“We’re sure these will be amazing experiences for children and we found the grown-ups who accompanied them also enjoyed it a lot.”
The museum will charge £45 per child for the events, with adults attending free. Mr Lester said a corporate sponsor was being sought to help subsidise places for families who could not afford the fee.
The 26-metre Diplodocus cast welcomes visitors into the Central Hall and has been at the museum since 1905.
I wonder if I could ask them to do adult sleep-overs?
Expat Mum
January 18, 2010They’ve been doing that for years here at the Field Museum and so far I have managed to avoid it. I can barely get a good night’s sleep in my own bed let alone a hard stone floor. Unfortunately the Little Guy seems to have found out about it. Eek.
Family Affairs
January 18, 2010Get B & C to take him. Good male bonding, camping, Bear Ghrylls sort of stuff Lx
Sarah Fontó
January 18, 2010Son of Thor would love that.
Me less, too many memories of the last time I collapsed asleep in the NHM after quaffing too much wine at a staff function, making a tit of myself and then conking out, slumped next to T-rex, in full view of all my bosses. (I was only 20 OK, not fully grown up and very much a lightweight)
If I can get over the hot prickles of remember humiliation I’ll see if we can match up a visit back to the UK with a future event.
Family Affairs
January 18, 2010Well, that was precisely what I was looking forward to doing on the adult sleepover!! Will work on it and we can be badly behaved together ! Lx
Muddling Along Mummy
January 18, 2010That sounds so cool !
The Science Museum does late night openings with a bar for adults – almost as much fun ?
Family Affairs
January 18, 2010Yes, but good to not have to worry about getting home. Maybe we could merge the evenings? Parents in the bar. Kids in the other room. Lx
Chic Mama
January 18, 2010Sounds great, I’d love to get mine to one sometime. Not a bad price but X5 adds up. Maybe when I win the lottery . ;0)
saz
January 18, 2010We have been holding sleepover s for a while, our third year here.. great fun, but l havent volunteered as yet…got the tshirt though..
Eclipse
January 19, 2010Wow, I’m such a geek that the Science Museum thing sounds really cool :O