Ahoy there! Children will be learning about different aspects of the Historic Dockyard. © Mandy Schaller
Families visiting Portsmouth Historic Dockyard will be helped to explore hundreds of years of British naval history with new activity backpacks.
The Royal Naval Museum worked alongside other attractions in the Dockyard, including Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory, to develop the interactive packs to really bring the past to life.
Younger members of the family group will learn while having fun with jigsaws of ships and figureheads, knot tying activities, trails, detective work, and the chance to create their own flag.
There will be three types of backpack, each with a different theme. Inquisitive landlubbers can choose from ‘dockyard buildings’, ‘ships and the sea’ and ‘dockyard people’.
Trails will take families on a journey through time. © Mandy Schaller
The aim is to widen access and community involvement by providing a focus for family visits. Deborah Hodson, learning development officer at the Royal Naval Museum, said, “This project is about maximising the learning potential of the Historic Dockyard in a fun and engaging way for family groups.
“A lot of visitors find the Historic Dockyard, its buildings, and the work that goes on fascinating and want to find out more. The backpacks will enable them to do this, and through the wide variety of activities, will make the dockyard and its history more accessible.”
A motley crew of sea farers. © Mandy Schaller
It will be the first time that visitors get the chance to learn about the site as a whole, instead of museum by museum, or ship by ship, and it is hoped that the backpacks will encourage repeat visits and increase awareness of the importance of the Historic Dockyard and the people who worked there.
The Royal Naval Museum enlisted the help of families to give advice on what the backpacks should contain, and then they were road-tested by children with positive results.
Children road-tested the activity backpacks. © Mandy Schaller
The project was part funded by Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Museum Development Fund as part of Renaissance in the Regions, and aims to be up and running by September 2005.
Deborah Hodson added, “The backpacks will help Portsmouth families discover more about their heritage and hopefully encourage them to visit the site on a regular basis.”
Emily Sands is the 24 Hour Museum Renaissance Student Writer in the South Eastern region. Renaissance is the groundbreaking initiative to transform England's regional museums, led by MLA, the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.
