The Museum of London's Make and Move vehicle game for early years children. Courtesy Museum of London
As well as all the amazing on-site offers for under 5s, UK museums and galleries have developed free online games and interactives on their websites to engage young children with culture and develop their computer skills too. The games cover the Early Years Foundation Stage areas of learning especially:
1. Communication, Language and Literacy
2. Knowledge and Understanding of the World
Scroll on down for our recommendations...
Young children can learn about what's in the Museum of London's collection online with its Create a Costume interactive. Courtesy Museum of London
Culture24/Teachers recommends:
Museum of London online games for under 5s
The Museum of London has two easy-to-play interactives with a costume and vehicle theme that have been specially designed to be fun and appeal to very young audiences.
Create a Costume uses items from the Museum's collection - a pearly king's jacket, Georgian shoes and the Fanshawe dress as a basis for a creative game where children can drag and drop patterns and shapes onto an online template and colour them in.
After the children have designed their costume, they can then see an image of the original item of clothing in the Museum of London's collection. Courtesy Museum of London
Move and Make uses historical vehicles and buildings for a very simple matching game.
What we really like is that in both games children have the opportunity to see a photograph of the real item that the illustration is based upon and learn a bit more about it. Great for discussion.
The interactives come with helpful adult guidelines; the Museum of London intends them to be played with an adult, particularly by the very young who may not yet have mastered mouse manipulation.
I can see you! The V&A Museum of Childhood's online game Peek a Boo has a "Boo!" sound effect the children will enjoy hearing. Courtesy V&A Museum of Childhood
The Museum of Childhood has a selection of toy related games for little ones. We like Peek a Boo for its sound effect.
Create a Kaleidoscope encourages children to get creative with pattern and Jigsaw Puzzle is a traditional favourite.
Bring paintings to life using sound effects with the National Gallery's Noisy Paintings interactive. Courtesy National Gallery
The National Gallery online game for under 5s
Choose a painting and add sound effects with the National Gallery's Noisy Paintings interactive. Why not use these paintings or others with a collection of instruments so the children can get really hands on with making sounds? You can even zoom into Uccello's The Battle of San Romano and other paintings in the National Gallery's online collection - perfect if you've got an interactive whiteboard.
Answer the questions about the mummy's tomb and the mummy is revealed. Ancient Egyptian fun from Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery online. Courtesy BMAG for Kids
Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery online game for under 5s
BMAG for Kids' cartoon-look interactive Explore an Egyptian Tomb is just the thing for kids obsessed with pyramids and mummies. There are nine questions about 'mummies' to open the mummy case. We recommend you do the asking of the questions but it's worth it for the 'reveal' at the end!
Even young children can make their own simple picture book stories complete with text and illustrations with ArtisanCam's Picture Book Maker. Courtesy ArtisanCam
ArtisanCam
We had to include arty website ArtisanCam which has one of our favourite resources, Picture Book Maker. This interactive needs an adult's help but children will love dictating their story whilst they choose suitable illustrations.
