Kids in Museums

Kids in Museums is a classic story of good emerging out of bad. Founded in 2003 under the auspices of the Guardian when writer Dea Birkett’s young son was thrown out of the Royal Academy for being too noisy, Kids in Museums now leads in promoting family-friendly policies and attitudes throughout Britain.

The Kids in Museums Manifesto, along with the Guardian’s Family Friendly Museum Award have been incredibly successful ways of encouraging and guiding museums and galleries across the country to make family visits engaging and enjoyable.

Now, Kids in Museums has grown up. We’ve become an independent charity. With a dedicated and growing Board of Trustees and an exciting range of events, partnerships and initiatives planned for the next three years, Kids in Museums gives families visiting museums and galleries across Britain a dynamic and powerful voice.

Here’s a brief rundown of our history so far…

11 March 2003 Two-year-old son of writer Dea Birkett thrown out of Royal Academy’s Aztec exhibition for shouting ‘Monster!’ at a statue of Eagle Man

15 March Dea Birkett reports her family’s expulsion in her column in the Guardian

Two days later hundreds of families have written in to say they’re fed up feeling unwelcome in Britain’s museums and galleries

12 July Guardian Kids in Museums Campaign launched. A 20-point Kids in Museums Manifesto is compiled from visitors’ comments

September 6 Guardian Family Friendly Museum Award introduced the first museum award judged by families and children.

6 February 2004 Killhope North of England Lead Mining Museum wins first Guardian Family Friendly Museum Award - full story in the Guardian.

5 July 2005 Pitt Rivers Museum and Oxford Museum of Natural History picked as joint winners of second Guardian Family Friendly Museum Award.

28 July 2006 Falmouth Art Gallery wins third Guardian Family Friendly Museum Award

September 2006 Kids in Museums becomes an independent charitable organisation

May 2007 Second Kids in Museums Manifesto published

17 May First Kids in Museums/National Museums Liverpool debate held at Merseyside Maritime Museum

3 September Fourth Guardian Family Friendly Museum Award launched.

Kids in Museums logo and banner illustrations all © Quentin Blake.