The Victoria and Albert Museum

The Victoria and Albert Museum has some very imaginative ideas for involving children. They offer activity backpacks for different age groups and for different aspects of the museum. Themes include Chinese Treasures, the Metal Detector, the Explorer, Magic Glasses, and The Antique Detective. You pay £5.00 deposit to use the backpack which is completely refundable when you leave. The backpack has a tape recording with music and instructions and an instruction sheet. You then use the exhibits to help complete puzzles, or dances, or dress up in an Egyptian robe, do a play or tell a story. It is a fantastic way to capture the interest of youngsters in a wide variety of history and culture. During school holidays they also have an art truck in the gallery with materials and artists ready for children to re-create their own copies of the amazing exhibits. They often run special events for families too. This is all free of charge and makes a wonderful outing. The Victoria and Albert is easy to get to from the Georgian House Hotel, either by tube to South Kensington, or by bus. There are some evenings when the museum is open until 10pm. To find out more about opening times visit www.vam.ac.uk.

We know that when you are in a new place it is impossible to know everything about how things work . When you live somewhere it is different; you discover the easy way to travel, the places to get a bargain, the best places to eat, and the things to watch out for . When you know these things life gets more fun . That is why we try to pass on all our tips about living in central London, to you . Beyond this informative website we keep brochures and guides at reception, our own restaurant guide and our guide to how to entertain children in London . If you still have more questions just ask our helpful reception staff; if they don’t know the answer they will certainly try to discover it for you.