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Museums reviewed by parents: Museum of Cardiff

The Museum of Cardiff from the outside on a sunny day.
Get to know the city of Cardiff inside and out during a visit to this charming museum. Interactive exhibitions and fun family games reveal a rich history and a place buzzing with multicultural communities. Often overlooked, the Museum of Cardiff, formally known as the Cardiff Story museum, is a must-see for locals and tourists alike.

Kate Morgan and her son Noah, age 11, take a look around the Museum of Cardiff to learn a bit more about this popular Welsh city.

The museum truly is a hidden gem (but hidden in plain sight!). Located in the centre of Cardiff and surrounded by busy shops, it is somehow easy to miss among all the hustle and bustle. Three other businesses operate within the same building: a Welsh souvenir shop, an information centre for tourists, and a cafe. Not many people know of the museum’s existence but once we discovered it, we couldn’t believe it had been under our noses for so long.

This is an ideal place for children of primary-school age to learn in a fun and safe environment. Although it seems small and crowded from the outside, it covers two floors and has spacious rooms filled with impressive exhibits. It's a great place to strengthen your Welsh and/or English language skills and there are also excellent aids throughout the museum for children and adults who are deaf, blind, or physically disabled. 

Children playing at the Museum of Cardiff

Best for nursery and Reception kids

Younger children will love climbing on a replica of the famous animal wall that, in real life, surrounds Cardiff Castle. In the safety of the museum, they get the opportunity to clamber onto the creatures and hear animal sounds as they wake up the tigers and lions.

They will also enjoy the elaborate mechanical dollhouse that tells the story of how people lived in their homes from the 1890s to 2010.

Downstairs there is a variety of different outfits to try on and children can roleplay as evacuees or train drivers. A toy train track, a toy oven and an abundance of children’s books will keep little ones occupied for a long time!

Best for KS1 kids

Kids of this age will have a great time learning about developments in the transport industry as they roll a digital die to play a racing game with the option to be a boat, steam engine, or horse.

In another part of the room, a miniature display of Cardiff Docks in 1913 is spread out across a large table and the kids can hover their hands over different sensors to watch the little buildings light up. They can then read about what each building was once was used for.

Downstairs, kids are encouraged to play ‘history detectives’ and can decipher clues by using audio equipment, piecing together puzzles, using touch screen tablets, and looking at the images on the walls. These games will teach them all about life during WW2, steam engines, Victorian school rooms, and immigrants who sailed to Cardiff to trade.

Young child playing games and learning at the Museum of Cardiff

Best for KS2 kids

Older children will also enjoy playing history detectives, and some of the challenges will be better suited to their level of development as the games can be quite tricky. The puzzles and fact-finding element will appeal to the investigative nature of any KS2 child.

There is a small movie screening area on the ground floor that will appeal to older children too. The movie that plays on repeat follows the lives of Cardiff locals who make their living from fishing or the steel industry. The ‘create your own city’ challenge requires children to use logic and strategies to build a safe and fun place to live. This includes the use of miniature buildings of varying sizes that fit together across a large table.

educational activities at the Museum of Cardiff  

Don't miss!

The interactive games are definitely the fun part of this museum experience, but don’t miss the interesting trivia about Cardiff throughout the building, especially the replica of the sonic screwdriver from the famous TV series, Dr. Who, often filmed in Cardiff. 

Half-term and holiday events for families

The museum hosts art and craft days, usually costing around £1. It also has showings of popular children’s films on select days and offers other events and classes for toddlers.

For more information about museum events visit their website.

Learning games and educational activities at the museum
 

Getting there, prices and opening hours

The Old Library, The Hayes, Cardiff, CF10 1BH

The museum is open 10-4 pm every day and entry is free.

There is a comprehensive map and contact details on the website.

parent and child enjoying activities at the museum

Pocket-money shop purchases

There is a large gift shop within the building with its own entrance. This offers quaint, Welsh-themed products mainly for the home, such as pillows and kitchenware. It doesn’t have a large supply of children’s items but is useful for finding gifts for loved ones.

Online treasures if you're too far to visit

You can find videos and updates about the museum on their social media pages and some extra information on the website. 

Links to the National Curriculum

  • Comprehension: listening and reading (KS1 and KS2)
  • Discussing a sequence of events (KS1)
  • History: significant historical events, people and places in their own locality (KS1)
  • Knowledge and understanding of the world (Nursery and Reception)
  • Creating and thinking critically (Nursery and Reception)
  • Use language to imagine and recreate roles and experiences (Nursery and Reception) 

young children and parents playing  

Photography: © Museum of Cardiff

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TheSchoolRun is looking for families to visit museums and other educational venues around the country and 'review' them. Get in touch to have your say about the best family days out (with a learning twist!).