A Museum for Children, Designed with Children – Young V&A Museum
Following a three-year renovation process, former Museum of Childhood has reopened to the public as Young V&A Museum where kids can spark their creativity, imagine, play, and design.
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From Museum of Childhood to Young V&A
Cambridge Heath Rd, Bethnal Green, London E2 9PA
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Museum of Childhood closed its doors three years ago to undergo a full makeover. From dusty mausoleum of old toys dedicated to bring back childhood memories of parents and grandparents, the museum now has turned into an interactive place for children from 0-14 to stimulate creativity and curiosity.
Young V&A Museum reopened to the public on the 1 July 2023 after a £13 million transformation project. The building has been fully refurbished and modernised, and returned with complete new spaces for different age groups where they can play, design and enjoy interactive displays and participate in workshops.
The motto of Young V&A now is: “Do touch!”
Imagine, Play and Design
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Young V&A has three galleries, each designed to different age groups: Play, Imagine and Design.
The museum is designed with children in mind actively involving children and young people in the designing project. The aim is to foster future generation of artists, innovators, and entrepreneurs by creating a space full of creativity to let imagination free flow.
Play
‘Play’ gallery is aimed at 0-5-year-olds with low-level objects and textural landscape, where the youngest can experience a sensory journey with sparkly, furry, shiny, bumpy, and fuzzy surfaces.
There are tunnels and fun spaces with interactive games to play and to explore.
Imagine
‘Imagine’ gallery is aimed at 5-11-year-olds and it’s all about story telling. There is a mini theatre room with crimson carpet, and a dressing-up wardrobe for kids to encourage them to perform alongside clips being played.
There is a place for shadow puppetry and a doll’s house section where kids can walk between the houses of different heights, some which with interactive elements.
There is also a magical living room that creates optical illusion. Here visitors can become giants or dwarves depending on which side of the floor they’re standing.
Design
Upstairs there is the ‘Design’ gallery dedicated to 11-14-year-olds. This gallery enables kids to unleash their creativity through design. Models, prototypes, tools, and products are on display, and children can design their own objects in the design lab using digital and physical tools.
Temporary Exhibitions at Young V&A Museum
Photo: Urban Adventurer
There is also a new separate gallery for temporary exhibitions. Young V&A Museum’s first temporary exhibition: ‘Japan: Myths to Manga’ is opening this October. The exhibition will bring you for an exciting journey to Japan’s history, its unique landscape, and folklore and explore how these influenced Japanese culture, technology, and design.
This exhibition will be displaying Studio Ghibli and Pokémon related items!
Tickets to ‘Japan: Myths to Manga’ exhibition will be available soon on Young V&A Museum’s website.
Young V&A Museum is open every day and is FREE to visit (except temporary exhibitions).
NO booking required.
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