The Ashmolean Museum is a treasure trove of fascinating archaeological finds and works of art, set within a stunning building in the centre of Oxford. As well as the cafe downstairs, they also have a great rooftop restaurant.
My kids aren’t always the best at wandering around a museum peering into glass cases and so when I heard from a friend about how much her children enjoyed the interactive trail, we had to go and check it out.
Entry to the museum is free but you do need to book and pay in advance for the interactive element. However, it’s really good value and you pay by the number in your family, starting from £10 for 1 adult and 1 child and up to £18 for a family of 6 (book in advance).
When we arrived we were each given a tablet and headphones. As the adult, I had the lead tablet which meant I could stop and start what we were doing so we stayed as a group. This was particularly good as my eldest tends to race on and complete trails faster than his brothers which leads to squabbles!
There are 11 mini adventures around the museum. Each one has an interactive element combining a variety of elements from audio to quizzes and tasks. Each one takes about 10-15 minutes.
One of the highlights was the Egyptian mummy. It had been CAT scanned and one activity was to ‘wipe’ away the case to reveal what the skeleton looked like below.
The Islamic art was stunning and the boys were able to design their own tile and then draw the Arabic that they chose to go on.
It’s a great way to move about the museum, with lots of variety not just in what you see and learn about but the tasks for each challenge too.
It’s recommended for ages 7+. My youngest is almost 6 and he could get involved easily with his own tablet. I’d say if you have kids with a mix of ages like mine then go for it but if they under 7 then I’d wait.
There are also free trails you can pick up there which are tailored to different age ranges.
