There is plenty for families to do at Octavia Hill Birthplace House!
We understand that younger children may not fully engage with the complex story of Octavia Hill’s life and work, and so we have provided plenty of interactive activities in the galleries to keep their attention. Read a fairy story written by Octavia Hill’s mother, handle replica objects, play with our building blocks, dolls-house and puppet theatre, peek into drawers and cabinets or even try dressing up as a suffragette or male suffrage supporter.
Eight of our galleries also contain children’s activity bags linked to the National Curriculum or Early Years targets. These are a different colour for each age group (Under 3s, EYFS, KS1 and KS2) so that your child can easily follow along and find the bag that is right for them hanging up on its peg when they enter the room. Like much of the signage in the Birthplace House, the instructions for these bags are trilingual in English, Polish and Lithuanian to reflect the diversity of the local community. Please put everything back into the bag and hang it back up when you move on to the next room.
Snacks, sandwiches and drinks are available from the Clock Tea Room and afterwards some steam can be let off by exploring our Courtyard Garden. All three of our toilet facilities have baby change tables. There is lift access to each floor for buggies if required (although most guests prefer to park them behind our main reception area and explore on foot).