A ‘dino-mite’ exhibition for families
Truth be told, I was a bit apprehensive that my 3 year old would be too young to get much out of the new Dinosaur Babies exhibition at the National Museum, Cardiff. He’s not fanatical about them like many of his little chums, and would really prefer to play diggers than dino’s given the choice, but in an effort to support the learning he’s been doing on dinosaurs in nursery, I arranged a family visit anyway.
I need not have worried. Even after a bout of tears in the foyer on spotting a staff member wearing the world’s least scary dinosaur onesie, he was quickly distracted and won over by the variety of interactive exhibits on offer. The content of the exhibition is displayed using a range of tactile models, large images with captions, real and model skeletons, an animatronic dinosaur and traditional displays in cabinets with short easy-to-read descriptions. Many of the real ‘show-stopping’ skeleton exhibits are housed in low glass cases that can be viewed all the way around, making it accessible for little ones and easier for everyone to get a good view even at busy periods.
As a family we’re still pretty new to this type of educational, family experience and museums have moved on apace since our childhood, so I chuckled when my husband told our son not to touch one of the egg models which was screaming out for little fingers to pat and stroke it, but there were plenty of helpful staff around to reassure and encourage children to touch the exhibits – and even to ride on one of the dinosaurs!
Working as a team to dismantle and reassemble a large section of a leg bone, proved a popular activity with the little ones giving the grown-ups additional time to browse the nearby cabinets and learn about some of the most rare and exciting finds like ‘Baby Louie’ who had scientists confused until the first example of a new species of giant oviraptor was discovered as recently as 2007. The highlight for me though were the three real dinosaur eggs in which you can still clearly see the fragile bones of the unhatched animals inside.
The highlight for our little one (and most of the younger visitors there), was most definitely the opportunity to play ‘palaeontologist’ for the morning. Sporting his safety goggles, he whiled away at least half an hour digging in the large pit hunting for bones and eggs, then joining in with other children carefully brushing away the ‘earth’ to uncover their finds. The activity stations at the end of the exhibition area are perfect for very young children, and we spent a happy hour or so counting dinosaur eggs, practicing letter recognition with the magnetic letters and doing the large dinosaur jigsaw puzzles on the board.
The exhibition really lives up to the claim that it is ‘family friendly’ and it genuinely manages to achieve that tricky balance of appealing to all ages and levels of interest in the subject, so even if like me you have family members that can best be described as ‘can’t read, won’t read’ don’t be put off giving this exhibition a try. I would seriously consider going again with my nephews who are 10 and 7, and know that my son would be really excited to go again. Even better is the fact that it’s free for the under 4s (yet there is plenty that appeals to them), and with a family ticket (2 adults and 2 children up to 17) at only £17 it represents superb value for money.
Dinosaur Babies Exhibition, National Museum of Wales, Cardiff
27 May–5 November 2017, 10am-4.45pm (last entry 4pm)
Cost £7 adults, £5 concessions, £3 children, £17/£13 families
https://museum.wales/cardiff/whatson/9487/Dinosaur-Babies/
Tag Archives: Dinosaur Babies
Review Dinosaur Babies, National Museum Cardiff by Eloise Stingemore
(5 / 5)
The National Museum of Cardiff has launched a new exhibition, Dinosaur Babies (27 May – 5 November 2017) as part of Wales’ Year of Legends celebrations, which allows visitors of all ages the opportunity to experience the world of dinosaur family life through their eggs, nests and embryos.
There are three real dinosaur embryos on display within eggs as well as replica dinosaur eggs and nests collected from all over the World, from major plant and meat-eating dinosaur groups. Many of which were discovered in China, are on loan from America and have never been publicly displayed in the UK before. The exhibition also features a ‘Big Dig Pit’ to let kids become palaeontologists as well as a play area with toy dinosaurs, cuddly dinosaurs, dinosaur books, jigsaws on the wall etc. There’s also a dressing up section!
The museum curators clear achieved their goal of creating an exhibition that is not only child friendly but is suitable for all ages given the staggering range of activities and the wealth of information available to visitors. From fake eggs that the children can touch, to moving dinosaurs they can interact with, and picture and video displays. Whereas the breath-taking skeletons are brought to life through the wonderful illustrations of Luis V. Rey whose use of a rainbow pallet helps us to imagine the creatures we are walking amongst throughout the exhibition. You could easily spend up to 2 hour here exploring your inner palaeontologist.
Without a doubt Dinosaur Babies will enthral and educate visitors of all ages, there is something for everyone and will certainly come in handy for those studying dinosaurs in school! Also given that it’s not a huge place, children have the opportunity to run wild like their newfound dinosaur friends!
The Dinosaur Babies exhibition is open from 10am – 4.45pm with last entry at 4pm. Tickets can be purchased at the Museum or via ticketlineUK.com (£7 adults, £5 concessions, £3 children, £17/£13 families). Children 3 years and under can enter for free.
https://museum.wales/cardiff/whatson/9487/Dinosaur-Babies/
Review Dinosaur Babies, National Museum Cardiff by Third Act Critic, Jane Bissett
(5 / 5)
If you want an adventure with history this summer then step back in time and visit the National Museum Cardiff to experience their wonderful new exhibition – Dinosaur Babies.
The exhibits, many discovered in China, are on loan from the United States of America and have never been on public display in the UK before.
As you immerse yourself in the lost world of the dinosaurs you will come face to face with many familiar dinosaurs and others not so. The breath taking skeletons are brought to life by the many wonderful colour illustrations by Luis V. Rey, who working alongside the palaeontologists involved with the research of these dinosaurs, has given us visual imagery for the creatures we are walking amongst and a clear depiction of what they and their environment may have looked like when they walked the earth.
This exhibition has been specifically designed to be child friendly and it has certainly achieved its aim. There are a range of activities that engage the visitor whatever their age and the wealth of information is staggering.
Dinosaur Babies will enthral, enlighten and educate, as you venture into the never before seen world of motherhood amount these fascinating creatures. There are nests, eggs and even embryos intact inside their shells, a sight that will awaken the curiosity in everyone, alongside a desire to learn more.
The discovery of these dinosaurs in their many family groups has enabled scientists to build up a more comprehensive picture than ever before. They are able to establish a better idea and understanding of how these magnificent creatures lived in social groups and how they nurtured their young and now for the first time we are able to join them on this journey.
For the younger visitors there is a range of activities that will suit any age, whether it is conducting your own mini archaeological dig to find fossils, dressing up as a dinosaur or creating an art work to take home as a reminder of what you have seen.
This really is a great exhibition that caters for the whole family. Whatever your age or level of interest in dinosaurs, you are guaranteed to take away a wonderful Natural History Experience that you’ll be talking about all summer.
This exhibition forms part of Wales’ Year of Legends and runs from 27 May – 5 November
https://museum.wales/cardiff/whatson/9487/Dinosaur-Babies/