If you’re a garden, country park, ruin, archaeological site, heritage farm, industrial museum or have outdoor collections, you can still involve young people and children. Using all of your space means you can offer children a variety of experiences and get their perspective on different areas of your site. Takeover Day is an excellent opportunity to work innovatively to excite and inspire children in the heritage around them.

What kind of things can we do?

Young people can run an event or activity for visitors

  • Orienteering trails and geocaching
  • A ‘dig’
  • Story-telling, guided tours and performances
  • Nature activities like building a wormery or habitat hotel

Ask them to design new interpretation

  • A film about the landscape
  • An audio tour for visually impaired visitors
  • Trails, leaflets and signage
  • Pop-up exhibitions
  • Art installations

Involve them in conservation and maintenance

  • Cleaning artefacts
  • Documenting restoration works
  • Checking the state of the built environment

Consult them on a specific issue or space

  • Planning for a new play area
  • Creating a visitor orientation guide
  • Designing an events programme for peers

Want more inspiration of things to do – outdoors and indoors? Take a look at our case studies.

How to help your event run smoothly

Prepare your participants

  • Advise them to bring suitable clothes and footwear – layers are good, as well as waterproofs.
  • If writing to parents be clear that the event will be conducted outdoors.

Prepare yourselves

  • Provide clipboards and pens if writing or drawing is required.
  • Laminate materials.
  • Ensure there is a storage area for belongings.
  • Check the weather forecast and make sure you have a plan B for very wet weather!

Plan your event

  • Schedule regular breaks, working outdoors is more tiring than indoors.
  • Provide somewhere sheltered and indoors for lunch if you can, especially if it’s cold or if your children are young – if this isn’t possible, have a half-day event.
  • Offer hot squash.
  • Make sure the space you plan to use is accessible to all, whatever the weather.
  • Allow extra time for moving around the site and expect distractions.

Consider the comfort and safety of all involved

  • Ensure that you are never too far from adequate toilets.
  • Have a higher ratio child to adult supervision when outdoors and encourage group leaders to visit the site beforehand.
  • Be aware of the public, any traffic or moving vehicles, bugs and animals.
  • Look over the area in advance for slip and trip hazards.

More ideas…

With thanks to Chiltern Open Air Museum, Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, Forty Hall & Estate, Howsham Mill for their input.

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