Ideas United
Eureka!'s team of experts in play and learning live by Walt Disney's philosophy that: “Our greatest natural resource is in the minds of our children” and all the museum's research and projects have consultation with children at their core. Ideas United is one of the mechanisms used for consulting with local school children and involving them in the decision making process when working on a new project.
Consulting children supports the museum's development by providing insights from a child’s perspective that could not be gained any other way and gives credibility to the exhibitions, galleries and programmes because they are responsive to children's wants and needs. Read Tudor Gwynn's blog on top tips for consulting with children.
Me and My Body
Eureka!'s experts are currently redeveloping the museum's hugely popular Me and My Body exhibition using the latest knowledge and techniques in playful learning.
The new Me and My Body has so far raised £2m worth of funding from the Wellcome Trust, Wolfson Foundation and others. In the gallery visitors will be able to learn about themselves through observation, explore how their health and actions compare with others locally and in other countries and learn about how their choices affect themselves and others around them. It will retain the exploratory environment of the existing gallery, while expanding the Eureka! commitment to immersive environments and role play opportunities. 
The team has undertaken vast amounts of research into developing the themes for the galleries and visited exhibits in science centres across the UK. As with all Eureka! projects, children have remained at the core of the consultation process, and will have many more opportunities to offer their input as the project moves into the design phase. An Advisory Committee of academics and experts from the public and private sectors has also been set up.
The new gallery will open in 2012 and updates will be posted here.
Wonder Walk sensory trail
In Summer 2010, Eureka!'s experts completed an outdoor sensory trail/play area, the Wonder Walk, at the museum. Consultation with children heavily influenced the design, content and experience.
Some of the ideas the children put forward that are incorporated into the finished trail include lots of herbs to smell and feel; areas to attract worms, ants and centipedes; stepping stones, cracked paving to walk on and thick grass and mud to sink your bare feet into; wind chimes; different shaped willow huts to eat and hide in; flowers for colour and smell; and a space to play with water.
Putting children in charge transformed this community playground into a place of exploration, discovery and adventure where outdoor play and learning are second nature.
Mission: Active Future
Mission: Active Future is an outreach programme developed by Eureka! The National Children's Museum as part of Healthy Halifax's Healthy Towns initiative funding bid. It is designed to support Calderdale Council's Change4Life and children and healthy weight agendas and aims to inspire and support children and families to be more involved in physical activity in their school and home life.
Eureka!'s experts and team of enablers provided a hands-on health and well-being learning experience for children from some of the most disadvantaged wards in Halifax during the first 24 week course. Over 20,000 children from Yorkshire have taken part so far and external evaluation has shown that they are more active and eat more healthily as a result. Download the Mission: Active Future evaluation report.
A Break to Play
A Break to Play is a programme funded by Aiming High for Disabled Children in Calderdale to support children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families that is being delivered by Eureka!.
Specialist Mandy Craven and her team are currently holding weekend sessions for families to offer advice, ideas and suggestions for activities when at home, with the emphasis on the importance of play. They are also providing advice on how to avoid sensory triggers, using a sensory map of the museum for each family. The team’s role is to empower and enable families, not teach or babysit them. Siblings are given special time and families take home a pack containing activities and information to include everyone.
The programme has been a great success so far. O
ne child who the team were told hated to paint was coaxed into a position where he could enjoy painting. To make things easier, rather than asking the families to fill out long evaluation forms, there is a Family Tree which is added to each week with leaf-shaped post it notes and photos. An evaluation report will be available here soon.
Money Matters
In response to the financial crisis and rising levels of debt, Eureka!'s team of experts has developed a series of hour-long Money Matters workshops for primary school teachers and their classes, using the museum's Bank exhibit.
Children are exposed to money and financial issues through their parents and the media but do not yet fully understand things like salaries, borrowing and debt. From a young age children get money, spend money, make choices, barter, negotiate and plan, and the foundations they are laying are important for developing their understanding and attitudes towards finances. The Money Matters workshops introduce these concepts in a non-threatening, non-judgemental environment, where children can debate and discuss through role play, helping them to make informed choices later in life.
The workshops are tied in to the curriculum for Maths and PSHCE – which teaches children about healthy living in its widest sense – and are tailored to match children’s learning abilities: Young Savers for Years 1 and 2 looks at what happens in a bank, Young Investors for Years 3 and 4 explores using money day to day and Young Earners for Years 5 and 6 focuses on the responsibility of earning a day’s wage.
