Paradise Park - better than NHM for kids?

 

There's a place in Newhaven that I am proposing, in ultimate sacrilege, as being possibly a better day out for kids than the Natural History Museum in London.  I love the NHM, the cathedral of natural history with it's amazing collections and world leading scientists.  For the kids it is an exciting day out and one we all enjoy, but it is also a marathon of train rides and tubes or buses and walking, and often very crowded when we get there.  Enter the surprise local gem, which I must have blogged about before in the mists of time.  Paradise Park is a random mixture of Earth Science exhibition, glass houses, gardens, play areas and garden centre, with a miniature railway and huge dinosaur models as well as animatronic exhibits.


 The kids would be happy to go just for the play parks and the opportunity to ride the miniature railway and play the steel drums, but it also provides a perfect opportunity for learning about a vast array of earth and human history.  I can't begin to describe the non-stop sucking in of information by the kids as they interacted with the exhibits, made us read every information board and demanded answers to thousands of questions that arose. 

This was a sunny day and as such most folk were outside in the play areas, so the rather confined walk through inside area was much more pleasant than on a busy day inside - we went round twice and were able to stand and really look at each exhibit without getting barged along from behind by giant buggies and noisy families charging through without much interest in the science as has happened before.


 The horseshow crabs caused a lot of interest, as did the earthquake simulator (ok, not as impressive as the one at the NHM, but less scary for Toby) and all the artefacts from our ancestors and near ancestors such as Neanderthal tools.




Ollie is dreaming of the day when he has saved up enough for a giant geode like the one in the crystal galleries, while Toby enjoyed the frisson of being mock frightened by the movement and noises of the animatronic dinosaurs.  He said his favourite was the Pterodactyl.

 For young botanists it is also a good day out, with interesting displays about plants and their uses, and zoned glass houses including a cactus house, fern house, Italian garden and Japanese garden.

 Toby was entranced by the huge fish gaping up at him from the numerous ponds.  Outside the gardens lead you around a selection of miniature versions of local landmarks, with great information boards describing smugglers pubs, haunted railway cottages and the folly buildings of Mad Jack Fuller.  Our net stores at Hastings even get their own miniatures.


There's more to this site than I could describe in a 3000 word essay, but for anyone looking for a great fun and educational destination for kids to learn about earth sciences, it's well worth taking a look at what's on offer. 


Notes on the site
The site is accessible throughout, although narrow in places for wheelchairs and prams if it is busy.  There are toilets with baby change facilities and also there is a café in the extensive garden and pet centre.  Play areas are zoned by age appropriateness and are well maintained.  There is indoor soft play and coin slot operated entertainment such as remote controlled lorries.  The miniature railway is an additional small charge.  There are no restrictions on bringing picnics to eat outside and seating and tables are provided.

Museums are fun

 We're very lucky to have loads of great small museums around our area, staffed by enthusiastic employees and volunteers who do everything they can to keep exhibits interesting and in great condition and in some cases even put on extra fun days.  They're also either free or low cost, although obviously leaving a donation helps to keep them that way.

One of our favourites is the Hastings Museum and Art Gallery.  We've been twice in the last couple of weeks because they currently have a fantastic display of coral reef photography and objects which is a great thing to stop at on the way down to the aquarium.

Museums shouldn't be a dull experience that parents force unwilling kids around.  The key I think is to introduce them to visiting regularly while they're as young as possible and understand that they may spend ages in one area and show no interest in others.  Any idea that you might get a chance to gaze at exhibits and read the information yourself should be abandoned at the door as you will spend a large portion of your time chasing small people and trying to speed read signs so you can answer their questions about the things that have caught their attention.

Hastings Museum is very well set up for children because it provides stopping places where you can sit and do an activity and gather your wits. It is also very accessible and has good toilets. We love the drawing station - getting Ollie to pick a feather to draw means he actually focuses enough on the exhibit to ask questions and listen to the information about them.

We particularly like the little Japanese tea set in the dressing up area.  There are a selection of world story books there too so it is a good chance to read traditional stories or look at celebrations  from different cultures.

Toby's favourite areas are the dinosaur gallery. He likes to pretend the Iguanodon is nibbling his fingers, pressing his hand to the glass and then pulling back and shouting 'ow, bit me' and laughing while holding his hand up for me to inspect.

The kids love familiar routines, so are happy visiting the same museums over and over in a way that might drive older kids or adults round the bend.  Much as we love the occasional foray up to the big museums in London, these small local museums are actually of greater enjoyment to the kids in many ways because they tend to be much quieter so you can actually get to see the exhibits in your own time, rather than being swirled along by a crowd.

Your local tourist information office will be usually able to give you a map with all your local museums and other attractions marked on, and being close at hand means that even if your little ones are in school you might be able to pop in for an hour before dinner.  It's also worth asking what activities they have for children since they are often used as venues for baby and toddler group activities or have extras on during school holidays.