School holiday events
MERL Families
Our new guide to family events and activities over the Spring and Summer is now available to view online or to download and print:
Click on this link to view a web-friendly version of MERL families (pdf)
Click on this link to download a printable version of MERL families (A4, pdf)
If you would like to join our families mailing list, please email merlevents@reading.ac.uk with MERL Families in the subject line.
Spring half term family fun at MERL!
Marvellous milling demonstration
- Wednesday 6 June
- Demonstrations throughout the day
- Free
- Drop in
- Suitable for families with children of all ages.
Come and see how flour is made! Our volunteers will demonstrate throughout the day using our quern stones and corn from the University farms.
Flower pot loaves
- Thursday 7 June
- 10am-12pm and 1.30pm-3.30pm
- £3 per child
- Drop in
- Suitable for families with children aged 2+.
Make dough to take home and bake into bread. Also, make your own butter to eat with it.
MERL’s annual Village Fete has a Jubilee theme this year, so come along and enjoy fun activities, traditional games, face painting, morris dancers, vintage and modern tractors and much more. Plus beer tent, hog roast and Jubilee teas. For details and to see a short video of last year's event, visit MERL Jubilee Village Fete 2012
Summer holiday fun at MERL!
Garden games
- 23 July - 31 August
- Free
- Drop in during normal museum opening hours
Show off your sporting prowess in the MERL garden with balls, bean bags, skittles, mini hurdles and egg and spoon!
Amazing animals activity box
- 23 July - 31 August
- Returnable deposit
- Drop in during normal museum opening hours
- Suitable for families with children aged 2+
Be inspired by our permanent collection to explore how different animals live and work in the countryside with our Amazing Animals activity box.
Teddy bears' picnic
- 27 July
- 12-2pm
- Free
- Drop in
Bring along your teddy, a picnic and come and have fun in our garden. Big brothers and sisters can come too!
Rollicking good rosettes
- 1 August
- 10-11am, 11.30am-12.30pm, 1.30-2.30pm and 3-4pm
- £2
- Drop in
- Suitable for families with children aged 4+
Create your own rosette and be first across the line in this drop-in workshop with artist Julie Roberts.
Tremendous trophies
- 2 August
- 10am-12.30pm and 1.30-4pm
- £2
- Drop in
- Suitable for families with children aged 4+
Be first over the jumps and make your own junk modelling gold cup in this drop-in workshop with artist Julie Roberts.
Toddler Time in the garden
- 3 and 17 August
- 10am-11am and 1-2pm
- £2
- Drop in
- Suitable for families with chidlren aged 2-5
Take the magic carpet for a ride into the garden and join us for songs and fun!
Family tours
- 8, 15, 22 August
- 11.30am
- Free
- Please book
New for summer 2012! Join our volunteer guides on our new 30 minute, interactive highlights of the Museum tour. Why not bring along a picnic and stay and play in our beautiful garden afterwards?
Farmyard fun with Miller's Ark
-
16 August
-
12-4pm
-
£1 per person (under 1s free)
- Drop in
Meet sheep and goats, pigs, geese, ducks (with their own paddling pool!) and colourful rare-breed chickens.
Make your own model farm
- 21 August
- 10am-12pm and 1.30-3.30pm
- £2
- Suitable for families with children aged 6+
Always wanted your own model farm? Join us to cut, stick and colour to create your very own farm.
Marvellous medals
- 23 August
- 10-11am, 11.30am-12.30pm, 1.30-2.30pm and 3-4pm
- £2
- Drop in
- Suitable for families with children aged 2+
Design a championship medal using copies of images in our archive and turn it into reality using our badge-maker in this drop-in workshop.
Important note:
MERL welcomes children of all ages but they must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Our fun events and activities are designed so that the whole family can enjoy interesting and informative new experiences together. In order for everyone to get the most out of the workshop activities, we ask that there are no more than two children (of the appropriate age for the activity) per adult in your group, and thank you for your cooperation in this.
Please see our Terms and conditions for bookable events