Camden Young Archaeologists is a three-year programme providing new and exciting out-of-school learning activities for children and teenagers, as well as their families and the wider community.  Camden Council’s Arts & Tourism team are working with a range of cultural organisations in the borough and across London to co-ordinate the project, supported by over £205,000 funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

• The Community Museum Family Bus tour is one element of the Camden Young Archaeologists programme. It was designed to engage families who may not have English as a first language and who have limited access to out of school learning opportunities during the weekends and school holidays. Hoping to introduce them to the widest possible range of cultural organisations in the borough.
• The Community Museum Family Bus Tour is a one-day family Museum tour that has been organised to introduce local families to places of particular archaeological interest in Camden, and to encourage families to take part in an event together. The tour involved 2 different visits, and was designed to be fun, interesting, as well as promoting lots of fascinating information and facts. The families were recruited through the local Headstart centre and also through 2 local schools, Richard Cobden and Netley Primary, so ages within the group ranged from 3 months to mid-sixties, as we had grandparents come along too.

The programme for the day introduced families to the fascinating world of archaeology, and related subjects. At the Canal Museum we were introduced to the history of transport and water with an opportunity for a narrow boat ride to survey canal wildlife and history. Numerous activities about bridge building, plaque making were available to all. The Hunterian Museum of Anatomy & Pathology offered families a chance to learn about science, surgery, and anatomy and use the archaeological tools of investigation, research, and observation. Families had the opportunity to meet a Barber Surgeon and learn about the development of surgery and meet ‘Nosey’ the real life surgical leech.

The Gang

Waiting for the boat

Narrow boat

On the boat

Inside the boat

How to make a bridge plaque

Lee, Winnie and their plaques

Canal activity

Bridge building

Making tunnels in sand

Maxine and family

Barber surgery at the Hunterian

Rory the barber surgeon

The Barber Surgeon and his leech

Put all the organs in the right place

Meet Mr skeleton