Vote For Your Favourite Family Friendly Museum

Vote For Your Favourite Family Friendly Museum

The Guardian Family Friendly Award 2009wants you to nominate your favourite family friendly museum.

What makes a museum family friendly? It could anything from the crayons and sketch book placemats in the cafe or the workshops every Saturday morning come rain or shine.

Maybe it's something as simple as the fact that all the staff smile and and play with your children, or that every door is wide enough to get your buggy through.

It could even be because they have computers for teens to find out more about the exhibitions, or young people's groups who help run the business and create special shows.

One of my favourites is a tiny place called the Pier Arts Centre in Orkney, partly because buggy access is great but also because the pictures are hung at child level (or shin and knee level for grown ups!)

Also because most of the pictures have the 'official' information on one label and then another one written by a child from a local primary school - which tend to be far more interesting.

If museums and galleries aren't somewhere you'd normally take your children why not use this as an excuse to to try one out. You could ask your children to let you know what's especially good about it (and if they say nothing perhaps you'd better let the staff know so they can improve things!)

Nominations for the award close on August 28th and here's the bit I especially love.

Nominations can be made by email or post in any format you like such as letter, poster, model, DVD or scrapbook.

Full details on how to nominate can be found at theKids in Museums website. The winner will be announced in October.

Do tell us which ones you'll be nominating and why in our comments below.

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