With its tall walls and loud and busy reception and shop, Lisburn Museum’s entrance may seem overwhelming to young children. So, on arrival, children are greeted by a puppet (Flaxie) who introduces them to the building and objects. Each child is also given their own puppet for the duration of the visit so they feel they are joining in an experience. Flaxie is a reference to our permanent Flax to Fabric exhibition, which tells the story of Irish linen and flax production in Europe. Here, visitors can watch expert spinners turn coarse flax into fine yarn or try the spinning wheel for themselves. To help tell this story to children, we made an animation which families can view before a visit. This was inspired by a child asking their mother if they could go inside the museum, and her comment that ‘children are not allowed in there.’ The museum wants to help change this perception. We have a nursery action group to help develop ideas for our Flaxie Buds programme, which is aimed at under sixes and based on curriculum needs or bespoke requests from nursery providers.
Just as children were involved in the decision-making processes in the design of Flaxie, they decide if they use the lift, take the stairs, sit, stand, dress-up, play with books or toys or not participate at all. Their views are important in developing the programme, enacting Lundy’s (2013) model of child participation involving space, voice, audience and influence. We also see cultural democracy is integral to widening access to culture: children have unique and free access to stories, materials and sensory experiences.
Today we are storytelling around the spinning wheel, where children get to see hand-spinning and weaving of flax and hear some related fairy tales. This activity comprises:
- Sing-a- long and storytime at the Spinning Wheel
- Explore: The concept of time, seasons and the lifecycle of a plant using the story of flax.
- Discuss: The seasons and weather.
- Develop confidence: Using role play, children act out Flaxie’s growth from seed to flower.
- Share and Remember: Stories that relate to spinning.
- Develop Motor Skills: Hands-on have-a-go at spinning.
- Team Building: Singing together while the spinning wheel is turning.
- Encouraging Teamwork: Scavenger, bug and teddy bear hunts.
- Inspiring a Sense of Wonder: Searching for plants and insects.
- Building Confidence: Sharing finds and celebrating achievement in a group.
- Time to Imagine: Cloud Watching, Role Play, Drama. Acting out animals children see… wiggly worms, flying birds and buzzing bees.
- Active Listening and Teamwork: Parachute Games, listening to instructions, counting and colours.
- Developing Motor Skills: Encouraging play with light balls, bean bags. Throw/catch.
Other activities include:
Flaxie Buds Fairy Tales and The Imagination Station
- Creative Play Opportunities: At the dressing-up station children explore fairy-tale characters they know. They are encouraged to develop stories about them and act out characters they may create.
- Owning a Fun and Safe Place: A safe place where children are prompted with ideas for stories.
- Free Expression: Their story, their tale! Children take control of their own story.
- Costume Play: Access to dress-up costume and masks alongside individual accessories: hats, glasses, umbrellas, walking canes and coloured and textured fabric. The Flaxie Buds let their imagination take them anywhere.
Fabulous Fluffy Felting Workshop
- Making pictures with a simplified felting technique.
- Explore textures: Learn how to describe them.
- Sensory Fun: Concepts of soft, gentle, friction, wet, colour.
- Engaging Imagination: Children choose colours to create patterns and shapes.
- Motor Skills Development: Opportunities for pulling, separating, rolling and rubbing.
- Developing Listening and Talking Skills: Following instructions, learning to explain. Patience and repetition.
- Risk Taking: Trying something new. Building self-esteem in accomplishment. Praising.
The museum has a dedicated space for our early years programmes. Created in consultation with our nursery action group, it can be moved around the building, accommodating exhibitions and events without compromising the space. The space is sufficient enough to encourage children to sit, stand or roam. There is a carpet for circle time / storytelling and most importantly play.
THE IRISH LINEN CENTRE AND LISBURN MUSEUM
Number of visitors per year: 124,000 in 2022-2023
Collection: Linen art, textiles and local history/ community engagement. Includes an exhibition about Irish linen and currently hosting the British Museum’s Egyptian Hieroglyphs to 12 October.
Early years offer: Flaxie Buds, based around a puppet, Flaxie, which was developed with Lisburn Museum and its Nursery Advisory Group. Includes a family drop in space, gallery trails, loan boxes and curriculum-led programme (e.g. stories at the spinning wheel).
For more information (www.lisburnmuseum.com)