SECOND SUNDAY CRAFT DROP-IN

Drop in between 11am – 1pm each second Sunday of the month and enjoy a different activity based on various themes related to The MERL and its collections. Why not bring a picnic or enjoy lunch in The MERL café too? 8 December – Make a Winter Woodland Themed Festive Garland This month’s Second Sunday […]
SECOND SUNDAY CRAFT DROP-IN – OCTOBER

Drop in on the second Sunday of each month and enjoy a different activity inspired by the MERL themes and collections 13th October – Make a woodland animal mask October’s Second Sunday Craft drop-in is inspired by our Autumn animal theme. Many stories are inspired by animals of the woodland. Be inspired by the wonderful colours […]
DRAW AT THE MERL

Draw with us this October and celebrate the power of creativity on our well-being! Every week day, sit back and relax in our café or garden with some MERL-inspired colouring-in. Or explore the galleries and draw your way through the English countryside. On Tuesday 15 October, join students from the University’s Institute of Education in […]
THE MERL FAMILY EVENT: AUTUMNAL ANIMALS

Learn about the autumnal animals you can discover in the countryside through creative crafts, trails and fun play in the MERL garden. Book a 1.5 hour session at 10:30am – 12pm or 12:30pm – 2pm (second session is a repeat of the first) £4 per participating child, adults free Sessions are suitable for families with […]
SHAUN THE SHEEP at The MERL

Join us for an out of this world morning of family fun celebrating the release of A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon Families will get the chance to create their very own SHAUN / LU-LA model and create a stop-motion scene with their new farmyard/intergalactic friend, just like the animators at Aardman! Check out some […]
WHERE’S WALLY? THE BIG MUSEUM HUNT

Join the search for Wally with your family every weekend from Sunday 13 October to Sunday 3 November! We’re part of the national Where’s Wally? The Big Museum Hunt, organised by Kids in Museums and Walker Books, to celebrate the release of the new ‘Where’s Wally? book, Double Trouble at the Museum’. Can you find […]
THE MERL HALF TERM WORKSHOP – LINO PRINTING

Drop your kids off with us at The MERL this October half term for a creative workshop for children aged 8+! Get hands on with objects from The MERL collections and then get stuck into the fantastic world of lino printing in this exciting 2-hour session. You’ll create your own prints inspired by animals in […]
THE MERL HALF TERM WORKSHOP – STRING ART

Drop your kids off with us at The MERL this October half term for a creative workshop for children aged 8+! Get hands on with objects from The MERL collections and then creative with a hammer and nails in this exciting 2-hour session. You’ll create your own amazing piece of string art inspired by animals […]
CLOSED: LADYBIRD IN FOCUS: ONE GIANT LEAP

To celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the moon landing, One Giant Leap looks at how Ladybird Books has illustrated our fascination with space and the inventions that helped us reach it. Beginning with books about the night sky and constellations, Ladybird Books has covered humanity’s interest in the sky since the 1960s. Showcased in the Ladybird Gallery, this exhibition […]
NOW ONLINE: VIRTUAL REALITY & OBJECT HANDLING

Our holiday events are online! Join us on social media for a digital alternative to trying our VR and object handling activities at the museum. Pull up a chair, imagine it’s a quad bike, climb on and watch a 360 version of our Quad Bike VR film to be transported to Dartmoor with Shepherd, Russell […]