Online activities for families - The Museum of English Rural Life

We are delighted that The MERL is now open again and we look forward to welcoming families back in person! If you’re looking for fun activities and resources to enjoy with your family at home, we have gathered lots of online activities and events for you to try at home

LOSE YOURSELF IN THE SEASONS

If you have visited The MERL, you will be familiar with the beautiful animation of a forest scene through the seasons, whether you’ve watched it on loop with an enthralled child, or just been surprised by the sound of thunder while you enjoyed your tea in the cafe! You can now watch an immersive 360 version of the animation via the MERL app. Find the download links on the ‘Shaping the Land’ gallery page.

BECOME A VIRTUAL SHEPHERD

Watch the 360 video of a modern-day shepherd riding a quad bike over Dartmoor, and find out how the film was made. The films are both in on our Virtual Reality Youtube playlist

Activities inspired by our collections

We have created a variety of activities reflecting themes of the museum. Find lots to do at Bee Happy and Thinking Rationally.

Recipes

Cook up a storm in the kitchen with delicious seasonal recipes from our archives.

Colouring sheets

Sit back and relax with our rural life colouring in sheets – farmer, thatcher, blacksmith

Crafting videos

Get creative with our springtime inspired activity videos – remember that you can pause the video at any point you like!

Activities for Under-5s

When we were unable to continue ‘Friday Fledglings’ our outdoor session for pre-schoolers in our fantastic urban garden on site last year, our session leaders started creating weekly resources for young families at home on Facebook and via a series of sessions on Zoom.

We’ve now gathered all those amazing activities together on our Fledglings at Home page, where you’ll find a wonderful range of videos, stories and craft activities to encourage you to explore the outdoors with your under-5s.

Join the Friday Fledglings Facebook group for regular updates and ideas for exploring the outdoors!