Holiday Activities

Enjoy either half- or full-day children's workshops in the school holidays. Develop a skill or explore Soane's treasures with specialist guidance.

• Workshops are suitable for children aged 7+
• Whole-day workshops run from 10:30am until 3:00pm
• Half-day workshops run 10:30am-12:30pm or 2:00pm-4:00pm (please specify when booking)
• Please ensure that your children arrive promptly for the activities
• All materials are provided
• Children must bring their own lunch for whole-day workshops
• £20 for whole day, £12 for half day, payable in advance (concessions available)

Booking is essential - please download and complete the booking form and email it to our Administrator at admin@soane.org.uk - To download the booking form click here.

Click here to download a pdf version of the entire 2011-2012 Informal Education Leaflet.

FEBRUARY HALF-TERM HOLIDAY, 2012

Stunning Self Portrait
Wednesday 15 February (2 x half days)
Find out about fascinating portraits in the Museum; then surprise your friends and family with your own very special, framed self portrait. Caroline Dorset

It’s Carnival!
Thursday 16th February (whole day)
Make your own fabulous Costumes and Masks inspired by the famous Carnival in Venice, and join in our own Soane’s Parade! Rosemary Bianchi

Opening Up the Soane: Update and Improve the Museum!
Friday 17 February (2 x half days)
Help us to give the Museum a facelift using sponge printing and stencils. Lucy Brennan

APRIL HOLIDAY, 2012

Paint a Pot - Ancient Greek style
Wednesday 4 April (2 x half days)
Discover some of the amazing ancient Greek myths, from glorious gods to terrible monsters, that are painted on ancient Greek pots. Use Sir John Soane's magnificent collection to inspire you and paint your own pot to take home. Kate Kelland

Soane’s Shadow Show
Thursday 5 April (whole day)
Create your own characters as moving shadow puppets. Sally Crowley 

Springtime Printing
Wednesday 11 April (2 x half days)
Come and create your own print inspired by imagery of new life and plants around the Museum. Laura Service

Brilliant Building Books
Thursday 12 April (2 x half days)
Sir John Soane’s house is weird and wonderful, but you can do better! Design an amazing building using your wildest imagination (and maybe some ideas borrowed from this famous architect). Using some simple techniques and some surprising materials, make a fantastic book to show your design for your building, inside and out! Rosie Fuller

Frieze in Time!
Friday 13 April (2 x half days)
Enjoy a bird’s-eye view of Classical Decorations and find out about the fascinating friezes in the Museum before making your very own to take home. Cecile Grant

JUNE HALF-TERM HOLIDAY, 2012

Heroes, Gods, Monsters …and Books
Wednesday 6th June (whole day)
Make your own beautiful book out of special paper with your own individually designed cover, and fill it with pictures from your favourite stories. Rosemary Bianchi

City in a Box
Thursday 7 June (2 x half days)
Learn how to cut, fold, collage and create with paper! Take inspiration from Sir John Soane’s drawings, models and his house to design your own dream city, and build it in a box with just paper, scissors and glue! Rosie Fuller

Hidden Helpers of the Museum
Friday 8 June (whole day)
We need more Museum fairies, elves and magic folk to help us open up the Soane! Create some special friends to look after your favourite things – either 2D or 3D using papier-mâché and wire. Lucy Brennan

SUMMER HOLIDAY, 2012

Olympic Victory!
Wednesday 1 August (2 x half days)
Ancient Greek Olympic victors were awarded an olive wreath to celebrate their success.  Modern athletes celebrate with medals.  After exploring Sir John Soane's collection, make a paper wreath and design your own medal to wear home. Rosie Fuller

Heads Up!
Thursday 2 August (2 x half days)
Look out in the Museum for your favourite heads made of stone, clay or plaster, then design and model your own special portrait pot from clay. Use it at home to store your special treasures! Caroline Dorset

Luminous!
Tuesday 7 August (2 x half days)
Play with light like Sir John Soane, to create different effects. Make your own light box to take home. Sally Crowley

Grow your own city
Wednesday 8 August (2 x half days)
Learn to cut and fold card to make pop-up buildings. Sow cress seeds to add real plants to your paper city’s parks, squares and gardens. Rosie Fuller

Mirror Madness
Thursday 16 August (2 x half days)
Explore Sir John Soane’s Museum through his creative use of mirrors and then make your own viewing device that will enable you to explore the world through ‘head vision’, ‘chin vision’ and ‘ear vision’! Chloe Cooper

Shining Suncatcher
Friday 17 August (2 x half days)
Be inspired by the beautiful array of colours and shapes in the Museum and create your own window decoration using everyday craft materials. Kate Kelland

Peep into Sir John Soane's Museum
Tuesday 21 August (2 x half day)
Create a magical peep-hole theatre inspired by treasures in the Museum. Caroline Dorset

Doh!
Wednesday 22 August (2 x half day)
Learn how to make your own salt dough; then use it to create a model inspired by weird and wonderful carvings and casts collected by Sir John Soane. Caroline Dorset

Majestic Mirrors
Thursday 23 August (2 x half days)
Make your own Soane inspired Mirror Frame. Sally Crowley

Block Printing workshop
Wednesday 29 August (2 x half day)
Print your own unique, colourful t-shirt with designs gleaned from the Museum. Caroline Dorset

Make me a Mini Model Mummy
Thursday 30 August & Friday 31 August (This workshop takes place over two mornings)
Investigate the sarcophagus of Seti I and discover why some ancient Egyptians were mummified after they died. Make a miniature sarcophagus and a mini model mummy to put in it. Decorate your sarcophagus, wrap your mummy in bandages and cast your final magic spells so you can take your creation home! Rosie Fuller

Building Olympics
A half-day workshop on the afternoon of Thursday 30 August or Friday 31 August
Try our big building challenges and experiment with structure. Can you build structures that are the tallest, the strongest, the widest or with the most loop-the-loop?  Team up with other children, get creative and a little bit competitive at our architectural version of the Olympic Games! Rosie Fuller