What's On
Family activities
Browse our upcoming family events and activities. Learn, create and have fun together!
Family visits
We provide a warm welcome to visitors of all ages, including children and family groups. Discover the programmed activities and everyday facilities available for family visits. Get hands-on!
Things to do
There are lots of things for children and families to do at The National Archives.
As soon as you arrive in our Welcome Hall, you can:
- Borrow a Sensory Backpack, with resources particularly for neurodivergent children, young adults and people with higher support needs.
- Pick up free activity sheets from our Time Travel Club trolley.
- Grab a map and pencil and start following our family trail! Learn about historical plants and animals as you discover 10 stops across our grounds – with rubbing plates, activities and more.
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What fun things to do will you find on the Time Travel Club trolley?
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Pick up a pencil and a copy of our Pocket Park family trail!
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What will you discover on your way around our grounds?
Around our building, you can also:
- Entertain younger children with toys and books in our small soft-play area, located in our café.
- Settle in to a bean bag and read a book from our little library, by the staircase on the first floor.
- Take a seat at a computer and complete our Ministry of Time Travel online mission on the first floor of our Welcome Hall, recommended for ages 8 to 12.
- Explore our shop, which includes a range of children’s books and souvenirs.
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Join our regular family Craft Clubs in the café.
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Enjoy a book and a sit down on the first floor.
Events
Come along to our monthly sessions featuring messy play, storytelling, and our popular Craft Clubs during school holidays. We also offer sensory storytelling for babies and toddlers during term time.
Facilities
Food and drink
Families are very welcome in our café. We have indoor seating available, including high chairs, and outdoor seating, including picnic benches.
You are welcome to bring and eat your own food in these spaces, but please bring any cutlery that you need with you.
Eat, drink and shop
Read more about our café and coffee bar, including a sample menu, and spaces where you can eat your own food.
Prams and buggies
You can bring your pram or buggy into The National Archives, and keep it with you in most areas of our building except our document reading rooms.
There is a buggy park signposted in our Welcome Hall where you can leave buggies, at your own risk.
Baby changing and breastfeeding
We have baby-changing facilities located in three places – just by our Welcome Hall, at the top of the main stairs, and in the accessible toilets in the Library.
If you need emergency nappies and wipes, just ask a member of staff for them – we have supplies available.
You are welcome to breastfeed at our site.
Sensory Backpacks
We offer Sensory Backpacks for visitors to use while at our site.
These are designed to support neurodivergent children and young adults, and people with higher support needs, to feel comfortable and enjoy visiting us.
Our Sensory Backpacks contain a range of resources including:
- a pair of ear defenders
- fidget toys
- themed sound buttons
- our furry rat soft toy
- an erasable sketching tablet
We encourage you to book a Sensory Backpack online in advance of your visit, to make sure one is available on the day that you need it.
You can collect a Sensory Backpack from staff in our Welcome Hall when you arrive, and return it to us before you leave.
Exhibitions
Everyone is welcome to visit our exhibitions, although some of the topics covered might be more suitable for children than others.
What's On
Exhibitions and displays
Visiting Kew? Don't miss our often-changing exhibitions and displays, large and small.