Family events: Time Travel Club

Travel through time with our family activities!

Time Travel Club is our family activities programme with events and activities designed for children. Learn, create and have fun with all the family.

Get priority booking to all our events every month when you subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Get priority booking – sign up to our mailing list now.

Plus, you can view and book all our upcoming Time Travel Club events via eventbrite.


Events until June 2024

A woman wearing goggles and a silver helmet points at some equipment.

Ministry of Time Travel Online Mission (8 to 12-year-olds)

The Ministry of Time Travel is looking for new recruits brave enough to tackle any mission! But successful Time Agents are made not born, so you’ll need to learn the tricks of the trade.

Under the tutelage of the Chief Timer herself, this online adventure will see you complete five exciting challenges highlighting records, photographs and stories from The National Archives’ collection. You can take part at The National Archives on our first floor or from home.

Start the mission


Time Travel Craft Club

  • Select days in school holidays, 10:30 to 12:30 or 13:30 to 15:30

Spend time getting crafty during the school holidays! There are two bookable Craft Club sessions taking place in our café on select days in the school holidays.

Find out more and book tickets on Eventbrite


Time Travel Club: Curious Creatures (5 to 7 years)

  • Thursday 4 April 2024, 11:00

Explore some of the curious creatures in our documents, from magical unicorns to the Home Office cat. You will take part in a sensory adventure and meet lots of animals along the way. This event is suitable for children aged 5 to 7.

Book tickets on Eventbrite


Time Travel Club: Great Escapes: Remarkable Second World War Captives (8 to 11 years)

  • Thursday 4 April 2024, 11:00

This interactive workshop is inspired by our new exhibition, Great Escapes: Remarkable Second World War Captives. In this session, you will have the unique opportunity to handle original documents and investigate what these records can reveal about individual’s remarkable stories of escape, both physical and mental. Discover more about the inventive ways they escaped their daily realities such as sport, art and even companionship with the only ever animal Prisoner of War, Judy the dog.

Book tickets on Eventbrite


Cartoon of a smiling mouse, painting.

Messy Play (2 to 5-year-olds)

  • Once a month, various dates

Join us for a fun messy session! Lizzie will use lots of sensory materials to spark your child’s imagination and creativity.

This event is for children aged 2 to 5 and their carers, and will take place in the Clore Learning Centre on the first floor.

You may wish for your child to wear clothes that they can get messy, or you can bring a change of clothes with you as it will get messy! Aprons and wipes will be provided.

Find out more and book tickets on Eventbrite


Cartoon of a mouse reading a book.

Sensory Storytelling for Babies and Toddlers

  • Various dates for different ages

Come and join us for some sensory storytelling! The storytelling lasts for 30 minutes with time for playing and chatting afterwards.

Find out more and book tickets on Eventbrite


Time Travel Club: Everyone loves going on holiday! (5-7 years)

  • Tuesday 28 May 2024, 11:00

Everyone loves going on holiday! Join us for a sensory storytelling adventure, taking a trip to the Victorian seaside. Using documents from the archive as inspiration, children will find out how the Victorians had fun by the sea. Take a train to the coast, play in the sand and paddle in the sea. Carers and children alike will have fun in this interactive holiday adventure!

Book tickets on Eventbrite


Time Travel Club: Did all Victorians love the circus? (8-11 years)

  • Thursday 30 May 2024, 11:00

From Acrobats to Camels in the channel, did all Victorians love the circus? Join us for this brand new workshop exploring our wonderful collection of Victorian posters advertising high wires, clowns and extraordinary animals. But why are people complaining to the Home Office?

Book tickets on Eventbrite


The Musical Archive Family Day

  • Sunday 2 June 2024, 11:00 to 16:00

Join us for a harmonious journey at our Musical Archive family day and enjoy the timeless escape that only music can offer!

Embark on an interactive adventure with the Enchanted Cinema, where children help create the sound effects and music alongside professional musicians as part of a live FX orchestra. Drop by our family friendly document display, make your own instrument, hear our collection come to life with a live harpist, and get your face painted.

Book tickets on Eventbrite


About Time Travel Club

Our Time Travel Club family events are a great way for you and your children to learn and have fun.

From the Tudors to Second World War spies, find out about the fascinating and unique stories that make up the history of our nation. Interact with astonishing original records from our collection and enjoy creative craft activities as a family.

Family event      Time Travel Club


Activities to watch and try at home

We have a wide variety of family activities including online Tots storytelling videos, Craft Club videos and activities which tie into national initiatives, such as the Big Draw and Arts Award.

Go to the family area


Time Travel TV

Discover our huge selection of Time Travel TV videos. Our TV series encourages viewers to explore archive documents from home with the guidance of members of the Education team. Throughout the series, you will learn about famous historical events and people, as well as the unusual documents we keep in our collection.

Each episode is completed with exciting follow-up activities, including a detective-based enquiry exploring other documents in our collection, and themed crafts.

Go to Time Travel TV