12 September 2025 (past event)
- 10:30 to 11:30
Family activity
Time Travel Tots: messy play
Join us for a messy play session! We'll use lots of fun sensory materials to spark children's imagination and creativity.
- Date
- 12 September to 14 November 2025
- Location
- The National Archives, Kew
Bring along your tots to get hands on with a range of colourful and tactile materials on playful themes.
We recommend that your child wears clothes that they can get messy in. You may want to consider bringing a change of clothes. Aprons and wipes will be provided.
Find out more
If you have any questions about this event, please send us an email.
Event details
This event has sold out.
Dates for this event
14 November 2025 (past event)
- 10:30 to 11:30
Plan your visit
What is The National Archives?
The National Archives is the official archive of the UK government, and England and Wales. We are the guardians of over 1,000 years of iconic national documents.
Everyone is welcome to visit our headquarters in Kew. We put on exhibitions, events and displays and offer reading rooms giving access to our collections there.
Getting here
The National Archives is located by the River Thames in Kew, 30 minutes from Central London. We offer advice on travelling to us by car, bike, train or bus.
Children and families
We provide a warm welcome to visitors of all ages, including children and family groups.
- Explore the exhibition together with our MI5: Official Secrets family trail, for ages 8+, and decode a secret message
- Free activity sheets (for ages 1+) are available from the Time Travel Club trolley in our entrance hall
- Our café is child-friendly and there are picnic benches outside
- Prams and buggies are welcome, and we have a buggy park
- Baby changing facilities are located by our entrance hall, at the top of the main stairs, and in the library
- Emergency supplies of nappies and wipes are available
Eat and drink
We have a café and coffee bar provided by Maids of Honour, a historic local tea room and bakery. It has spacious indoor and outside seating and a soft play area.
On the menu is a variety of high-quality lunchtime meals, sandwiches, snacks, soft drinks, tea and coffee. Vegetarians, vegans and other dietary requirements are all catered to.
Series
Time Travel Club
Come along to our regular events for children. Spend time together – with an archives twist!