Why your kids (and you) will love the Discovery Centre at the National Museum of Australia

Posted on 27 September, 2022

A fun, immersive, and educational play space designed for 0–6 year-olds with all learning abilities welcome? It sounds almost a little too good to be true.

As the National Museum of Australia (NMA) officially opens the doors of its Tim and Gina Fairfax Discovery Centre you can expect all that and more with areas designed for high activity, quiet contemplation and creativity for little ones.

Created with 0–6 year-olds in mind (hello hands-on and immersive activities, storytelling,  animation, and the chance to play alongside other children), trust us when we say the Discovery Centre can be enjoyed by little ones of all abilities.

The first area to greet the visitor is a soft and colourful infant crawl space. This is an area where toddlers can make and build while their younger siblings roll, crawl and investigate. Beyond the crawl space, visitors can creatively learn about the stories of Australia while encouraging generations of lifelong NMA lovers.

The Play Space

Throughout the space each of the five Australian stories is told through an adorable animation, exploring topics like the history of Australia, mythology, and the environment—perfect for both children and adults. There’s sure to be something to grab the attention of your child—the best part is they can physically immerse themselves in the stories.

Wambuwuny

In the great Australian grasslands, visitors meet Wambuwuny, the grey kangaroo, and hear the Wiradjuri tale of how she got her pouch. This is a quiet area where kids can listen to the story of Wambuwuny inside one of three relaxing pods designed to mimic a kangaroo’s pouch.

Chris the sheep

Young visitors arrive in the bush to meet Chris, a record-breaking sheep, and learn how he strayed from his flock, grew the biggest fleece in history and became famous all over the world. Chris’s space is an active area where kids can follow a labyrinth designed around a sheep pen and learn about mustering and how wool becomes our clothes.

Gelam

From the bush, our adventurers move into the reefs and lagoons of the Torres Strait. Here kids can discover the story of Gelam, the boy who became a dugong, swam the breadth of the strait and transformed into many of the features that make up the islands today. In this area they can arrange stones in the lagoon to create an Indigenous fish trap or gather and group shells in the way that Torres Strait Island kids do on Erub Island.

Trim the cat

Next up children can learn about Trim, the first cat to circumnavigate Australia, between 1801 and 1803 when he travelled with Captain Matthew Flinders. In this active space they will climb through the ships netting, turn the vessel’s wheel, look through a telescope and experience what Trim may have felt while sailing on HMS Investigator. Within the netting structure there are quiet areas for kids to rest and relax.

Bunyip

From the sea, visitors move to the billabong where they meet the mysterious bunyip. There they can dance and dress up and are encouraged to act out the story of Australia’s most famous mythical creature. This is an active area where kids are surrounded by projections and the many sounds of the billabong.

So, you’ve watched the animation of Trim the cat for what feels like the 100th time and your little one is still obsessed—now what?

The Workshop

The Workshop space will host a mixture of facilitated programming, self-guided maker and digital activities during Museum opening hours and after hours. Be sure to keep an eye on the NMA website to find out what exciting activities and programs are coming up.

If your little ones can’t get enough of the fun and adventure then consider becoming a paid Friends member. Entry to the Tim and Gina Fairfax Discovery Centre is free for adults and children with Friends memberships. Join today at nma.gov.au/friends.