International Museum Day | EYFS & KS1 Activity Ideas

**Note: This page is for educational inspiration and is not officially affiliated with International Museum Day. International Museum Day (IMD) is celebrated annually on May 18th. It was established by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) in 1977 to raise awareness about the important role museums play in the development of society. The day highlights how museums are vital institutions that preserve culture, educate, inspire, and foster understanding across communities and cultures. Each year, ICOM sets a specific theme for IMD, focusing on a different aspect of museum work and its contribution to society. For official information, themes, and how to get involved, please visit the International Council of Museums (ICOM) website: www.icom.museum/en/international-museum-day-2

Monday 18th May 2026

18th May

• 🤔 What is International Museum Day?

  International Museum Day celebrates museums and their role in sharing knowledge, culture and history. It is coordinated by the International Council of Museums and highlights how museums help us explore the past, present and future.

• 🏛️ Understanding International Museum Day in EYFS & KS1

  This theme provides a rich opportunity to explore:

  • discovery and curiosity

  • history and the past

  • science and the natural world

  • art, culture and creativity

  This supports:

  EYFS:

  • Understanding the World (people, places, past and present)

  • Communication & Language (questioning, describing, explaining)

  • Expressive Arts & Design (representation, creativity)

  KS1 (National Curriculum):

  • History (significant people, events, the past)

  • Science (materials, inventions, investigation)

  • Art & Design (observational drawing, creativity)

• 🌱 A Developmentally Appropriate Approach in the Early Years

  In high-quality EYFS practice, themes such as museums are explored through:

  • curiosity and exploration

  • play and imagination

  • real and meaningful experiences

  The ideas below are:

  • flexible

  • optional

  • designed to support adult thinking

  👉 Find out more about developmentally appropriate practice in EYFS by exploring our ‘Curriculum & Pedagogy Suite’.

  Pathways available for:

  ↪ Babies | birth-18 months

  ↪ Toddlers | 18-36 months

  ↪ Preschool | 3-4 years

  ↪ Reception | 4-5 years

  ↪ Childminder | Mixed-Age Care

• 💛 Why This Theme Matters

  Exploring discovery and museums supports:

  🔍 Curiosity & Inquiry

  Children ask questions and explore how things work.

  🧠 Knowledge of the World

  Children begin to understand the past, science and culture.

  👀 Observation Skills

  Children learn to look closely and notice detail.

  🗣️ Language Development

  Children develop vocabulary linked to exploration and discovery.

  🎭 Imagination & Play

  Children explore ideas through role-play and storytelling.

🌿 EYFS: Provision & Child-Led Ideas (0–5 Years)

These ideas are not activities to be planned or completed. They support learning through curiosity, exploration and play.

• 👶 Babies (0–18 months)

  Exploration is sensory and rooted in interaction.

  Babies may:

  • explore objects through touch and movement

  • look closely at interesting items

  • respond to new textures, shapes and sounds

  Adults can:

  • provide a range of safe, interesting objects

  • support sensory exploration

  • narrate what babies are experiencing

  • allow time for uninterrupted exploration

  👉 Additional curriculum & planning support for this age group may be found on our ‘EYFS Planning for Babies (0–18 Months)’ hub page.

• 🚶 Toddlers (18–36 months)

  Toddlers explore through movement, repetition and discovery.

  Children may:

  • investigate objects repeatedly

  • explore how things work

  • engage in simple pretend play

  Adults can:

  • provide open-ended materials

  • follow children’s interests

  • model simple language (“What’s inside?”)

  • allow time for exploration and experimentation

  👉 Additional curriculum & planning support for this age group may be found on our ‘EYFS Planning for Toddlers (18–36 Months)’ hub page.

• 🧒 Preschool (3–4 years)

  Children begin to explore ideas about the world and the past.

  Children may:

  • ask questions about objects and events

  • engage in imaginative role-play

  • explore collections and categories

  Adults can:

  • support questioning and curiosity

  • introduce simple concepts of “past” and “present”

  • extend play through storytelling and discussion

  • provide opportunities for sorting and comparing

  👉 Additional curriculum & planning support for this age group may be found on our ‘EYFS Planning for Preschool (3–4 Years)’ hub page.

• 🎓 Reception (4–5 years)

  Children develop deeper thinking about discovery and knowledge.

  Children may:

  • ask more complex questions

  • explore cause and effect

  • begin to understand time and change

  Adults can:

  • support discussion and reasoning

  • introduce simple historical and scientific ideas

  • encourage explanation and reflection

  • extend vocabulary and understanding

  👉 Additional curriculum & planning support for this age group may be found on our ‘EYFS Planning for Reception (4–5 Years)’ hub page.

• 🏛️ Key Principle Across EYFS

  Discovery and learning develop through:

  • curiosity and exploration

  • play and investigation

  • conversation and interaction

  • meaningful experiences

🌱 Environment Enhancements & Invitations (EYFS)

These are optional enhancements that may be added to provision if they align with children’s interests in exploring, collecting and discovering.

• 🔍 Curiosity, Collections & Exploration

  You might enhance provision by:

  • creating simple “collection” areas with interesting objects (natural materials, everyday artefacts, loose parts)

  • offering baskets or trays for children to gather, sort and revisit items

  • allowing children to explore objects freely without predetermined outcomes

  Resources that may support this include:

  • Open-ended loose parts

  • Natural and everyday objects

• 🏛️ Role-Play & Imaginative Exploration

  You might enhance provision by:

  • introducing a light-touch role-play area (e.g. “museum”, “explorer space”)

  • adding props such as tickets, clipboards, labels or bags

  • allowing children to create their own narratives and roles

  Resources that may support this include:

  • Dinosaur Museum Role-Play Pack

  • Dinosaur Museum Trip Pack

• 🗣️ Language, Questioning & Thinking

  You might enhance provision by:

  • modelling simple questioning language (e.g. “What do you notice?” “What could it be?”)

  • encouraging children to describe objects and ideas

  • responding to children’s curiosity rather than directing it

  Resources that may support this include:

  • Word Mats and Vocabulary Cards (e.g. Dinosaur Word Mats)

• 🧠 Sorting, Grouping & Comparing

  You might enhance provision by:

  • offering opportunities to group and categorise objects

  • providing materials that vary in size, shape or type

  • allowing children to explore patterns and differences

• 🌍 Understanding the World Through Experience

  You might enhance provision by:

  • introducing images, books or objects linked to the past or wider world

  • supporting children to make connections between what they see and their own experiences

  • following children’s interests (e.g. dinosaurs, transport, inventions, people)

  Resources:

  • History

  • Dinosaurs

  • Transport/Travel

  • Space

• 🎨 Creative & Representational Play

  You might enhance provision by:

  • offering materials for drawing, modelling or constructing

  • allowing children to represent objects, ideas or discoveries

  • valuing children’s interpretations rather than directing outcomes

  Resources that may support this include:

  • Creative and mark-making materials

  • Construction and loose parts

• 🌿 Outdoor & Real-World Exploration

  You might enhance provision by:

  • providing opportunities to explore outdoor environments

  • encouraging children to notice details in the world around them

  • supporting simple “finding” and “collecting” experiences

• ✨ Key Reminder

  Curiosity and discovery develop through:

  • exploration

  • investigation

  • questioning

  • meaningful interaction

📘 KS1 Learning Activities for International Museum Day

In Key Stage 1, this theme can support more structured learning around history, science and discovery.

• 🏛️ Creating a Class Museum

  Children can:

  • create displays

  • organise objects

  • take on roles (visitor, guide, curator)

  You may use:

  • Dinosaur Museum Dramatic Role Play Pack

  • Dinosaur Museum Trip Pack

  • Dinosaur Word Mats & Cards

  Children may also:

  • bring in “treasures” from home

  • create labels and descriptions

• 🦕 Discovering Dinosaurs

  Children can:

  • explore prehistoric life

  • learn about fossils and evidence

  • compare animals past and present

  You may use our:

  Maths & Logic

  • Dinosaur Dice Game

  • Dinosaur Maths Challenge Cards

  • Dinosaur Counting Puzzles

  • Feed the Dinosaurs Dice Game

  • Dinosaur Number Slice Puzzles

  Literacy & Phonics

  • Dinosaur Alphabet Cards

  • Dinosaur Sounds (Phase 1 Phonics)

  • Dinosaur CVC Word Builder

  Creative & Fine Motor

  • Dinosaur Puppets

  • Dinosaur Colouring

  • Design a Dinosaur

  • Pattern Match Puzzles

  • Silhouette Matching

  • Playdough Mats

  Knowledge & Observation

  • Dinosaur Fact Posters

  • Dinosaur Tally Charts

  • Pictogram Charts

• ⚙️ Exploring Inventions

  Children can:

  • compare old and new objects

  • think about how things are made

  • design their own inventions

  You may use our:

  • Inventions Puzzles (Old and New)

  • Invention Posters

  • Invention Colouring Sheets

• 📜 Learning from History

  Children can:

  • learn about significant people

  • explore past events

  • understand how stories are preserved

  You may use our:

  • Black Historical Figures Posters & Cards

  • Mary Seacole Writing Sheets

  • Remembrance Day resources (Poppy Poem Pack)

  • Shakespeare resources (Masks, Counting)

• 🌍 Explore More Resources | EYFS Enhanced Provision & KS1 Activities

  You may wish to explore:

  • Dinosaurs

  • History

  • Transport/Travel

  • Traditional/Fairy Tales

  • The Environment

  • Space

• 🧠 Using Special Dates Thoughtfully

  A helpful question: “Does this spark curiosity and meaningful exploration?”

  If it supports:

  • questioning

  • discovery

  • real-world understanding

  → it is meaningful

• 🏛️ In Summary

  International Museum Day supports children to:

  • explore the world around them

  • develop curiosity and questioning

  • understand the past and present

  • engage in imaginative discovery

  In the EYFS, this is most effective when it is:

  • exploration-led

  • play-based

  • driven by curiosity

  In KS1, it can be:

  • explored through structured learning

  • supported through research and discussion

  • linked to real-world knowledge

• 🔓 How to Access Resources

  We offer a range of resources to support practitioners across EYFS and KS1, including printable materials and in-depth curriculum and pedagogy guidance.

  🟢 Free Membership

  You can access a selection of free resources by creating a free account.

  This includes:

  • selected printable resources

  • sample materials

  • weekly support emails for those who opt-in

  👉 [Create a free account]

  🟡 Premium Membership (Printables)

  Our Premium Membership provides access to our full library of printable teaching and provision resources.

  This includes:

  • themed resources (e.g. Gardening, Emotions, Seasons)

  • continuous provision materials

  • activity cards, displays and printable packs

  These resources can be used flexibly to support:

  • provision enhancements

  • small group work

  • classroom organisation

  👉 [View Premium Membership]

  🟣 Professional Membership (Curriculum & Pedagogy)

  Our Professional Membership provides access to our full Curriculum & Pedagogy Suite (Birth–5).

  ~ In addition to Premium Printable Provision access.~

  This includes:

  • age-specific pathways (Babies, Toddlers, Preschool, Reception)

  • planning guidance and templates

  • observation and assessment support

  • SEND and inclusion guidance

  • inspection-ready documentation

  These documents are designed to support:

  • confident decision-making

  • consistent practice across teams

  • clear articulation of EYFS pedagogy

  (KS1 curriculum coming soon!)

  👉 Visit EYFS Curriculum & Pedagogy Suite

  👉 [View Professional Membership]

  🧠 Choosing What Works for You

  You do not need to use everything at once.

  Many practitioners:

  • start with free resources

  • build their printable provision over time

  • use pedagogy documents to support team understanding and leadership

  Choose what best fits your setting, role and stage of development.

👉 To explore more early years events, visit our Special Dates Calendar.

Printable resources to support teaching & learning surrounding: ‘International Museum Day’

Additional Pages you may like to explore which cover relevant &/or connected themes

More Early Years Event Pages for May

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Disclaimer:
This page is for educational purposes only and is intended to support early years and primary practitioners with ideas and resources related to 'International Museum Day'. We are not officially affiliated with or endorsed by the International Council of Museums (ICOM), which established this event. We do not claim any rights to specific trademarks or official materials associated with this event. For official information, themes, and how to get involved, please visit the International Council of Museums (ICOM) website: https://icom.museum/our-actions/international-museum-day/.