It's child's play as The Bowes Museum launches new group

MORE young families are being encouraged to visit The Bowes Museum.
Free parent and toddler sessions, aimed at young parents under the aged of 25, are being held at the museum in Barnard Castle thanks to funding from Darlington Building Society.
With help from Teesdale YMCA, the monthly groups will offer support to young mums and dads as well as giving children the opportunity to build new friendships. 
Alison Nicholson, digital communications and fundraising officer at the museum, said: “We are working together to deliver these sessions. It is a perfect way of helping young parents and their children who might not usually come in experience the museum.”
Three young mums attended the first session, which was run by the museum’s education assistant Gemma Scott and Teesdale YMCA’s youth and community development manager Hannah Parratt.
Activities included soft play, singing and crafts relating to the museum. Parents also had time to socialise.
Ms Parratt said: “Parents can sometimes feel excluded from other groups because of their ages and often they feel like they can’t attend different groups.
“We are giving these people opportunities that they would not usually get the chance to do.”
Rebecca Kipling, 23, from Middleton-in-Teesdale, went along with her 17-month-old son, Calvin. She said: “I come for Calvin really so he can play with other children. It is really good.” Amy Middleton, 21, was also there with her two children, Timothy and George.
She said: “I feel like I fit in more with the group because it is people my age.”
Darlington Building Society will fund three more sessions which will take place on May 25, June 29 and July 27 from 10am until 11.30am.
The Bowes Museum will also provide an extra session on August 24.
Darlington Building Society will also be partnering with the museum this summer for The Clockwork Garden, a family exhibition which begins on July 29. The interactive exhibition, by the national children’s arts charity The House Of Fairy Tales, will give youngsters the chance to learn about a fairytale world of time.