This week we took out first adventure to Oxford to visit the Oxford Story Museum, based right in the center of town.  It just happened to be the first thing that came up when I googled ‘things to do with kids in Oxford’.  And I feel very fortunate that it was because it turned out to be one of the best places we have taken Nye.

We started our visit by choosing whether to take a trip on the wonder walk or the 26 characters exhibition.  I asked the lady at the till which she reccommended for toddlers, and she suggested the exhibition.  We left the gorgeous shop, full of lovely books and headed into the courtyard to wait for my friend.  Whilst in the coutyard Nye spent a good 15minutes playing with a sailing boat they have there.  As Nye played some people arrived for the wonderwalk and the guide told us that the boat was symbolising the one from ‘Where The Wild Things Are.’

The 26 characters exhibition showcases Britain’s best loved writers and storytellers, transformed into the characters they most loved as children.  It is an exciting new, interactive photographic exhibition including Children’s Laureate Malorie Blackman as the Wicked Witch of the West and Terry Pratchett as Just William.  As a visitor the exhibition allows you (especially children) to explore with with all of their body.  Everything is set up so that you can truly expeirence things without fear of touching them.  Fancy walking through the wardrobe into Narnia?  You can do that here!  How about dressing up, walking down the red carpet and being annouced on a throan.  Yep, that’s also available here.  Then there are the little touches, big lit picture frames to stand in to create your own photos, stamps to collect, stories to listen to and a cavernous building to explore.

Our favourite bits:
Nye loved the relaxing environment of the greek myth, where clouds float across the room as you lay watching them from a cosy sofa.  The dressing up room and the spinning story table.

p.s I’m over on HIBS 100 with my Hot Picks if you fancy some some interiors inspiration.