The Museum of the Home, formerly the Geffrye Museum, re-opened in 2021 after a three-year closure and an £18.1 million renovation. The museum explores home and home life from 1600 to the present day through diverse lived experiences, and examining the psychological and emotional relationships people have with the idea of 'home'. Since reopening, the Museum has new galleries to "explore the concept of home through people's everyday experiences of making, keeping and being at home over the last 400 years". The museum's mission is to reveal and rethink the ways we live, in order to live better together^.

I was approached to design and develop a new early years resource 'backpack'. The museum wanted the resource to provide activities, prompts and ideas which appeal across the family group and encourage discussion between family members. In facilitated sessions at a local childrens centre, we explored the engagement possibilities between proposed objects and the museums collection.  All the objects I designed and selected are durable, age appropriate and usable in multiple ways to encourage repeat visits; they connect to personal stories and historical objects; they are inclusive of different physical, learning and communication needs and engage with a variety of senses as well as stimulating vestibular and proprioceptive senses. The resource relates to themes including Style & Taste, Play & Entertainment, Food, Garden and Pets.

I was also the design consultant for the SEND backpack to ensure there was a common design language and identity between the 2 bags.

The project was a really nice combination of my workshop experience and my product design and I hope to do more in the future - please do get in touch if you are looking for a fresh perspective on your family self-led resources.