Early years toolkit

The toolkit is a refreshed and rebranded collection of articles, case studies and practical resources designed to support museums and cultural organisations in their work with young children and families.

Packed with practical resources, case studies and expert advice, our early years toolkit helps to create playful, meaningful experiences for children from birth to five.

Thanks to support from Arts Council England, we’ve built a strong reputation for innovation in early years learning. While the funding has ended, our commitment to high-quality experiences continues.

Originally launched in 2018, the toolkit has been refreshed in 2025 with updated content and new insights from across the sector.

Whether you're just starting out or growing an established offer, you'll find inspiration, guidance and ready-to-use ideas to suit your needs.

To make it easy to navigate, the toolkit is organised into three sections. Dive in and discover what works for you.

Search the toolkit

  • Starting out

    Practical ideas, first steps and inspiration to get going if you're new to early years work

  • Looking to grow

    Ways to build on your offer, develop partnerships and try new approaches

  • Well-established

    Explore in-depth case studies, reflective practices and strategic development ideas

Early years network

The early years network is a group of museums, galleries and cultural organisations working with early years audiences. The network meets every three months or so in London to discuss any ideas or problems.

If you’d like to join the network or for more information, please email [email protected]