Big Sussex Weekend finds that museum play can be fun

The Big Sussex Weekend was an opportunity for young and old to find out more about Bexhill, test the knowledge they already have, or just get to grips with fascinating objects on display.

Sheila Hayes, who organises children's activities, said: "We hope to open up the museum so that we have more people coming in - especially more children. We are launching four quizzes, mostly for children, and hopefully these will carry on during the summer holiday."

Saturday saw the start of two competitions specially devised for young ones - one was identifying different smells, using clues, and the other was guessing what everyday items from the past were used for. Sheila said: "We also have an I-Spy competition to use around the museum, hunting for different objects. It is nice because a really young child could just look for the pictures and tick them off on the sheet, but an older child can write down where the objects were. They are given a certificate after when they have finished it."

The Big Sussex Weekend also featured a quiz for youngsters to try along the seafront, following clues to identify Bexhill's unique features and buildings. There was a challenge for adults as well, called The Impossible Poser, which features difficult clues to solve and make up a word relevant to the future of Bexhill Museum.