Forest Hill's Horniman Museum is one of the most family-friendly museums in London and their latest dino-fest is no exception. The show examines the relationship between dinosaurs and birds. We may think of them as scaly dragons, but in reality some of them may have had feathers.
There are five animatronic dinosaurs on display, including a semi-feathered T-Rex and he looks very weird! There is a good balance between presenting the science (and a dino-mad 8 year old probably knows more about the subject than most adults) and engaging younger visitors. We found the animatronics a bit plastic (give me a skeleton any day) but children are not going to complain. There are excellent descriptive notices for each beast including phonetic spelling and, a bonus for ignorant mum, what the names mean (Velocirapor = Speedy Thief).
Best of all, is the imaginatively laid out play space for very little ones - tables for colouring in and puzzles, dressing up, a charming selection of books to read.
The museum's main collection is free to visit and includes a fascinating display of musical instruments, on display in the room next door. Well worth dropping in after you have had your fill of feathered monsters!
Dinosaur rEvolution Horniman Musuem, 10 Feb–3 Nov. Tickets: £9 adults, £6 children, U3s free.