What’s On Events Calendar

A student-led, family-friendly summer exhibition showcasing toys from across Asia and Egypt to celebrate a simple fact of humanity: we all love to play.

• Creative
• Exhibition
• Exhibitions
• Public
• Family friendly
• Everyone

This exhibition marks the centenary of the 1924 Mount Everest Expedition, the first Western, and ultimately tragic, attempt to climb the highest mountain in the world.

• Creative
• Exhibition
• Exhibitions
• Partnerships & Collaboration
• Public
• Family friendly
• Everyone

Come and start the Pride celebrations!

• Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
• Family friendly
• Children and families

Join us at the Oriental Museum on Wednesday mornings for Little Dragons, our FREE session for children under 5 and their families/carers. Each session will be packed full of exploring the museum galleries, fun craft activities, singing, games and stories.

• Creative
• Public
• Under 5s

Join us at the Oriental Museum on Wednesday mornings for Little Dragons, our FREE session for children under 5 and their families/carers. Each session will be packed full of exploring the museum galleries, fun craft activities, singing, games and stories.

• Creative
• Public
• Under 5s

Explore our new photography exhibition!

• Family friendly
• Children and families

Join poet, picture-maker and playwright Lizzie Lovejoy in a workshop to combine creative writing and visual art.

• Creative
• Lates
• Performance
• Student experience
• Workshop
• Everyone
• Lifelong Learners and Community groups
• School students
• Students in HE
• Young People

Please join the Poetry Society for the launch Gentian, a poetry zine and display of poems responding to objects displayed in the Oriental Museum. With open mic, all welcome!

• Creative
• Exhibitions
• Lates
• Performance
• Student experience
• Everyone
• Friends of the Oriental Museum
• Lifelong Learners and Community groups
• School students
• Students in HE
• Young People

Living Objects shows a display of poems by DU Poetry Society

• Exhibition
• Exhibitions
• Children and families
• Everyone
• Friends of the Oriental Museum
• Lifelong Learners and Community groups
• Local and family historians
• School students
• Students in HE
• Teachers / Home Educators
• Young People

Can you spot any mythical beasts or lion dogs in our galleries?

• Family friendly
• Children and families

Explore our beautiful Ancient Egyptian perfume jars, make up items and jewellery.

• Family friendly
• Children and families

Find out about the Indian tradition of Rangoli art, and make your own.

• Family friendly
• Children and families

Find out about teru teru bozu - the famous Japanese weather doll and have a go at making one.

• Family friendly
• Children and families

Join us for some fun, autism-friendly crafts for families at the Oriental Museum when the galleries are quieter. Experiment with ways of folding, scrunching and sticking to make your own paper sculpture.

• Accessible
• Creative
• Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
• Outreach & community
• Public
• Workshop
• Family friendly
• Children and families
• Everyone

Explore our new exhibition all about play and toys, then try making your own game.

• Family friendly
• Children and families

Explore the Oriental Museum's collection of Japanese Manga comics and create your own to take home.

• Family friendly
• Children and families

Tanabata is the Japanese summer star festival. Find out about this special time of year and make tanabata decorations.

• Family friendly
• Children and families

Handle some archaeological finds from Ancient Egypt and China and try our special archaeology trail.

• Family friendly
• Children and families

Did you know that yaks were a vital part of the first attempts to climb Mount Everest? Find out why and make cute yak puppet.

• Family friendly
• Children and families

Explore our new exhibition, try our new playful gallery trail and make your own game.

• Family friendly
• Children and families

Get a free mini sketchbook and try some easy, fun drawing ideas.

• Workshop
• Family friendly
• Children and families

Learn about the Chinese terracotta army, and make your own terracotta warrior from clay.

• Family friendly
• Children and families

Find out why many Ancient Egyptians had terrible teeth and make a set of chompers from plasticine.

• Family friendly
• Children and families

Decorate a glass jar with your favourite colours.

• Family friendly
• Children and families

Experiment with colour and try paper marbling.

• Family friendly
• Children and families

See our huge Ancient Egyptian temple frieze and then make your own relief sculpture.

• Family friendly
• Children and families

Explore the sights and sounds of the Himalayas and make a cool mountain zine.

• Family friendly
• Children and families

See a beautiful boat on display and make your own watercolour sail boat.

• Family friendly
• Children and families

Find out about the ancient Egyptian obelisk on display and create your own 3D model to take home.

• Family friendly
• Children and families

Learn some Chinese characters and try writing your own.

• Family friendly
• Children and families

Bastet was the Ancient Egyptian goddess of protection. Find out why she was so important and make a fun cat painting.

• Family friendly
• Children and families

Find out about the Shang Dynasty of China and make a scary taotie mask with embossed metal detail.

• Family friendly
• Children and families

Create your own Indian-style miniature painting.

• Family friendly
• Children and families

Create your own mini mosaic from glass tiles.

• Family friendly
• Children and families

Get creative and make a mini Japanese Zen garden.

• Family friendly
• Children and families

Find out about ancient Egyptian life and make your own sandy pyramid.

• Family friendly
• Children and families

See our fabulous Korean Moon Jar - then create a mini one from clay.

• Family friendly
• Children and families

See the magnificent horse on display in the China Gallery and make a hobby horse.

• Family friendly
• Children and families

Find out about Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year festival, and make a shofar musical instrument.

• Family friendly
• Children and families