MoPA Thomastown is filled to the brim with sensory, immersive, play-based learning experiences, all carefully curated to support both Early Learning Outcomes and the Victorian Curriculum associated with foundation and Year-1 year levels.
Already, thousands of Kindergarten, Foundation and Year-1 students have enjoyed play-based learning excursions at MoPA Sandringham and MoPA Geelong, and we are so excited to finally offer this same rich experience to the schools of Melbourne’s northern region.
It was the PERFECT excursion! The staff were fabulous, kind and engaging. The facilities are phenomenal, it’s bright, spacious and fun without being too overstimulating. There were lots of engaging spaces and sections for the students to explore.
Amsleigh Park Primary School
Excursion Details
Smaller Groups (79 or fewer students) $23 per Student, no min.
2 hours of structured and unstructured play-based learning (2.5 hours including meal break)
For groups of less than 80, we break the children into smaller groups and hold ‘In-Session Excursions’, which means your excursion will take place during the Museum’s normal play-session times.
The schedule is as follows:
Smaller groups can choose between a 9:00am arrival (9:30am if no food break) or 11:30am arrival
2 hours of structured and unstructured play-based learning experiences
A 30-minute meal break to give the children’s minds and bodies valuable time to rest
A total of 2.5 hours in the museum
11:30am or 2pm departure
Carers, Parents, Adults & Educators must hold an Adult Ticket ($15)
Note: MoPA Educators will be present and supporting all activities and child-led engagement with the exhibits, though it is expected that your supervising adults are also actively engaged
Larger Groups (80 or more Students) $23 per Student, min. $1,840
2 hours of structured and unstructured play-based learning (2.5 hours including meal break)
For large groups, the “Museum Takeover” is available. In this instance, your ELC/School enjoys exclusive access to the Museum with no public access, giving all the Children the space they need to get the most from their visit.
The schedule is as follows:
11.30am arrival
2 hours of structured and unstructured play-based learning experiences
A 30-minute meal break to give the children’s minds and bodies valuable time to rest
2pm departure
Carers, Parents, Adults & Educators may attend in any numbers you wish, at no extra cost
Note: MoPA Educators will be present and supporting all activities and child-led engagement with the exhibits, though it is expected that your supervising adults are also actively engaged
Alternatively, complete the form below and we’ll be in touch:
DESIGNED TO SUPPORT EARLY AND FOUNDATION LEARNING PRINCIPLES
Our Museums have been specifically designed to support early learning principles, which means the connections through to the Early Years Learning Framework (“EYLF”) are plentiful. The strongest connections specific to our excursion programmes are below, but the education team will happily build a focus to suit any context/focus.
VICTORIAN EARLY YEARS LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK (VEYLDF)
Children have a strong sense of identity
Children are connected with and contribute to their world
Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
Children are confident and involved learners
Children are effective communicators
VICTORIAN CURRICULUM
English: VCELT148, VCELT150, VCELT171
Maths: VCMMG082, VCMMG081
Science: VCSSU048, VCSIS051
Visual Art: VCAVAE017, VCAVAV018
Personal & Social Capability: VCPSCSE002, VCPSCSO004, VCPSCSO005, VCPSCSO006, VCPSCSE001
AFTERNOON ART CLASSES: Bookings for Term 1 are Now Open!
Kaila and the amazing team of educators here @MoPA are VERY excited to meet our new students. Enrol now to secure the day that works best for your Term 1 schedule! x MoPA
WORST kept secret of 2025? 🤔 MoPA is coming to Nunawading!!!
No one imagined we’d find the perfect location for a Children’s Museum in Melbourne’s East so early in 2025. But it happened. It’s a thing. Work has already begun on a HUGE new Children’s Museum - right here in the heart of Melbourne’s EAST... On Whitehorse Road, Nunawading!
The Museum is set to open mid-2025. To learn more, watch the progress unfold, and get early access, be sure to join the mailing list. Head to the Nunawading page on our website for all the juicy deets.
GET EXCITED!! Enrolments for Afternoon Art Classes @ MoPA - TERM 1 - are NOW OPEN!!
World’s BEST art teachers. Beautiful workshops. Small class sizes. Convenient afternoon class times (4 til 5.30). Available at our Geelong Museum, Thomastown Museum AND Sandringham Museum. Carers can ‘drop-and-run’ or ‘stay-and-play’ (use our wifi to smash out some work). Chef prepped snacks. HEAVEN for your lil’ CREATIVE!!
Loads of deets on the website. Classes are expected to sell out quickly. Soooooo excited!! x
Just some of our FAVE dress-up craft creations so far. Seeing what children do with such an open brief is truly magical. Love love love these works of art.
For the remainder of the school hol’s we’re exploring THE ART OF DRESSING UP at MoPA. This activity and many more activations are all included in each session. See post and website for deets. xx
THE ART OF DRESS UPS! Showing From Jan 2nd til’ Feb 3rd
While activities like dress-ups may seem like harmless fun, these joyful shenanigans can actually be VERY. Serious. Business...
Children (and sometimes adults!) dress up because it’s just fun, of course. But children also use these make-believe opportunities to experiment with personas and scenarios that reach far beyond regular everyday life. The dress-up games they play enhance their creative skills, and it’s also now proven that children build fundamental social skills through play; and these skills pay dividends well into adult life.
All of MoPA’s new dress-up activities, and the materials required to participate in them, are all included with all regular tickets.
As we head into the holiday period, we thought it would be helpful to remind our gorgeous guests that you must book your tickets to MoPA online, prior to arrival.
We receive amazing feedback about limiting entry numbers in order to maintain a comfortable and safe environment.
Many of the team at MoPA are parents too, and so you can be sure that we all fully appreciate how difficult it can be to be super organised with your lil’uns 24-48 hours ahead of time. Booking your tickets online, however, does mean that you will never ever find MoPA to be overcrowded - even if it’s a rainy day in the middle of the school holidays ☔️🚗🎨🌈
The first week of school holidays are already 85-90% sold out, but there are LOTS of tickets available after Xmas and into January ♥️
From today right up until Christmas eve, ALL children visiting MoPA can work with our educators to create and take home their very own PERSONALISE-ABLE SNOW DOME!!
Yep. That’s right. Snow. In a dome. AND a drawing. Also in the dome. Cutest. Gift. Ever.
A tribute to Nonny? A nod to Uncle Lach? A gift for Auntie Paula? Or perhaps simply “The place where Iggy came from” (thanks Lily, Mum did clarify that Iggy is your lil’ plush penguin).
YOUR child’s snow dome can be whatever their imagination desires; and EVERY child that visits MoPA will receive one to make and take - from now and Christmas eve. Epic.