This summer we turned the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art into a great destination for children and families, with a wide range of free outdoor activities that took place in the Gallery’s beautiful grounds in the leafy west end of Edinburgh. As we start preparing family events for the October school holidays, we wanted to take a look back at all the fun we had and thank all our visitors who explored the outdoor structures and trails, and took part in our Ed Ruscha-inspired construction site mural!

At Modern One there is a series of multi-coloured wendy houses for children to explore, play hide and seek, or just hang out in, inspired by Nathan Coley’s amazing artwork The Lamp of Sacrifice, which comprises 286 cardboard models of Edinburgh’s churches, mosques, synagogues and meeting places. The work featured in our free exhibition NOW; its second installment will open later this month with a new selection of contemporary artists.

At Modern Two we created a multi-coloured play installation inspired by the theme of buildings and cities, and designed specially for younger children to explore, build and add to. It is still onsite for younger visitors to enjoy, and features an interactive wall with a number of games, including a giant marble run and building blocks. Our daily family activities and the structure at Modern Two were supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

Our children and families programme runs all year long - check our events page to see what we have coming up next.