Family fun day planned for the launch of Game Plan

The Novium Museum will be celebrating the launch of a major national touring exhibition from the V&A on Saturday 17 March with a family fun day of crafts, games and activities.

The V&A Museum of Childhood's exhibition, Game Plan: Board Games Rediscovered is free to visit and celebrates the joy, excitement and occasional frustration of playing board games.

To mark the opening event, The Novium Museum will be hosting a fun Family Board Game Day. Families are encouraged to challenge each other to some well-known, family favourites as well as trying their hand at some lesser known games.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to create a game of their very own. For a small charge, they can choose between crafting their own Table Top Football or travel Noughts and Crosses, or they can let their imagination lead the way and see their own original designs through to reality.

"Board games are enjoyed by people of all ages, and can create long-lasting memories which are passed down through generations," says Councillor Eileen Lintill, Cabinet Member for Community Services at Chichester District Council.

"Launching with a day full of family fun and activities really sets the tone for the exhibition - encouraging intergenerational interaction through the world of gaming."

Game Plan presents some of the most iconic, enthralling and visually-striking games from the V&A's outstanding national collection. Alongside current family favourites such as Cluedo, Trivial Pursuit, and traditional games such as Chess, the exhibition looks at historical board games such as The Game of the Goose, as well as beautifully designed games from the 18^th and 19^th centuries.

The highly interactive exhibition features games from around the world, and also explores the important role of design. Selected games are highlighted with a more detailed look at their history and influence. An early design of Monopoly before it was commercially mass produced will be one of the many fascinating exhibits on show.

Game Plan opens at The Novium Museum on Saturday 17 March, closing on Sunday 1 July. Craft sessions can be booked online now.

The V&A Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green, London is part of the V&A family of Museums and the UK's National Museum of Childhood. It is the largest institution of its kind in the world; its mission is to explore art, design and performance through the material culture of childhood and to hold in trust the nation's childhood collections.