Children's Trails

Children's illustrator and heritage interpretation designer Emma Metcalfe specialises in creating beautiful bespoke children's trails for museums, castles and visitor attractions.
Children's trails are a fantastic way of keeping younger visitors entertained, ensuring a more enjoyable visit for the rest of the family too!
Emma provides a full creative service, working with you to create bespoke informal learning trails which capture the essence of your heritage site.
  • Bespoke children's illustrated map trails
  • Museum family trails and historic house children's trails
  • Outdoor activity and nature trails for parks and gardens
  • ​​Tailor-made to your requirements
  • ​See Children's Trails FAQs​​

Project Showcase

Holly Hedgehog's Hughenden Adventure Map illustrated children's trail family trail leaflet by illustrator Emma Metcalfe
Hughenden Adventure Map: Children's illustrated activity map trail
Gunnersbury Park illustrated family nature walk trail by illustrator Emma Metcalfe
Butterflies, Birds and Beetles Traill: Fold-out children's illustrated park nature trail
Kedleson Tree Hunt children's nature trail map leaflet by illustrator Emma Metcalfe
Kedleston Tree Hunt: Illustrated ancient tree trail for children and families
Castle Howard illustrated children's trail by illustrator Emma Metcalfe
Castle Howard Children's Book: Assorted house and garden trails in one booklet
Cannon Hall children's illustrated trail by illustrator Emma Metcalfe
Living the High Life at Cannon Hall: Fold-out children's illustrated house trail
 

FAQs: Children's Trails


How does the design process work?
Emma provides a full family interpretation design service, from initial ideas to print-ready children's trail artwork. Emma will speak to you and discuss your initial ideas, budget and requirements before advising on the types of trail likely to work best for your site. Emma can provide a full concept, design, writing and/or copy editing and illustration service or can simply provide illustrations if you have your own in-house design team or writer.

How long does it take to create a children's trail or family trail?
​Trails vary enormously, from very simple activities through to detailed maps. Trail projects generally take between 1 and 3 months depending on availability. It's always useful to have as much notice as possible as Emma normally works on several project alongside eachother at any one time. If you need a children's trail at very short notice it is still worth contacting Emma in case she has any late availability.
​
But we only have a very small budget....
Be honest about your budget, Emma works with tiny independent museums through to World Heritage Sites and can tailor projects accordingly. Emma is more than happy to advise on how to get the most illustration for your money and can advise on scaling projects up or down to fit your budget. In the case of children's trails this could involve choosing a simpler design, opting for black and white or 'colour in' elements or just commissioning a character design to use on trails you create yourself in-house, or choosing a simpler activity sheet instead.

Who writes the text?
Emma is happy to work closely with your Education Officer or Learning Team to decide on the best approach to your children's trail project. Emma can provide a full design service, including writing and/or copy editing if necessary.

​Can we use trail artwork for other things?
​It is straightforward to use characters from your children's trail in coordinating learning resources, schools' worksheets and activities. Subject to an initial discussion, Emma can provide digital versions of characters which you can use. Emma is normally happy to allow additional use of artwork for educational use at no extra licence cost (except where designers' time is needed to prepare/resize/alter artwork for additional use). For commercial use (e.g. retail products for your gift shop, see below).

​Is it possible to use characters from the trail on bespoke retail products?
​​Yes, Emma enjoys seeing her artwork on gift products and can design bespoke ranges of merchandise for museums, historic houses, castles and attractions. Emma can work with your current suppliers, licence her artwork or can supply a small range of products using her own supplier. See Emma's Products page for more information.

​What sort of attractions and organisations commission bespoke illustrated children's trails, worksheets and educational activities?
​Emma works with organisations large and small, from tiny local museums to World Heritage Sites. Illustrated trials are suitable for museums, castles, historic houses, visitor attractions, zoos, wildlife parks, churches, cathedrals, local authorities, farms, historic ships, industrial heritage sites, one-off events such as festivals and shows, national parks, country parks, theme parks, stately homes, religious sites, charities including educational charities and many, many more.

Does location matter?
Emma lives in Nottingham, UK but works with clients from all around the UK and further afield. For the majority of family trail projects Emma will do a site visit, unless a project is so small or so straightforward that it can be done remotely.
Emma offers professional quality artwork, meticulous attention to detail and a friendly down-to-earth service. ​
​All from a trusted heritage sector specialist.

​Contact Emma to discuss your project.