MAIN ATTRACTIONS: Susie Brindley, of the North Yorkshire Business and Education Project, with Scarcroft School pupils, from left, Samuel Fox, Hannah Plowman, Esme Carpenter and Paul Greaves with their child-friendly leaflets Picture: Nigel Holland.

A young team of tourist inspectors are set to see their child-friendly guides given out to thousands of visitors to the National Railway Museum in York.

Children from Scarcroft Primary School in York have devised a child-friendly guide to the museum and to York Minster and the Castle Museum. The pupils visited all three attractions and chose the "wow" factors at each attraction - the features children would look at first.

They got together with designer Mike Waterfall, from HBA Design in York, to produce a prototype guide through a project organised by North Yorkshire Business and Education Project.

Esme Carpenter, nine, said the best bits at the National Railway Museum were any sections which involved pressing buttons or pulling levers - particularly the section called The Works.

Hannah Plowman, nine, said her favourite section of the Castle Museum was the chocolate exhibition, which even smelled like chocolate.

And Paul Greaves, ten, said the Minster's most child-friendly features were the Blue Peter boss, put up after the Minster fire, and the spooky crypt.

Samuel Fox, ten, said: "It's like something out of Indiana Jones."

And they said tourist attractions could do more to attract children.

Paul said: "If children got round and look at maps they're never going to know what it says if it's in adult writing."

Esme said: "Most leaflets are more for adults than children."

And Sam said: "It's best if children are doing it because children know what children would want."

The team members, who are from Avril Gornall's year-five class, said the most challenging part of devising the guide together was meeting the deadlines set for them by the company.

Susie Brindley, project manager from the business project, said the challenge had been aimed at developing team building and problem-solving skills.

She said the National Railway Museum had agreed to use the guide for tourists.

The Castle Museum and the Minster had been delighted with the leaflets, but had no plans to use them.

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