It took my five-year-old son, Sam, ten minutes to decide whether or not to eat the stir-fried African black cricket handed to him by entomologist Dr George McGavin. Sat in the plush, pink seats of the Royal Institution’s lecture theatre, home to the annually-televised Christmas lectures, Sam’s tentativeness contrasted his older sister’s eagerness to devour the insect.

After encouraging my son to eat the cricket, I had no choice but to try one. It was crunchy and, surprisingly, delicious.

This culinary grand finale to Dr McGavin’s 20-minute lecture on insects as a food source was well pitched. Rows of children aged five to early teens had digested a series of amazing facts (e.g., peanut butter contains 60 insect fragments/100g, 40 tonnes of insects per human being live on Planet Earth) and an elegant explanation of the concept of optimal foraging.

Then it was time for the hands-on stuff.

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“A dash of olive oil, a few minutes in the wok over a high heat and a sprinkle of salt and pepper,” said the indefatigable Dr McGavin, before passing the cooked crickets around for sampling. Incredulity, horror and glee best described the sea of little faces before him.

Fantastic lectures (there were also a fire and a slime lecture) form a key part of the new, monthly family fun days at the RI, suitable for 5-14-year-olds. The range of additional science-based activities and demonstrations was a huge hit with my eight-year-old daughter, Molly and her friend, Emma, who both complained bitterly when urged to leave after a three-hour stint because they hadn’t had enough time to sample every activity.

We managed to squeeze in rocket firing using toilet tubes driven by effervescing Alka Seltzer in camera film pots (Blue Peter producers take note!) but had to omit the code-breaking session and limit the amount of times their brothers wanted to leap onto the “biggest whoopee cushion in world” or make fizzy eyeballs and scabs. Definitely things not to be tried at home.

Need to know

The Royal Institution of Great Britain's lecture and activity programme for varies from month to month. The next RI Family Fun Day is February 7, on the theme of “Hot and Cold”, 11 am to 4pm. Tickets £5 for adults and £3 for under 18s. Tel. 020 7409 2992

Pollock’s Toy Museum

This quirky museum with its six rooms stacked with toys through the centuries takes its name from Benjamin Pollock, the last of the Victorian Toy theatre printers. The museum, in two 18th and 19th century houses joined together in Fitzrovia, contains everything from a 4,000-year-old Egyptian toy mouse to nineteenth-century magic lanterns.

Get your kids to compare and contrast with Hamleys to see how childhood play has changed through the ages. Pollock’s Toy Museum, 1 Scala Street W1 (020 7636 3452; www.pollockstoymuseum.com), open 10-5pm (last entry 4.30pm) Monday to Saturday £5 adult ticket; £2 child ticket

The Wallace Collection

This national museum in a townhouse just north of Oxford Street houses art collected in the 18th and 19th centuries by the first four Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace. Old masters may not be a hot ticket for fun family learning but young kids will love trying on and handling princely replica armour from the 15th-17th centuries, a regular feature.

Add to the mix storytelling for under-5s, handling Victorian weaponry, 19th century dancing, the opportunity to meet costumed 19th century characters and making Xmas decorations and you have the family activity programme for December 13, 11-5pm at Hertford House, Manchester Square W1 (0207 563 9500; www.wallacecollection.org). Suggested donation £2 per person

Geffrye Museum

See your kids enjoying social history and learning about Christmas Past in the 18th century almshouses that make up the Geffrye Museum. Children can experience the changing style of the English middle-class domestic interior in a series of period rooms from 1600s to the present day.

The Christmas programme features learning about the history of the Christmas card, hearing seasonal stories and taking part in a mini-Christmas tree workshop (December 6). On January 6, join the traditional burning of the holly and the ivy with carol singing and stories of the Epiphany in the museum’s garden. Geffrye Museum (0207 739 9893; www.gefffrye-museum.org.uk). Free admission

Firepower

Firepower gives kids the chance to dress up in military uniforms, fire a World War II 25-pounder gun and play “Hunt the Horrible” to find man traps and other macabre items as part of learning about the men and women who served as gunners in the Royal Artillery since it was founded in 1716.

If you don’t want to promote gung-ho learning, you can concentrate on exhibits about the scientific discoveries made through warfare and human stories of courage and endeavour. Entry to the museum is free with a £1.50 charge for firing the WWII gun. Open seven days a week, 10.30-5pm during school holidays. Firepower, Royal Arsenal, SE18 (020 8855 7755; www.firepower.org.uk)

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