My daughter is five. Her attention span is, generously, a cup of tea that has cooled while you were answering one email. So when I say she sat completely still through an entire film, I’m telling you something about that film.
Last Saturday, my daughter and I attended a special screening of Aardman Animation’s new release, Shaun of the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, at the Science + Media Museum in Bradford. There were no phones on the floor, no “when’s it over” questions, no fidgeting. Just a movie.
If you’re a parent who has quietly given up on the idea of a relaxed family movie night, this one’s for you. It’s the kind of screen time that leaves the whole house calmer afterward, and I’ll tell you exactly what we did.
Why I keep coming back to this museum
I grew up visiting the museum in Bradford — it went by a different name back then, which tells you how long I’ve been coming back. As a kid, I remember “flying on a magic carpet” in one of the special effects exhibits, and sitting at a news desk reading the news to a huge TV camera on a tripod. I was sold. I knew early on that I wanted a job that was dynamic and creative, in media or film.
That’s what good museums do. They don’t just tell you how things work — they show you why it matters, and they let you try. If you never let kids poke around in those spaces, how will they ever know what makes them light up?
It’s always a little strange coming back to a place that shaped you as a child, but it’s even stranger — in the best way — doing it as a parent with your own kid in tow.
What the special screening was actually like
The day started with a drinks reception in the foyer and family-friendly activities, then a pun-filled quiz on the Shaun franchise presented by Ben Shires before the film. (Ben sadly passed away a little while ago, and it made the morning feel extra special.) After the screening, there was a stop-motion animation workshop.
And then the film. My daughter — she’ll be five in November — was engaged the entire time. That’s rare. Shaun of the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom is thrilling, funny, silly, smart, and ultimately heartwarming. It has the rhythm of a classic spooky picture, wrapped in Aardman’s signature cuddly style. It never stops reminding you that every character is handmade, and that every second of on-screen action took hours of work.
Here’s the part I didn’t expect to love: the after. We spent a full hour after the screening wandering the museum’s interactive exhibits on the history of photography, TV, film, and digital. My daughter has the focus of a goldfish in a new pond, but she was happy, calm, and absorbed for the entire hour. That’s a win.
Is it right for your family?
If your kid is around five, this is a safe bet. The spooky bits are gentle — think classic ghost-story energy, not jump scares — and the humor lands for both adults and small humans. Aardman’s stop-motion style does a lot of the heavy lifting: it’s visually rich without being visually noisy, which matters a lot when you’re trying to wind everyone down.
The film is in cinemas now, so you don’t have to wait for a special screening to see it. But if you’re in the Bradford area — or you ever find yourself with a Saturday morning and a museum on the way — pairing a screening with a proper museum visit turns a movie night into a real outing. It’s the difference between watching a film and spending a morning out.
For everyone else: bookmark it. These special screenings pop up more often than you’d think, and they’re a genuinely lovely way to get your kid out of the house before dinner chaos hits.
- What age is it for? My daughter is five and handled the whole thing with zero complaints. The spooky elements are gentle and cartoonish.
- What’s included in a special screening? At this one, a drinks reception, pre-film quiz, and a post-film stop-motion workshop. Check individual event listings for details.
- Is it scary for younger kids? It has a spooky theme, but Aardman’s style keeps it warm and cuddly. Think “classic ghost story,” not “hide behind the popcorn.”
A note from Hazel
I used to think a good family day out had to be ambitious — a theme park, a big trip, something to put in the album. This morning, I’d call it 80/20: one film, one museum, one hour of quiet calm in the exhibits. My daughter didn’t ask for a snack once, and I didn’t check my phone. That’s enough. Sometimes a movie is the whole ritual, and the ritual is the whole day.