Co-op has launched a new partnership with Eureka! The National Children’s Museum in Halifax, West Yorkshire, opening a newly branded Co-op Play Shop designed to help children and families learn about shopping, food and sustainability through play.
The Co‑op Play Shop is located within Eureka!’s Living and Working Together Gallery and is aimed at children up to the age of eleven. It encourages young visitors to take on the role of shoppers, choosing items from the shelves, using mini shopping trolleys and checking out at self‑service tills. Alongside this, children can also try simple shop floor tasks such as shelf stacking, helping bring everyday food shopping experiences to life in a fun and interactive way.
The partnership supports Co-op’s social value commitment to Access to a Sustainable Future, helping children understand sustainability in practical ways. Through simple signage and digital content in the Play Shop, children and families are encouraged to explore topics such as reducing food waste, sustainable diets and energy use, helping them understand how everyday choices can make a difference.
The Play Shop is supported by a series of videos, with voiceovers recorded by pupils from a Year 5 class at Co‑op Academy Beckfield, who will have the opportunity to see their work first‑hand during an upcoming educational visit to Eureka! The involvement of local pupils reflects the project’s aim of creating meaningful learning opportunities for schools.
Alongside the Play Shop, Co-op and Eureka! will deliver a programme of school and family engagement activities, including themed events and informal sessions focused on sustainability and careers. These activities are designed to reflect Eureka!’s ethos of learning through play and shared family experiences.
Heather Thomas, group property & sustainability director at Co-op, said: “At Co-op, we believe sustainability should feel relevant and accessible from an early age. Working with Eureka! allows us to bring those ideas to life in a playful and practical setting, helping children explore how everyday actions connect to the wider world.”
Eureka! The National Children’s Museum has welcomed families to its Halifax site for more than thirty years and attracts around 300,000 visitors each year. The museum focuses on learning through play, helping children aged zero to eleven build confidence and curiosity through hands on experiences.
Leigh-Anne Stradeski, Eureka! chief executive, said: “The Play Shop partnership reflects a shared commitment from Co-op and Eureka! to creating meaningful opportunities for learning, supporting social mobility and helping children build understanding through play.”
The project has been made possible thanks to the support of a number of partners. Sign Solutions provided British Sign Language interpretation for the videos, alongside CTS and Omega Signs, who supported delivery of the installation.
To celebrate the partnership and help make visits more accessible for families, Eureka! is offering Co-op members a launch offer of 20% off admission to Eureka! The National Children’s Museum, valid from now until 23 October 2026.
