Wakefield Wanderer: new trail launched at Wakefield Museum created by teens, for teens

Wakefield Museum is one of four organisations to work on a pilot project with Podego to develop web-based trails for teenagers by teenagers.

The trail is now live until 29 August 2026 for the summer holidays. It's free to use, and you don't need to download any apps!

We have been working with four teens between April and June to create a new digital trail. Over three focus groups we have collaborated and co-created content. From choosing objects, creating characters and testing the trail our group alongside Podego have developed something new and unique to our site. It's an interactive, digital trail created for teens, by teens.

The project has been supported by Kids in Museums.

The trail has been designed by teenagers, for teenagers.

It will also work nicely for family groups working together and using a grown-up's smartphone.

Using the trail and entry to Wakefield Museum is free.

You will need a smartphone or tablet that can access the internet and has a camera. On arrival at Wakefield Museum, there will be posters with a QR code to access the guest WiFi. There will be another QR code that will launch the trail in your web browser. Use the camera on your device to scan these codes. Please note: if you are a returning visitor, the guest WiFi password changes every calendar month.

You may also want to bring your own headphones to be able to listen to the video and audio clips. And that way, nobody else can hear your answers! All of the video and audio clips are subtitled or have transcripts as well.

All of the instructions and tasks are in the web-based trail. Our friendly Visitor Experience Assistants will also be on hand if you need help!

"What a great trail! We really enjoyed it. Very informative and just the right length."

"This was fab! Brilliantly interactive, videos not too long. Overall really enjoyed this. Thanks!"

Danna Mulya, co-founder at Podego: "It's energizing to see how passionate and open our museum partners are about involving young people's voices in the trail. We're honored to bring this vision to life with Kids in Museums and the four UK museums in this cohort.

This co-creation project has been wonderful, with every partner fully aligned on its purpose. The FGD results are much more complete because they include insights from all five partners' youth panels. It’s been thrilling to see the young people's reactions when they experience Podego Play for the first time; we’ve been constantly surprised by their creativity, which shows us that young people can accomplish so much more if we only take the time to listen to them.

Ultimately, this project feels like the beginning of a whole new room for innovation with young people in this space. We look forward to seeing more young people in museums!"

A huge thanks to our brilliant team of teenagers and Podego for their work in making this trail happen!

Podego is on a mission to bridge the gap between cultural institutions and the public.

They believe a sense of belonging happens through co-creation - involving the audience before, during, and after the development process to build personal media experiences.

Powered by innovative technology, their tools are built to remain accessible, inclusive, and for every institution, helping them stay relevant yet personal.

Kids in Museums' mission is to work with museums nationwide to make them more welcoming for children, families and young people.

Since they were founded in 2003, they have led significant change in the museum and heritage sector, with family friendliness and the active involvement of young people becoming central to many organisations.

They support and champion family friendly organisations all over England and Wales through a range of simple, but powerful programmes, the majority of which are free of charge to access.