The North West Passage with islands. Area of cracking ice with melt water and filled with crinkly fabric, Croker Mountain mirage under plain blue flap and the Plough constellation and North Star.

Designed for children with a wide range of special educational needs, this mat is made up of sixteen mini-mats, which can be used individually by a child and their carer, or combined together to make larger mats of varying shapes, giving the possibility of several 'island' mats symbolically linked by the coloured cords included with the mat. The mat focusses on historical maritime exploration in the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans, with the different regions distinguished by background colour. Themes include life as a sailor or a pirate, 'going into the unknown' and trade. As well as being vibrant and tactile, the mat also features special 'noisy' and 'smelly' fabrics. The story mat was part of a Heritage Lottery Funded project for the opening of new galleries at the museum. (2.0x2.0m, 2017)