Dolls’ houses that ‘come alive’ showing how families have lived over the past 300 years are on show at east London’s V&A Museum of Childhood.

Young visitors to the museum in Bethnal Green are invited to journey through the history of the home, everyday lives and changing family relationships through the stories of 12 dolls’ houses going back to the 18th century.

They are featured in the exhibition that runs throughout the schools’ spring and summer terms.

The stories of each dolls’ house are brought to life by the characters living or working in them. Children can use buttons to hear a commentary and light up each character as they talk.

Each dolls’ house is seen at a particular time of day, with life depicted through tales of marriages, parties, politics and crime.

The exhibition includes newly-built council estates, high-rise apartments, country mansions, Georgian town houses and suburban Victorian villas, displayed in chronological order which also teach youngsters about developments in architecture and design.

The exhibition at the free-entry museum in Cambridge Heath Road, next to Bethnal Green Underground station, runs until September 6.