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Museums Victoria will use a $1 million donation to redevelop the Melbourne Museum's Children's Gallery into a ‘world-first’ innovative space to help engage more young people with science and history.

The significant windfall from one of Australia's largest private family foundations, Gandel Philanthropy, is the largest donation from an individual ever made to the museum.

The new gallery at the Melbourne Museum, to be named The Pauline Gandel Children's Gallery, will include a dinosaur dig to excavate fossils, a discovery garden and a camouflage disco where children can turn into spotty and stripey zoological specimens.

It is expected to be completed in December next year.

Museum Victoria Chief Executive Dr Patrick Greene said he was "delighted" with the development, which would provide an "innovative space" for early childhood learning.

Dr Greene stated “our new Children's Gallery will be an Australian-first, indeed I believe a world-first, as if focuses on the needs of very young children, from babies to five-year-olds.

"It will support families, carers, educators and children themselves, to learn together."

Dr Greene said the museum had consulted with early childhood educators and specialists, playground designers and health professionals to create the new gallery that would focus on play-based learning.

He said play was fundamental to children's intellectual, physical, social and creative abilities, adding “(the Museum) is filled with energy, excitement; of children at play and in learning."

Pauline Gandel said supporting initiatives for children filled her with "the greatest joy" in her work as a philanthropist, stating "I know this may sound corny, but children are our best hope for a better future.

"Giving the kids the best possible start in life is what we should all strive for. Helping them develop their skills, their curiosity and their thirst for knowledge from the very start is so critically important."

Gandel said the space would allow children to explore and discover, and have "their senses be stimulated and their imaginations run wild".

Victorian Arts Minister Martin Foley said kids also contributed to the development to make sure the gallery was engaging, interesting and fun, concluding “for many children, the Children's Gallery is their first experience of the wonders of museums Victoria, the wonders of science, of culture and of history.

"(It will) set a new benchmark for stimulating learning through play environments."

18th April 2015 - PRICELESS CHINESE TREASURES ON DISPLAY AT NATIONAL GALLERY OF VICTORIA

18th July 2014 - RECORD EDUCATION VISITORS AT MELBOURNE MUSEUM

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7th July 2011 - RECORD VISITORS FOR VICTORIA’S MUSEUMS

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