A vintage caravan turned travelling museum will roll into Moree Plains schools this month, giving students a hands-on look at how people communicated before mobile phones, text messages and the internet.

The exhibition, Connected: Signal to the Stars, includes historical objects, interactive displays, storytelling and activities such as flag signalling.

Students will be able to step inside the caravan, handle objects, try old communication methods and learn what it once took to send a message across distance.

The Tweed Regional Museum exhibition will visit Moree East Public School, Bullarah Public School, Garah Public School and Boggabilla Central School as part of its Museum on Wheels program.

Students from Delungra, Pallamallawa, Boomi and Tulloona will also take part through host school visits.

The Tweed Regional Museum exhibition will visit Moree East Public School, Bullarah Public School, Garah Public School and Boggabilla Central School as part of its Museum on Wheels program. Students from Delungra, Pallamallawa, Boomi and Tulloona will also take part through host school visits.

For local students, the visit means a museum experience without leaving the district.

That matters in a shire where a school excursion can mean a long bus trip, extra planning, time away from class and costs that are not always easy for schools or families to absorb.

This program brings the excursion to the school gate.

The exhibition explores the history of communication, from early signalling and postal systems through to telephones and digital media.

It is designed for primary school students, with the focus on touch, movement and discovery rather than students simply sitting and listening.

Moree East Public School will host the exhibition from Thursday, May 21 to Tuesday, May 26, with students from Delungra Public School and Pallamallawa Public School also taking part.

The caravan will visit Bullarah Public School and Garah Public School on Wednesday, May 27, with Boomi Public School joining the program.

It will continue to Boggabilla Central School from Thursday, May 28 to Wednesday, June 3, with Tulloona Public School listed as a visiting school.

Acting Director of Tweed Regional Museum Erika Taylor said the program was about taking museum learning beyond the museum’s own walls.

“These communities deserve the same quality of experience as anyone else, and this program is our way of making that happen,” Ms Taylor said.

She said the caravan had already been trialled with students at Burringbar Public School, where the response was immediate.

“The moment students walked into that caravan, you could see it: curiosity, wonder, engagement,” she said.

The tour is funded through a $96,000 Create NSW Cultural Access Grant.

Connected: Signal to the Stars began its five-week tour earlier this month and will return to Murwillumbah in June.

For Moree Plains schools, the important part is simple: students get to walk into a museum, touch history and try something different – right here at home.