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For schools in Oxon / Berks area, a good range of EYFS & KS1 workshops. Dinosaur Hunters. Funny bones (skeletons). Nursery rhyme animals. Amazing animals. Bug Bonanza session + trail.

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You may have been on a 'bear hunt' at nursery, but now you can take your children on a 'dinosaur hunt' and you're guaranteed to find a big one!

During your visit, the class will split into two groups and rotate between a self-guided 'We're Going on a Dinosaur Hunt' trail with their own mini dinosaurs, and a handling session in the Museum classroom exploring what dinosaurs were and what we know about them.

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You may have been on a 'bear hunt' at nursery, but now you can take your children on a 'dinosaur hunt' and you're guaranteed to find a big one!

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London Wildlife Trust. A range of family activities are run at its community run sites.

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Find your local Wildlife Trust event and get stuck in to wild activities, talks, walks and much more.

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NT: Outdoor providers / heritage / workshops

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NT: Outdoor providers / heritage / workshops

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National Trust: Morden Hall Park. Runs several choices of led (and DIY sessions) on Land Invertebrates, Plants, and River Features & Creatures. Offers versions for EYFS and KS1. They are planning a Children & Young People's Hub.

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School and youth group visits to Morden Hall Park

We offer a range of learning activities for organised groups. The park and its story are brought to life outside in the grounds and using the facilities inside the atmospheric Snuff Mill building.

All led and self-led educational and youth group visits to Morden Hall Park must be booked in advance. This includes visits by schools, nurseries, holiday clubs, after school clubs, universities, Cubs, Beavers, Scouts, Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and any other formal groups of young people (or adult education groups such as universities).

Visits led by Morden Hall Park

Our led sessions complement the National Curriculum, linking with science and geography, with visits for early years through to Key Stage 2.
Download the leaflet for Educational Group visits
Self-led visits

Self-led 'You Can Do It' sessions offer suggested lesson plans and equipment hire for teachers to lead selected activities. You can also choose to self-lead your own planned activities in the park, but all visits must be booked in advance with the Children and Young People Hub team, and some activities may not be suitable for the site.
Download the leaflet for Youth Group visits
Facilities for educational visits

The Snuff Mill building contains classrooms, storage space and toilets. Although there is no indoor lunchroom, groups being led by National Trust staff may use the Snuff Mill for lunchtime shelter if the weather is bad. Toilet access can be arranged for self-led groups.

Education Group Membership

Education Group Membership (EGM) supports the National Trust to look after the special places that you will visit and allows education groups free entry to most places owned by the National Trust. This annual membership is for not-for-profit groups or home educators whose members, pupils or students are in full-time education. Prices depend on the number of children on the school roll.

At Morden Hall Park, Education Group Membership is required for most self-led activities, and EGM members receive a discount on any National Trust led visits booked with us.

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We offer a range of learning activities for organised groups. The park and its story are brought to life outside in the grounds and using the facilities inside the atmospheric Snuff Mill building. All led and self-led educational and youth group visits to Morden Hall Park must be booked in advance.

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English Heritage has only one expert-led workshop for KS1 & 2 in London that deals with landscape / outdoors although doesn't cover biodiversity or science. At Marble Hill House. It's not a competitor, although many EH sites have wonderful gardens.

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Forest & Family forest school, nature connection venture. Katie Mills. Has link with NHM. Encourages families to do bedtime stories outdoors.

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KS2 invited to make art to express value of trees in climate change. Part of Urban Tree Festival

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As part of the Urban Tree Festival, The Royal Parks invite you and your KS2 students to get creative and speak out about the impact of urban trees during the climate emergency.

Sign up below to receive our set of free 'tree'mendous workshops when next years competition opens.

We'll share your favourite pieces of work with our tens of thousands of followers on social media and our website. Students who submit their entries will also receive Urban Tree Festival: School Challenge certificates.

In this set of free, curriculum-linked virtual workshops, your students will hone their skills and create poetry, creative and descriptive writing, research posters, and art to engage and inform members of the public of the importance of urban trees during the climate emergency.

Each participating school will receive a set of lesson plans, supporting introduction videos and student workbooks. Your students will spotlight a species of tree, found within the Royal Parks from the classic Oak to the famous Weeping Beech. Pick your favourite pieces of work and we will feature the finalists' creations on The Royal Parks' website and social media channels.

Workshops include:

Story (suitable for all KS2)

Students will learn how to structure stories and use adjectives to build their own character. Using the workbook they will consider the different parts of their stories before beginning a creative writing task.

Poetry (suitable for all KS2)

Following the video and workbook, students will analyse a poem and learn about rhyme, rhythm, syllables, haiku's and acrostic poems before turning their hand to becoming poets.

Art (suitable for all KS2)

Using the mediums of pencils, paint and paper, students will be led through activities considering scale, size, shape and the use of light to add depth to paintings. They'll then be tasked with creating an inspirational work of art around the theme of climate change and your school's tree species.

Research Poster (suitable for upper KS2)

In this more challenging workshop, students will be conducting their own research into their school's tree species to create a research poster. They'll learn about reliable sources, scientific drawing and will practice descriptive writing. They'll then need to gather and organise their research into an informative poster.
Sign up below to receive your set of free 'tree'mendous workshops:
Inspired? Take a look at the submissions we received in 2022

Enjoy some of our other tree activities at your leisure >

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the royal parks; learning; urban tree festival; schools

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As part of the Urban Tree Festival, The Royal Parks invite you and your KS2 students to get creative and speak out about the impact of urban trees during the climate emergency. Sign up below to receive our set of free 'tree'mendous workshops when next years competition opens.

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For EYFS & KS1, TRP offers 8 resources, 6 of which are videos of storytellers. One is PDF trail / guide on bird identification. The other is PDF trail of winter species. Unlike Kew you don't have to register to access them.

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the royal parks; resources; online; learning; pdfs; download; education; make; plants; wildlife; history

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Take a look at our ever-growing collection of online resources. Learn about the parks' history, plant a garden to attract pollinator insects or learn about the parks' diverse wildlife.

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RGB Kew Gardens - Endeavour learning resources, framed as challenges. Cater for ages 5 upwards. Includes infographics, card sorting etc.

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What is an Endeavour challenge?

Our Endeavour challenges develop pupils' scientific knowledge over a series of lessons.

Each challenge has a set of interactive resources to introduce a topic to pupils.

Pupils can take the challenge alone, in groups, in class or as a homework activity.

Try an Endeavour challenge and take your pupils on a plant hunter expedition, an investigation into plants used in medicine, an exploration of habitats under threat... and much, much more.

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Our Endeavour challenges develop pupils' scientific knowledge over a series of lessons. Each challenge has a set of interactive resources to introduce a topic to pupils. Pupils can take the challenge alone, in groups, in class or as a homework activity.

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In-person workshops for KS1 are on 'Pattern, Shape and Me'. While this might touch on natural world imagery, it doesn't compete with NHM's focus. Also, KS1 teachers might prefer Science Museum's Pattern Pod offer if this topic is their curriculum focus.

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From inspirational gallery visits to virtual sessions, online resources to teacher events, the V&A is the place for creative learning.

Sign up to be the first to hear about our news, events and resources for teachers.

Join us as expert speakers share information about their careers and current practice. Our webinars feature creatives working within a diverse range of industries, including fashion designers, scientists, artists, performers, curators and more.

Webinars can be viewed by multiple classes and give students the chance to look at the world of future opportunities available to them - all through the lens of design.

Unlock the V&A's collections using modern design skills. Enrich your visit with a choice of 1.5 hour facilitated workshops on one of the following themes:

Pattern, Shape and Me (KS1 - 2)

Design Iteration and Prototyping (KS2 - 3)

Fashion Conscience (KS3 - 5)

Design for Change (KS4 - 5)

Bring your students to see selected screenings from the National Video Archive of Performance (NVAP) - high quality recordings of key live performances from 1992 to present day.

We can support your teaching with our fantastic online resources - including the new Explore the Collections online search tool which features amazing objects to use in the classroom to support the curriculum.

Our YouTube channel has a wealth of short films filled with artist and designer interviews, Object in Focus films and exhibitions.

Download our free resources to inspire learning across the curriculum.

V&A Innovate is a teachers' resource hub and annual National Schools Challenge, asking students in years 7, 8 and 9 to work in teams to design a solution to a real-world problem.

Combining the shared knowledge of today's leading designers with our world-leading collections, this Key Stage 3 initiative will energise the next generation of creative, thoughtful and change-making young innovators.

From fashion and jewellery, to ceramics and architecture, a visit to the V&A offers inspiring learning opportunities for your students right across the curriculum.

All self-guided visits must be booked in advance. Three weeks' notice is required for visits. To request a self-guided school group visit please complete a booking request form below.
In advance of your visit:
If you have any questions or need help planning a visit, please contact us at schools@vam.ac.uk

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From inspirational gallery visits to virtual sessions, online resources to teacher events, the V&A is the place for creative learning. Sign up to be the first to hear about our news, events and resources for teachers. Join us as expert speakers share information about their careers and current practice.

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The Vanishing Land - a teacher-led workshop & kit created by Punchdrunk Enrichment. Teachers attend a training session then get a kit in school.

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Long ago in a far away ocean, a beautiful island rose high above the sapphire waters. The sands of the beaches were as white as the snow on the highest mountains and the deep forests crawled with every type of animal and insect imaginable. But these were not creatures that live in human memory, for almost all of them are now gone ...

You and your class begin learning about forgotten lands and disappearing environments. But the discovery of an old board game set on a lost island begins an all too real journey into a vanishing land. The game unlocks a portal to the lost island: only the students can save it before it disappears forever...

Project aims

This project engages students with local geography and the environment while encouraging collaboration, imagination and empathy as well as increasing standards in oracy and writing.

Students will:

Play a collaborative game together

Explore their local environment to gain knowledge of its natural resources

Write stories

Collect samples of flora and fauna on a site visit of your choice

At the end, the students receive a token that will allow the legacy of this project to grow long into their futures.

Who is it for?

The Vanishing Land is suitable for Year 5 or 6. The delivery of the project will involve one year group and their teachers.

Resources

A 1 day CPD to immerse teachers in Punchdrunk Enrichment practice and to share advice and tips on how to best deliver the project

A toolkit of handmade props, maps and materials for simple design installations that bring the lost island to life in your school

A detailed teacher resource pack

These materials can be used to repeat the project for future year groups

How can I get involved?
Schools
We have limited spaces available for schools to take part in the project in Spring 2022. For further information and to book your place please email [email protected] .
Arts Organisations
We're also keen to hear from you if you're an arts organisation working with primary schools regionally across the UK and would like to bring The Vanishing Land to schools in your area. Please email [email protected] for more information.

Partnership Opportunities

We're working with the following partners to deliver The Vanishing Land to schools across the UK. Check to see if we're in your area:

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Punchdrunk Enrichment The Vanishing Land: A Teacher-led Adventure

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You and your class begin learning about forgotten lands and disappearing environments. But the discovery of an old board game set on a lost island begins an all too real journey into a vanishing land. The game unlocks a portal to the lost island: only the students can save it before it disappears forever...

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BBC Earth Experience / Providers / competitive

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BBC Earth Experience / Providers / competitive

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Opening soon. Major immersive experience using BBC Nature film. Focuses on continents. Provide teachers resources for self-guided visits. Groups get 10% off ticket price so it won't be highly accessible. Kensington / Brompton so close to NHM.

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Resources for self-guided visits, for teachers. None explicitly for KS1, none about the natural world.

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Download our free lesson plans for Key Stage 1 and 2 students (ages 5 - 11) covering many areas of our collections and varied exhibition programme.

These resources support self-guided visits to collections on permanent display:

Key Stages 1 & 2: Art & Design, Design & Technology and English

Explore the fascinating culture of historical and contemporary Japan through creative hands-on activities designed for a museum visit and back in the classroom.

Key Stages 1 & 2: Maths, Art & Design, and Design & Technology

Develop knowledge and understanding of two-dimensional shape and pattern through Islamic design.

Key Stages 1 & 2: Literacy and Art & Design

Learn about the art, culture and stories of another time and place and discover more about Islam.

Key Stages 1 & 2: Art & Design, Literacy, RE

Explore South Asian art and artefacts to gain an understanding of the culture, religion and style of the Indian subcontinent.

Key Stages 1 & 2: Art & Design, Literacy, RE

Discover 5000 years of Chinese culture through the Museum's extensive collection of Chinese art & design.

Key Stage 2: Art, Design and Technology, English, History, Music, P.E.

Discover how circus developed from the 18th century to the present day. Packed with images, making activities and discussion points.

These resources support visits to temporary exhibitions. Some resources are for exhibitions that have now closed but many of the activities can be adapted for use in the classroom and our permanent collections:

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Teachers' resources for primary schools · V&A

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Download our free lesson plans for Key Stage 1 and 2 students (ages 5 - 11) covering many areas of our collections and varied exhibition programme.

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The shapeshifters session is about animals: Storytelling Sessions

Choose from: Dreamers, Healers, Tricksters and Shapeshifters, all of which can be differentiated from EYFS to Year 6: Shapeshifters: Stories for critical thinking. Meet some shape-shifting characters, and in other stories, find out how animals came to be; why koalas love climbing trees; and why frogs have no tails.

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Schools & Groups

We offer sessions both in-school and online, led by our Learning Team of experienced primary and secondary teachers.

In-School Sessions
For Early Years to Year 6
A storyteller visits your school for a half day or full day. The Story Leader tells traditional oral stories from around the world and uses these as stimulus for students to create stories of their own, through collaboration and drama-based activities.

You can set the agenda for the day depending on your school's timetable and the number of classes you wish to involve. For example, the Story Leader could spend two hours with one class in which students develop a story together in detail or they could rotate classes with quickfire 20-minute story sessions. For EYFS we recommend sessions are no longer than 15 minutes.

We can offer in-school sessions to schools situated in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire.

Storytelling Sessions

Choose from: Dreamers, Healers, Tricksters and Shapeshifters, all of which can be differentiated from EYFS to Year 6:

Dreamers: Stories for wellbeing, of wishes and dreams, including a turtle who wants to fly and a monkey who yearns for honey.

Healers: Stories for wellbeing, starring various Wise Ones who encourage hapless characters to see happiness and luck right in front of them. Stories will explore the five ways to wellbeing (connect, take notice, stay active, keep learning, give).

Tricksters: Stories for critical thinking. Devise puzzles, learn how to trick a dragon or overcome a crocodile.

Shapeshifters: Stories for critical thinking. Meet some shape-shifting characters, and in other stories, find out how animals came to be; why koalas love climbing trees; and why frogs have no tails.

Bespoke Sessions

We are happy to shape the content of the sessions to the themes of your creative curriculum, set text or scheme of work. Previous successful requests include a day of dragon stories, Alice in Wonderland, stories from Ancient Egypt and Tales from Shakespeare.

Timing:
In-school sessions can take place between 09:30 and 15:00

Cost:
Half day: £285+VAT+Travel
Full day: £440+VAT+Travel

"It has built their confidence to lead and take part in storytelling. It has shown them what great storytelling looks like. I have learnt some good tips on how to engage and involve children in an oral story - I will use this in assemblies." - Teacher, in-school session, May 2021

Online sessions
For Early Years to Year 6
The storyteller tells two stories at the beginning of the day and sets a story-making task with accompanying resources. They then meet the class again - at the end of the lesson/day/week - to hear the students' creations and tell a final story.

Choose from Dreamers, Healers, Tricksters and Shapeshifters, as described above, or request a specific theme relevant to your class.

All sessions can be adapted for Year 1 through to Year 6. We can meet up to four classes a day. For EYFS we recommend 15-20 minute sessions with no second sessions - these can be added to the costs below as complimentary sessions.

Cost:
One class (30-minute story launch storytelling session, resources, and second 30-minute storytelling session): £95+VAT
Two classes (2 x the above): £120+VAT
Three classes (3x the above): £135+VAT
Four classes (4x the above): £145+VAT

"Each teacher said how engaged their children were with your storytelling - some were hanging off your every word! Your use of props inspired some children to incorporate them into their stories. There was great discussion around the characters and what they might be up to, particularly the ones around how animals came to have certain characteristics. We couldn't find anything to improve on!" - Teacher, Zoom storytelling session, March 2021

Downloads

Inschool and online sessions 2022 2023 PDF (1.346 MB)
Download

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My Itinerary ({: itinerary.length :}) Schools & Groups We offer sessions both in-school and online, led by our Learning Team of experienced primary and secondary teachers. For Early Years to Year 6 A storyteller visits your school for a half day or full day.

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Forest of Imagination, nature connection festival with installations & workshops for children. Bath. Installations such as living tree mirror maze.

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Forest of Imagination 2026 | We re-imagine familiar spaces to highlight the importance of nature and imagination

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Forest of Imagination, Forest of Imagination 2025, #playfulbath, collaboration, Bath events, Holburne Museum, Assemble in the Forest, Grant Associates, House of Imagination, FOI, FOI 2025, Entry Hill, Bath

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School Superbloom Project. HRP worked with schools to create a wildflower meadow in the Tower of London moat for the QEII Platinum Jubilee, and a range of workshops, resources and CPD supported schools to create their own.

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To celebrate Her Majesty The Queen's Platinum Jubilee in 2022, we transformed the Tower of London's moat into 'Superbloom' - a spectacular field of flowers - to enhance people's wellbeing and create a beautiful garden in the heart of London.

To make the Tower's Superbloom a truly national experience, schools around the UK were invited to take part in the School Superbloom project. Thousands of students took part, from the Channel Islands to the Shetland Islands.

Students designed and planted their own Superbloom gardens with seeds provided by the project, and teachers delivered wellbeing programmes focussed on the benefits of being outdoors and working with nature, all supported by curriculum-linked Superbloom learning resources.

In addition, 56 Primary, Secondary and Special schools were provided with a teacher CPD day at the Tower of London, and in-school art workshops teaching students about the vital relationship between pollinating insects and flowers.

Schools finished the project with a once-in-a-lifetime trip to see Superbloom at the Tower of London in person.

On this page, we share some of the project's highlights and learning resources.

Enjoy!

Approximately 1,500 UK schools took part

Approximately 100,000 students took part

56 UK schools were involved on a deeper level

92% of teachers said the project had had a positive impact on the overall wellbeing of their students

74% of teachers said the project demonstrated the Tower of London's commitment to inclusivity and gave students from more disadvantaged backgrounds new experiences

72% of teachers said that the project built students' confidence and broadened their horizons

97% of teachers said they would take part again

In Pictures

This photo selection shows each stage of the School Superbloom project - from CPD days for teachers at the Tower in October 2021, to schools visiting the Superbloom in summer 2022.

To support schools as they developed teaching around Superbloom's core theme of 'wellbeing', we created a collection of online curriculum-based classroom resources for Primary, Secondary and SEND.

A selection of those resources can be downloaded here.

Resources

DOWNLOAD THE SUPERBLOOM AUGMENTED REALITY APP

Create and share your own Superbloom in augmented reality. Virtually plant seeds wherever you are to see the flowers grow all around you and spot the pollinators attracted to the blooms. If you cannot visit the Tower of London Superbloom this summer, you can recreate the experience wherever you are with this app, using augmented reality powered by Niantic's Lightship. The 'Tower Superbloom AR' app is free and available to download from the Apple and Google Play stores.

google play store apple app store

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To celebrate Her Majesty The Queen's Platinum Jubilee in 2022, we transformed the Tower of London's moat into 'Superbloom' - a spectacular field of flowers - to enhance people's wellbeing and create a beautiful garden in the heart of London. Find out how schools took part in Superbloom.

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Science Museum collection of videos and articles about climate change

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Climate change is the most urgent challenge facing our world, with severe and irreversible impacts promised if we don’t slow the global heating caused by human activity.

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Trails / downloadable activities for SEND visitors to bring to any museum, or any museum to use with SEND visitors.

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FREE!! to download SEND family trails - Send in Museums

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We support museum professionals to include children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)

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A wide variety of children's events at London Wildlife Trust sites such as Camley Street in Camden. Sensory explorers, wonderful wildlife etc. Mostly for families. https://www.wildlondon.org.uk/events

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Find your local Wildlife Trust event and get stuck in to wild activities, talks, walks and much more.

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NT: Outdoor providers / heritage / workshops (competitive)

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NT: Outdoor providers / heritage / workshops (competitive)

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National Trust, Rainham Hall, Essex. KS1 workshops on Seeds and Minibeasts.

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Rainham Hall is a Georgian gem and one of several smaller National Trust places located in London. Find out how to arrange your visit in advance to make the most of your trip to this special place.

Self-led educational visits

Rainham Hall is the perfect place for a self-led educational visit especially if you are learning about nature or the outdoors. Discover a great day out for your educational group including self-led visits. If you would like help to plan your visit please contact us at: rainhamhall@nationaltrust.org.uk

Schools can benefit from an Educational Group Membership, which is an annual membership giving free access to the whole school group at National Trust places.

School visits

Reinforce your classroom work with a visit to Rainham Hall. Whether you're exploring the 18th century hall, local history or looking for plants in the garden, the cross-curricular workshops offer engaging and hands-on experiences to support your learning.

At Rainham Hall we offer a range of workshops for EYFS, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 pupils, and welcome enquiries from all educational groups.

Taught sessions are led by experienced facilitators who support active learning and encourage deeper understanding of topics through exploration of Rainham Hall and the garden. Sessions are designed to support national curriculum subjects including history, science and art.

'The children really enjoyed the hall, they found it interesting and loved playing hide-and-seek in the gardens at lunch time. We do hope to visit again before the year is out.'

- Teacher, Gidea Park College

Sessions available at Rainham Hall

Minibeasts - EYFS & KS1 (Science)

Learn all about minibeasts and explore the garden. Investigate different habitats and discover which minibeasts live here.

Seed planting - EYFS & KS1 (Science)

During the spring and summer months we offer planting sessions where children can plant seeds in the Community Garden. Follow-up visits are available for children to see the seedlings and plants grow.

Local history - KS2 (History)

Built in 1729 by Captain John Harle, Rainham Hall has been home to over 50 different inhabitants in nearly 300 years. Learn about the past and about one of our more recent residents, photographer and designer, Anthony Denney in the exhibition The Denney Edition.

Art and Design Inspiration - KS1&2 (Art, History)

Look at the paint schemes and decoration in the hall, from the 18th century until the early 21st century. Research including colour and texture to inspire future artwork.

Fashion photography and interior design - KS3-5 (fashion, photography, interior design)

The Denney Edition exhibition celebrates the life and work of Anthony Denney (1913-90) who lived at the hall between 1964 and 1969. Step inside the hall to discover the world of Anthony Denney who was a fashion photographer, interior designer, art connoisseur and style icon who exerted enormous influence on post-war Britain.

Timing and location information for sessions

All sessions can accommodate up to 33 children and accompanying adults. Sessions take place in either the Hayloft or outdoors. There's plenty of storage for bags and access to toilets. For lunch you are welcome to picnic in the gardens or in the Hayloft.

Outdoor classroom

Escape to the outdoors and learn something new. Tucked away in the Wildlife Woodland is the outdoor classroom. Perfect for education sessions it can host up to 15 children at one time and can be used for creating wild art sessions

Travel for schools

Rainham Hall is located opposite Rainham (Essex) train station on the c2c line which travels via Fenchurch Street, West Ham, Barking, Dagenham Dock, Purfleet and Grays. The hall is also next to several bus stops and is served by multiple routes including those to and from Dagenham, Hornchurch and Romford.

Booking for education groups

Get in touch for more information including availability and costs to help plan your school visit.

Please note that due to the size of the property all visits, facilitated or self-led, must be booked at least four weeks in advance. Please contact rainhamhall@nationaltrust.org.uk

Discover more at Rainham Hall

Find out when Rainham Hall is open, how to get here, the things to see and do and more.

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Bringing groups or schools to Rainham Hall

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Rainham Hall is a Georgian gem and one of several smaller National Trust places located in London. Find out how to arrange your visit in advance to make the most of your trip to this special place. Rainham Hall is the perfect place for a self-led educational visit especially if you are learning about nature or the outdoors.

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Outdoor orgs (heritage) / Online / Resources

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Outdoor orgs (heritage) / Online / Resources

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National Trust. Resource bank on nature themes, for all audiences.

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Explore the UK today through the topics closest to us. Learn about history, nature, gardening tips and more with the National Trust.

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Consortium of orgs supporting rural, outdoors & natural world education with a focus on food and farming. Lots of resources and links to offers and news./

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HRP: Museums & outdoor organisations / workshops

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HRP: Museums & outdoor organisations / workshops

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Activity-based walk through the magnificent historic gardens of Hampton Court Palace. For KS1 groups, this is 45 minutes rather than an hour.

This sensory session takes advantage of the beauty and tranquility of the varied historical gardens of the palace and will give students the opportunity to take time out of ordinary curriculum-based learning. Students will be encouraged to use their senses to understand and appreciate the value of the natural world and the joys of an outdoor excursion, developing a sense of inner calm.

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About this session

Key stage 1, key stage 2, key stage 3 | Subject: Wellbeing | Topics: Keeping well in the past and now | Session type: Route-based (gardens), seasonal

Activity-based walk through the magnificent historic gardens of Hampton Court Palace.

This sensory session takes advantage of the beauty and tranquility of the varied historical gardens of the palace and will give students the opportunity to take time out of ordinary curriculum-based learning. Students will be encouraged to use their senses to understand and appreciate the value of the natural world and the joys of an outdoor excursion, developing a sense of inner calm.

Through the topic of 'keeping well in the past and now', the session aims to nurture students' social skills and emotional wellbeing in a safe and neutral space. The carefully developed activities and group tasks have been created to enable whole classes to connect with one another.

The session has been adapted to suit key stage 1, 2 and 3 audiences. Key stage 1 teachers may request a shorter, 45 minute version of the session at point of booking.

The presenter will deliver the session out of costume.
Learning objectives
Children will:

Learn simple activities and strategies that will support their wellbeing.

Find out how people looked after their health and wellbeing in the past.

Use their senses to explore different environments.

This session supports the PSHE curriculum (Health & Wellbeing/Relationships modules) for primary and secondary schools.

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Wellbeing: Exploring historic gardens | School session

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Key stage 1, key stage 2, key stage 3 | Subject: Wellbeing | Topics: Keeping well in the past and now | Session type: Route-based (gardens), seasonal Activity-based walk through the magnificent historic gardens of Hampton Court Palace.

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Museums & outdoor orgs / online resources

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Museums & outdoor orgs / online resources

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HRP online resources, For all ages but designated for SEND,
Has multiple activities so could be used for weeks of activity.

Climate change is affecting all of us around the world, not least in the UK. Our pollinators need our help more than ever - and we need them. This lesson pack explores the symbiotic relationship between flowers and pollinators, and how we humans rely on both for our wellbeing and that of our planet. It examines the ecology found within a pollinator-supporting garden, and the importance of pollinators to the garden’s survival and, indirectly, to our own.

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about this learning resource

Climate change is affecting all of us around the world, not least in the UK. Our pollinators need our help more than ever - and we need them. This lesson pack explores the symbiotic relationship between flowers and pollinators, and how we humans rely on both for our wellbeing and that of our planet. It examines the ecology found within a pollinator-supporting garden, and the importance of pollinators to the garden's survival and, indirectly, to our own.
National Curriculum links

Be able to identify some key pollinators and insects in a local ecosystem such as garden or park

Learn how the process of pollination happens

Explore how to maintain physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing

Learning objectives

Understand that animals and humans have similar requirements for growth and survival

Learn about the different types of pollinators found in a garden

Understand how the sensory experience of being in a garden or park can help us increase own our sense of wellbeing

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Plants Pollinators People: Gardens and Health

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Climate change is affecting all of us around the world, not least in the UK. Our pollinators need our help more than ever - and we need them. This lesson pack explores the symbiotic relationship between flowers and pollinators, and how we humans rely on both for our wellbeing and that of our planet.

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Video story about Walter Raleigh and his growing of a medicine garden to help his wellbeing when imprisoned at the Tower of London. Comes up in search for KS1 resources but is marked for all age groups.

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Sir Walter Raleigh's Medicinal Garden at the Tower (video)

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Sir Walter Raleigh was imprisoned at the Tower of London for 13 years. Under constant threat of execution, Raleigh struggled with poor mental health. Learn about Sir Walter Raleigh through the story of his imprisonment in the Tower of London and his medicinal garden.

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Not in London. Thinktank in Birmingham: Our Changing Planet is an exciting new gallery that looks at how humans have transformed the world and how these changes are affecting wildlife and the environment across the globe. It’s aimed at older children and adults with them, and uses concepts such as the Anthropocene to offer a stretch to visitors who might want more than a playful place to hang out. It is in three parts: past, present and future, with coverage at the end of Birmingham’s research and plans for climate action, including plans of the museum trust. [To investigate, associated workshops / activities]

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Our Changing Planet is a fascinating gallery at Thinktank.

At a time when climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing the planet, this exciting new gallery looks at how humans have transformed the world and how these changes are affecting wildlife and the environment across the globe.

Our Changing Planet explores the long history of humanity's influence on the planet, a time referred to by many experts as the Anthropocene - the word comes from the Greek words for human ('anthropo') and new ('cene').

The gallery contains two areas each focussing on a different aspect of the Anthropocene, plus a new section looks at how we can help protect our planet.

When did the Anthropocene start?

In this gallery visitors can look at the evidence of the different starting points of when humans became a major influence on the natural world. It starts around 10,000 years ago with pre-history and takes visitors through the rapid industrialisation of the 19th and 20th centuries.

See over 150 incredible items on display, with highlights including Britain's first working model of a steam carriage made by William Murdoch and samples of the first semi-synthetic plastic created by Alexander Parkes in Birmingham.

Living in the Anthropocene

Find out how the unprecedented human transformation has impacted plants and animals worldwide too. Discover how wildlife in the West Midlands is already being affected by climate change and then looking at major ecosystems around the world such as coral reefs and forests.

Our Changing Planet is perfect for older children and adults to learn and think about how human inventions and behaviour have impacted the world around us.

How can we all help protect our planet?

This part of the gallery looks at some solutions to the climate and ecological problems caused by the Anthropocene.

Discover the work that researchers from the University of Birmingham are doing to help in areas such as climate change and health, food security, plastic pollution and Rail Decarbonisation.

See some of the challenges that we face in the areas of clean air, biodiversity, and sustainable living and what we can do about them.

Find out about green events and activities and see what changes local people have made in their lives to help protect our planet. You can also see Birmingham Museums Trust's own commitment to acting in a more sustainability pledge.

The gallery is located on Level 2.

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Our Changing Planet | Thinktank | Birmingham Museums

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Our Changing Planet is a fascinating gallery at Thinktank. At a time when climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing the planet, this exciting new gallery looks at how humans have transformed the world and how these changes are affecting wildlife and the environment across the globe.

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Coney. Box for Barbican outreach.

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Find out all about Barbican Box - a project by Coney.

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Riddle of the Spirit activity cards. Finland

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Freshwater Theatre's The Science Machine - KS1 & 2 visits into schools on a range of science topics including animals & habitats, and plants & growth. Drama-based.

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The Science Machine

Age Group: 5-11 Year Olds (KS1 & KS2)

The professor's Science Machine is in grave danger of imploding and our eccentric scientist needs your knowledge to save it! Your pupils must use their enthusiasm and knowledge to help refill its information tanks with scientific facts and fun.

This action-packed session is available on the following topics:

Curriculum Link

We have sessions to support topics across the entire primary curriculum for science and key learning objectives. If you cannot find what you are looking for above, get in touch.

Important Events Link

This workshop is perfect to support year-round learning as well as the following important events in your year planner:

Science Week (11th-20th March 2022)

World Space Week (4th-10th October 2021)

"The children were engaged, excited and interested by the session. They loved the drama elements and the parts where they were able to get involved and they all asked for another one after it had finished!"
Hannah Ruffin, Hampton Junior School, Hampton

Related Workshops
Use the menu on the top left or explore related workshops below.

Science KS1 & KS2. Looking for something to kick-start Science Week? Why not try our Science Assemblies, perfect for a whole year group or key stage to take part in at the same time. Read more.

Currently unavailable in the South West

Maths KS1 & KS2. Our Rock Scout is on the hunt for Times Tables Talent! Using drama games and activities, this lively assembly-style session is designed to enthuse your budding maths rock stars! Read more.

Important Information

Length of session: 60 minutes

Number of children: up to 30 - extra children are negotiable

All Freshwater drama facilitators are DBS checked

Benefits

* Experienced facilitator

* Follow-up packs available

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Science Machine | KS1 & KS2 Drama Workshops - Freshwater

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Science KS1 & KS2. Drama Workshop. The professor's Science Machine is in grave danger of imploding and our eccentric scientist needs your knowledge to save it! Your pupils must use their enthusiasm and knowledge to help refill its information tanks with scientific facts and fun.

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Children's Parliament, Scotland. Creative consultative event with children with activities to explore their views on learning for sustainability

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Our ThingLink resource hosts the children's artwork, including a poem gathering their reflections on why Learning for Sustainability is important to them, which can be found here.

Children's book illustrator Emily Mackenzie supported the creation of the ThingLink through her bespoke illustrations and co-creation of the children's mascot character, Dodger the red squirrel.

According to Article 12 of the UNCRC, children have the right to have their views heard on matters that are important to them. Children also have the right to an education about their physical environment. Following on from the participation of Members of Children's Parliament (MCPs) in Scotland's Climate Assembly from October 2020-February 2022, we listened to children's Calls to Action on receiving education on climate change by exploring Scottish Government's new Learning for Sustainability consultation.

For this project, we worked with over 100 MCPs aged 2-13 years old to explore the question of "why is Learning for Sustainability important to children in Scotland?"

We delivered a series of initial full-day workshops, followed by 2 months of online calls with a smaller group of Investigator MCPs. Through artwork, games, and rights-based activities we gathered their views and opinions on how their Learning for Sustainability curriculum can be improved, including from a children's human rights perspective.

In our final online call, the Investigators shared their Calls to Action to adults for improving Learning for Sustainability curriculum in Scotland, including (but not limited to!):

Children should be able to regularly learn about climate change and sustainability outside in nature.

Adults in school and adults who decide what we learn, need to learn about the climate emergency too.

Children are passionate about climate change; their views, ideas and opinions should be included in how and what they learn about this subject.

Children and adults should have opportunities to work together on children's rights, climate change and sustainability.

All adults, especially Scottish Government, should take urgent action to provide a healthy, happy, and safe environment and planet for children now and in the future.

If you have any questions or would like more information, you can contact Sophia Georgescu, Project Worker on sophia@www.childrensparliament.org.uk. For further information on Children's Parliament's involvement in Scotland's Climate Assembly, you can visit our webpage here.

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Learning for Sustainability - Children's Parliament

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Children have been exploring their human rights, and considering 'What does Learning for Sustainability mean to me?'

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Museums / online / self-led visit resources

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Museums / online / self-led visit resources

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Animals in Art is a substantial self-led activity guide for teachers covering themes including habitats in danger & the ethics of human & animal interaction. For Tate Britain. It could also be done online as a large selection of images are provided.

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Animals and nature have always been a source of inspiration for artists. With a world of textures, colours and shapes around us to explore, we can discover new ways of seeing animals and connecting to our local environments through artwork.

On this page, you can find a selection of artworks in the Tate collection that explore our relationships with wildlife and nature, as well as discussion points and activities that offer useful prompts for your classroom.

Drawing with light

This activity invites your students to play with light and shapes. It will take 5-10 minutes and can be adapted to meet your students' needs.

Artist Chila Kumari Singh Burman works with light to make giant sculptures that tell stories. Have a look at her sculpture of a tiger, which was displayed outside Tate Britain.

You will need

Instructions

In small groups, take turns drawing an animal in the air using a torch. Can you guess what everyone is drawing?

While someone is drawing, the rest of the group could trace the movements and make the shapes with your bodies or make a line drawing of what you see.

Instead of guessing the animal's name, the group could make animal sounds that match the animal being drawn with the torch. If you don't know what sound to make, could you invent one?

What happens if you try to take a photo of the light drawing?

Animals in our everyday

We all share our everyday lives with more animals than we could ever know! From the pets sharing our homes to the wildlife in our local environments, we can understand our relationships with animals and nature through artworks that depict them.

Artists Rivane Neuenschwander and Cao Guimarães explore these ideas in Quarta-Feira de Cinzas / Epilogue (2006). In this film, many red and black ants carry shiny, colourful confetti across the rainforest floor in Brazil.

Why are the ants carrying confetti? Where do you think they are going?

Have you ever seen animals doing something unexpected like these ants?

This film has a very particular soundtrack, made using recordings of the ants and music played with matchsticks.

What sounds do you think ants would make, if you could hear them?

What do you think the ants would say to each other while carrying the confetti?

Could you create an ant soundtrack of your own using objects in your classroom?

Discover more everyday animals in the Tate Collection through the links below:

What other animals might we find in our everyday?

How did they get there?

What stories might these animals tell?

Making with natural materials

This activity invites your students to think about ways to be imaginative with natural materials and the importance of caring for our local environment. It will take around 20-30 minutes.

Natural materials are a key feature of many artworks at Tate. Artists often consider the connections between us and our environments by using materials like clay, sticks, rocks, even feathers and animal bones! Have a look through the artworks shown above and think about what they tell us about animals and their homes.

You will need

Natural materials such as twigs, leaves, rocks, tree bark, shells or feathers

A camera to record your work, or paper and pens to make drawings

Instructions

As a group, explore the local area around your school. Are there any green spaces nearby, somewhere where you might find plants, rocks, or other spaces where wildlife might live?

Once you've found a good place, work together in pairs or small groups to collect natural material such as twigs, leaves, rocks, tree bark, shells, or feathers. Be careful of yourself and the environment as you go!

In your groups, make a sculpture with your found material in the shape of an animal (real or imagined). What material could you use as fur, scales, or teeth?

Leave your animal in its new home for someone else to find. How might the weather change them over time?

You could make drawings or take photographs of your sculptures to take back to your classroom.

Back at school, you can write stories or make more artwork inspired by your creations!

Animals in stories

What do animals mean to us? What can they mean in artworks?

Artworks often have many layers of meaning within them. Artists can use familiar images and ideas to tell specific stories through their work. Sometimes they are trying to make us see things in a particular way. Where do these meanings come from? What changes in an artwork if we don't know this background?

We can learn a lot about an artwork by looking closely at the symbols the artist has chosen. Follow the links below to bring two example artworks into your classroom. Share them on your interactive whiteboard and ask your students to discuss them in small groups or pairs.

Marmaduke Cradock's painting A Peacock and Other Birds in a Landscape has many native British birds surrounding a peacock, a bird from South Asia.

Why do you think all of these birds are in this painting? What could their stories be?

Why do you think the artist chose to make the peacock the focus of the painting and its title?

In Michael Armitage's The Promised Land, we can see a monkey sitting under a tree in the middle of the painting, surrounded by crowds of people.

What do you think the monkey is doing there?

How do you think the monkey is feeling?

What stories can you find in this painting?

More prompt questions

What do you think is happening in these artworks?

What do you think the animals would say to you or to each other if they could talk?

Do you think the animals like the painting they are in?

Do you think the artist has given the animals a job to do in the paintings? What are they there to say to you or make you think about?

If the animals were acting in a play, what story would they be telling?

Animal collage

This activity invites your students to make their own artwork using found images of animals and the environment. It will take around 20-30 minutes.

Collaging is a technique that artists use to create art out of existing materials. By combining lots of different images and textures, you can tell new and exciting stories through art. Click the links below to explore three collage artworks from Tate's collection for inspiration.

Which of the three collages are you most excited by? Why do you think this is?

Where are your eyes drawn to in each artwork? Which materials are these bits made out of?

What story is each collage trying to tell you?

Now make your own collage!

You will need

A selection of printed pictures from newspapers, magazines etc - encourage your students to bring in their own

Glue and safety scissors

Coloured and/or plain paper

Drawing materials (pens, paints, crayons, glitter, or anything else you might have in your classroom)

Natural material (feathers, tree bark, shells, flowers)

Instructions

Look through the printed material that everyone has brought in and find an image of an animal that you like.

Imagine a story about your chosen animal. Where does it live? What food does it eat? What does it get up to?

Look for images of other animals, habitats, natural material, people, or buildings that can help you tell this story.

Cut them out and make a collage of your story onto a sheet of paper.

Use any extra paper you have, as well as colourful material or natural objects, to add to your artwork - can you make animals out of them too? What exciting creatures could you create?

Share your stories with the rest of your class - could some of your animals talk to each other? What would happen if they met?

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Discover animal artworks and fun activities to use in your classroom.

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Chelsea Physic Garden / Outdoors / providers

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Chelsea Physic Garden / Outdoors / providers

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KS1 & 2: Sessions with links to habitats, environments and plant life. Pre-visit resources available to support the in-classroom and outdoor learning on visits. Inquiry learning basis or exploration, collection and experimentation. Emphasis on craft e.g. make a bug hotel.

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Students will explore the exciting range of habitats at Chelsea Physic Garden, including our pond and log pile. They will learn how to identify a variety of plant and animal species and discover how different species have become well suited to unique habitats. Students will also explore the principle of simple food webs.

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Early Years and Primary School Visits - Chelsea Physic Garden

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We currently offer three pre-planned sessions for KS1 & 2 that have been designed to maximise the use of our outdoor space and ensure that we are able to maintain social distancing. We can accommodate 30 pupils, however, in order to adhere to social distancing, it might be necessary to split the class into smaller groups, some of which will have self-led activities.

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Climate Science - a growing resource bank for schools / US focused.

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And you can be a part of getting it done.

Curriculum-aligned lesson plans

100% free forever, thanks to our supporters.

ClimateScience Resources

Our scientists ensure they're accurate.

Our community ensures they're fun.

Our teachers ensure they're useful.

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And you can be a part of getting it done. 100% free forever, thanks to our supporters. Our scientists ensure they're accurate. Our community ensures they're fun. Our teachers ensure they're useful.

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One of a range of sessions for SEND children. Sensory Seas: Use song, rhyme and multisensory learning to discover what life is like as an explorer on the high seas. Join in a rich sensory story set on a voyage of exploration. Please let us know in advance what level your learners are working at and our skilled facilitators will tailor the session for their needs. [Note that NMM doesn't explicitly mention Natural History / biodiversity as a curriculum area delivered]

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We have a rich and diverse range of SEND sessions at the National Maritime Museum, Cutty Sark, The Prince Philip Maritime Collection Centre and the Royal Observatory. Browse our list of sessions below and find tips and practical information for planning your visit in our SEND schools guide.

At the Royal Observatory, our Aurora Days are specifically designed for SEND schools - find out all you need to know about an Aurora Day visit below.
Book an onsite school session
Important information

Bookings open for onsite school sessions in the autumn term and beyond from Monday 18 July. You are welcome to make a self-guided visit to our sites during summer term 2022. Please see our Self-guided school visits page for more information.
Self-guided school visits

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Onsite SEND School Sessions and Resources 2022-23

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We have a rich and diverse range of SEND sessions at the National Maritime Museum, Cutty Sark, The Prince Philip Maritime Collection Centre and the Royal Observatory. Browse our list of sessions below and find tips and practical information for planning your visit in our SEND schools guide.

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Online Resources / Chelsea Physic Garden

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Online Resources / Chelsea Physic Garden

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Online Nature based activites to be done from home or school. Downloadable pdfs for flower pressing, insect hotels, terrariums.

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Early years & Primary - Chelsea Physic Garden

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Explore our range of nature-based art activities that can all be done safely from your home. Make a terrarium, a flower crown and even a hotel for a bug, fun for kids of all ages.

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National Maritime Museum: In museums / workshops

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National Maritime Museum: In museums / workshops

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National Maritime Museum: KS1. Embark on an epic monster hunt and follow the clues to find the monster hidden in the depths of the Museum. This multi-sensory session has been inspired by Michael Rosen’s classic story We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.

Children will:

explore Museum objects using songs and role play

use imagination to travel across different landscapes from the big blue ocean to a tall rocky cliff

develop communication skills

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All teachers need to know about onsite school sessions at the National Maritime Museum and the Queen's House. Browse our list of sessions below and find tips and practical information for planning your visit in our primary schools guide.
Book an onsite school session
Important information

Bookings open for onsite school sessions in the autumn term and beyond from Monday 18 July. You are welcome to make a self-guided visit to our sites during summer term 2022. Please see our Self-guided school visits page for more information.
Self-guided school visits

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National Maritime Museum and Queen's House Onsite Primary School Sessions 2022-23

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All teachers need to know about onsite school sessions at the National Maritime Museum and the Queen's House. Browse our list of sessions below and find tips and practical information for planning your visit in our primary schools guide. Book an onsite school session Bookings open for onsite school sessions in the autumn term and beyond from Monday 18 July.

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Science Mus: In museums / workshops (competitive)

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Science Mus: In museums / workshops (competitive)

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KS1 groups are welcomed & guided to the Pattern Pod, with interactions around pattern. Natural world elements include patterns in seeds and in water ripples, as well as the human body. Most of it is quite abstract / geometrical.

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Exhibits in Pattern Pod include:

Touch Patterns: explore fun and familiar texture patterns along a wall.

Pattern Trails: follow the baby, dog, duck and robot trails.

Spiral and Hexagon Pattern Areas: see and touch hexagons and spirals-two patterns that frequently occur in nature.

Body Sound Patterns: turn a dial to change the body's activity, e.g. running, eating, sleeping, and listen to the resulting changes in body sounds, including heart, breathing and intestine sounds!

Tiling Patterns: fit together magnetic kite and dart shapes to form different tessellated patterns.

Movement Patterns: body movements are captured and re-projected in a colourful display in a specially enclosed area.

Symmetry Patterns: draw on the touch screen, and the computer automatically produces a symmetrical image.

Ripple Patterns: Create movement over our virtual pool to explore water ripples without getting your feet wet

Night and Day: an animated everyday scene that passes from night to day to night for a visual exploration of time patterns.

Growing Patterns: plant "seeds" with different shapes pictured on them to "grow" striking fractal patterns.

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Exhibits in Pattern Pod include: Touch Patterns: explore fun and familiar texture patterns along a wall. Pattern Trails: follow the baby, dog, duck and robot trails. Spiral and Hexagon Pattern Areas: see and touch hexagons and spirals-two patterns that frequently occur in nature. Body Sound Patterns: turn a dial to change the body's activity, e.g.

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Science Mus: In museums / workshops (competitive) 

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Science Mus: In museums / workshops (competitive) 

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The Garden is the SM's gallery for younger children with zones including water play and 'eyes and ears'. There are workshops for KS1 in this space. These are basic ideas for biology & nature understanding.

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Hands-on area encouraging early exploration of science. For Nursery, Reception and Year 1 (ages 3-6).

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Systems thinking that helps children & other age groups understand natural and human systems.

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Why Systems Thinking? - Waters Center for Systems Thinking

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Learn about the benefits of systems thinking, the impact of the Waters Center and some of our work in the field.

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The Travelling Natural History Museum. Runs outreach workshops & events with its collection of props / facsimiles / animatronics etc.

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Oxford MNH learning zone. Sections on living things, fossils & earth. Character called Mrs Nerg helps you remember the 7 life processes. They are very bite sized resources with cartoon characters and animations. For example, animation on 'are humans ruining the earth?' which balances a progress narrative with facts of damage. https://oxplore.org/question-detail/are-humans-ruining-the-earth#1615

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The Museum is an inspiring setting for learning, offering a range of fun and informative hands-on sessions and online resources. Visit the Museum website to find out more.

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RHS online resources for schools / children. Step by step activities with hints and extra info e.g. Draw Parts of a Flower. (They do offer workshops etc but their gardens aren't accessible to London. Wisley is the nearest.) https://www.rhs.org.uk/education-learning/gardening-children-schools/learning-from-home

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We're encouraging Primary School pupils to learn, create, plant and discover at home using our RHS learning resources.

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Bloom education. Nature workshops outdoors, with London schools. Led by Jane McRae. Uses the Harmony Project principles. KS2 upwards

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Earth Whisperer is run by Joanna Goldsmid, runs workshops for schools in London parks & schools. Freelance for orgs plus her independently run offer. 4 x KS1-2 sessions and 3 x EYFS. One of them is mindfulness. Very engaging sounding.

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Our Workshops

Welcome to Earthwhisperer. I am Joanna Goldsmid, an outdoor educator with the vision of a world in which all children grow up knowing the natural world as a place of wonder, belonging and refuge. From this grows appreciation and from appreciation grows the desire to nurture and protect.

If nature is to thrive in the future we need children to feel this deep connection.

And children need nature if they are to truly thrive too. Quality time spent in nature is medicine for young minds.

Learn more about how nature can enhance children's wellbeing

We offer 7 outdoor workshops, 4 for Primary and 3 for EYFS. All are designed to generate a sense of awe, wonder and appreciation.

All workshops link to the PSHE and Science Curriculum or Early Learning Goals

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Primary Workshops

Natural Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of paying close attention to the present moment with a quality of curiosity and appreciation. Nature provides a perfect context as it awakens our senses and engages our interest. Through 'micro-world' exploration, 'sound mapping' and the ''steady stone' game, we will start to notice the extraordinary in the ordinary and the power of nature to calm, soothe and inspire.

Early Years Workshops

Nature and wellbeing are intimately connected.

Breaktime? Take a 3 minute breather with this film.

Drop into the beauty of plant life and birdsong... guaranteed to revive you!

"Joanna is a brilliant, expressive practitioner who pitched the session beautifully for nursery children. She was inclusive and very interactive."

Class Teacher, Hackney

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School nature workshops | London | Earthwhisperer Outdoor Learning

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Our Workshops Welcome to Earthwhisperer. I am Joanna Goldsmid, an outdoor educator with the vision of a world in which all children grow up knowing the natural world as a place of wonder, belonging and refuge. From this grows appreciation and from appreciation grows the desire to nurture and protect.

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Royal Parks (TRP) Outdoors / providers (competitive)

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Royal Parks (TRP) Outdoors / providers (competitive)

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https://www.royalparks.org.uk/learn/learn-in-hyde-park-and-kensington-gardens/primary Sessions in Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens in 4 subjects: Science, Geography, Cross Curricular (history), Art. 11 of the choices can be adapted for either KS1 or KS2. 3 of these adaptable ones offer a focus on life in different habitats - ponds, trees or undergrowth. 'Senses' and 'Lifecycles' specifically target KS1. (See the 2 other cards.)

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Nature, Navigation and Nastiness in St James's Park

St James's Park has a long and rich history. In London's oldest Royal Park, your group will discover quirky facts and stories about its past while learning to navigate around it. With a carefully selected set of activities including orienteering and drama, your group will never look at a park in the same way again! This local history study also involves elements of science, including mention of habitats and food chains. Math skills will be needed to calculate distance using a map scale, and descriptive English language skills to develop and deliver a group drama on one aspect of the park's history.

Please note that this session takes place entirely in St James's Park, and is currently available on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

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the royal parks; learn; primary; schools; education; workshops; online; virtual

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Primary Education | Learning | The Royal Parks

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St James's Park has a long and rich history. In London's oldest Royal Park, your group will discover quirky facts and stories about its past while learning to navigate around it. With a carefully selected set of activities including orienteering and drama, your group will never look at a park in the same way again!

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KS1 Lifecycles. Half day. Use real animals to learn about growing and changing. Have a look at spring out in the park and think about how we can help birds care for their chicks.

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Nature, Navigation and Nastiness in St James's Park

St James's Park has a long and rich history. In London's oldest Royal Park, your group will discover quirky facts and stories about its past while learning to navigate around it. With a carefully selected set of activities including orienteering and drama, your group will never look at a park in the same way again! This local history study also involves elements of science, including mention of habitats and food chains. Math skills will be needed to calculate distance using a map scale, and descriptive English language skills to develop and deliver a group drama on one aspect of the park's history.

Please note that this session takes place entirely in St James's Park, and is currently available on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

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the royal parks; learn; primary; schools; education; workshops; online; virtual

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Primary Education | Learning | The Royal Parks

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St James's Park has a long and rich history. In London's oldest Royal Park, your group will discover quirky facts and stories about its past while learning to navigate around it. With a carefully selected set of activities including orienteering and drama, your group will never look at a park in the same way again!

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KS1 Senses. Half day. Come on a sensory journey as we explore the local environment. Use your senses to compare different textures, sounds, smells and tastes in our wildlife garden then look for different animals and birds in the wider park.

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Nature, Navigation and Nastiness in St James's Park

St James's Park has a long and rich history. In London's oldest Royal Park, your group will discover quirky facts and stories about its past while learning to navigate around it. With a carefully selected set of activities including orienteering and drama, your group will never look at a park in the same way again! This local history study also involves elements of science, including mention of habitats and food chains. Math skills will be needed to calculate distance using a map scale, and descriptive English language skills to develop and deliver a group drama on one aspect of the park's history.

Please note that this session takes place entirely in St James's Park, and is currently available on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

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the royal parks; learn; primary; schools; education; workshops; online; virtual

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Primary Education | Learning | The Royal Parks

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St James's Park has a long and rich history. In London's oldest Royal Park, your group will discover quirky facts and stories about its past while learning to navigate around it. With a carefully selected set of activities including orienteering and drama, your group will never look at a park in the same way again!

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Acts of Tree Kindness. By Climate Museum UK. Daily blogpost for Urban Tree Festival. Aimed at public audiences with emphasis on families.

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As part of the Urban Tree Festival, Climate Museum UK have been asked to share ideas for Acts of Tree Kindness that people can try out over the coming week (Saturday 16th to Sunday 24th May) and, h…

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Students' climate questions answered. Dialogic approach.

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Answering students questions about climate change

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Bury the Giant club weekly challenges for climate action. Aimed at families? From Art & Energy Collective

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RBG Kew runs one of the largest botanic gardens education programmes globally. Includes some indoor experience. Focus on secondary students, increasing visits from disadvantaged schools. However, they offer 8 sessions for KS1, and 3 sessions for EYFS. 45 or 90 minutes

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KS1 - being a plant scientist, investigating seeds & plants

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Overview

What is a seed? Why do they come in so many different shapes and sizes? How do plants grow from seeds and stay healthy? Investigate the answers in fun, practical and exploratory based learning activities.

Learning outcomes

Pupils will be able to:

Observe, compare and sort a variety of seeds.

Investigate, explain and describe what seeds and plants need to grow, mature and stay healthy.

Identify different parts of a plant.

Explore the life cycle of plants.

We will ensure the learning outcomes focus on the year group taking part.

Keywords:

Plants, roots, stem, leaf, flower, fruit, seeds, evergreen, deciduous, sunlight, energy, air, water, nutrients, pollination, pollinator

Curriculum links

Science
Year 2 - Plants

Observe and describe how seeds and bulbs grow into mature plants.

Find out and describe how plants need water, light and a suitable temperature to grow and stay healthy.

Working scientifically

Asking simple questions and recognising that they can be answered in different ways.

Observing closely using simple equipment.

Using their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions.

Gathering and recording data to help in answering questions.

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What is a seed? Why do they come in so many different shapes and sizes? How do plants grow from seeds and stay healthy? Investigate the answers in fun, practical and exploratory based learning activities. Pupils will be able to: Observe, compare and sort a variety of seeds.

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KS1 Seasons & weather, includes identifying plants in relation to seasons etc. https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/school-visits/browse-sessions/key-stage-1/seasons-and-weather-at-kew

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Investigate the weather associated with the different seasons at Kew and its effects on plants.

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KS1 Carniverous plants & invertebrates. Recognising different types of invertebrates. Constructing a simple food chain.

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Allocated space

Recommended dates

March to October

Please note, this session will not run outside of these times

Overview

What connects carnivorous plants and minibeasts? Take a journey of discovery and investigate Kew's more 'unusual' inhabitants.

Solve the minibeast crime at Kew Gardens. Investigate the relationships between plants and animals using different techniques to discover, observe, identify and classify a variety of invertebrates in their habitats. Pupils hunt for and collect minibeasts to explore food chains and solve the mystery of who killed the fly...

This session will be delivered outside in the Gardens.

Learning outcomes

Pupils will be able to:

Make predictions and describe their findings using scientific language.

Identify, compare, sort and classify a variety invertebrates using simple keys.

Recognise that different living things are found in different places because they have different needs.

Construct a simple food chain.

We will ensure the learning outcomes focus on the year group taking part.

Keywords:

Habitat, micro-habitat, invertebrate, vertebrate, omnivore, carnivore, herbivore, detritivore, producer, food chain, nutrients, bog

Curriculum links

Science
Year 2 - Living things and their habitats

Identify and name a variety of animals in their habitat, including micro-habitats.

Identify that most living things live in habitats to which they are suited and describe how different habitats provide for the basic needs of different kinds of animals and plants, and how they depend on each other.

Describe how animals obtain their food from plants and other animals, using the idea of a simple food chain, and identify and name different food sources.

Find out about and describe the basic needs of animals, including humans, for survival (water, food and air).

Working scientifically

Asking simple questions and recognising that they can be answered in different ways.

Observing closely using simple equipment.

Identifying and classifying.

Using their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions.

Gathering and recording data to help in answering questions.

English

Use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising, imagining and exploring ideas

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March to October Please note, this session will not run outside of these times What connects carnivorous plants and minibeasts? Take a journey of discovery and investigate Kew's more 'unusual' inhabitants.

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EYFS 45 minute session on trees. https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/school-visits/browse-sessions/early-years/treemendous-trees

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EYFS 45 minute workshop focusing on storytelling. Listening to story. Then collecting natural materials to use them in role play & story. https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/school-visits/browse-sessions/early-years/story-explorers

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EYFS 45 minute workshop - magical world of plants growing. https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/school-visits/browse-sessions/early-years/plants-growing

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Horniman: In museums / workshops (competitive)

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Horniman: In museums / workshops (competitive)

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Arctic adventure for reception & year 1. Horniman. Discover some amazing Arctic animals as you touch a real orca tooth and reindeer fur, and learn how their bodies help them to survive in their cold habitat.

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Arctic Adventure - Horniman Museum and Gardens

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Travel on an exciting, imaginary journey to the Arctic in this interactive hands-on session. Reception and Year 1 Discover some amazing Arctic animals as you touch a real orca tooth and reindeer fur, and learn how their bodies help them to survive in their cold habitat.

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Horniman: In museums / workshops (competitive)

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Horniman: In museums / workshops (competitive)

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Seeds, plants and people. Horniman.

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This exiting hands-on session explores everything about plants through objects, life plants and artefacts.

Explore a range of seeds, live plants and artefacts in this exciting, hands-on workshop.

Discover how seeds are dispersed, why we need plants and how plants are used by peoples around the world.

After an introduction to the life cycle of a flowering plant and seed dispersal, children will explore three stations. They will observe real seeds and find out how they are spread; explore a variety of plants and their uses in everyday products; learn about cultures by discovering plant-based artefacts from around the world. We will finish by discussing why we cannot live without plants and how to protect them.

Learning Objectives

Pupils will be able to describe different methods of seed dispersal

Pupils will understand that plants are used in different everyday products

Pupils will be able to identify specific plants used for particular products

Pupils will be able to give an example of how plants are used by a group of people in a different part of the worl

Pupils will be handling live plants and seeds in this session. If you have any pupils with allergies, please let us know when you make a booking.

We recommend exploring the wide variety of plants in the Horniman Gardens, before or after your workshop. If you would like to visit our Butterfly House, reduced admission is available for school groups: £2.50 inc. VAT per person. 1:1 carers free of charge. Entrance to the Butterfly House is limited so to avoid disappointment please contact schools@horniman.ac.uk to book in advance of your visit.

Workshop information

How to book

Booking a taught session includes a welcome briefing on arrival, timed access to a lunch space, cloakroom facilities and access to toilets for the exclusive use of school groups.

Contact us to make a booking:
schools@horniman.ac.uk
020 8291 8686

When you contact us please have ready:

- the name of the taught session you would like to book or topic you are studying,

- 1st/2nd/3rd choice of date and preferred session time,

- the number of pupils and adults attending.

Costs

Entrance to the Horniman Museum and Gardens is free of charge. Taught sessions and access to some exhibitions are charged for. We invoice after your visit.

The following charges apply:

Mainstream State schools: £90 including VAT, £75 excluding VAT

Private/independent schools: £129.60 including VAT, £108 excluding VAT

SEND schools and groups: £45 including VAT, £37.25 excluding VAT

We offer a bursary scheme for schools that meet a set criteria.

Planning your visit

See the School Trips page for other essential information including our risk assessment.

We are open from 10am-5.30pm. Entrance to the Museum and Gardens is free of charge but must be booked in advance by emailing schools@horniman.ac.uk.

We offer reduced educational rates for our Aquarium, Butterfly House, and Temporary exhibition. See the School Trips page for further information.

Charges apply to all children aged 3 years and over, and all accompanying teachers and adults, unless they are specific 1:1 carers.

The Horniman connects us all with global cultures and the natural environment, encouraging us to shape a positive future for the world we all share.

COOKIES

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking "Accept All", you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. If you accept "Essential Cookies only" some elements, like videos and maps by third parties, may not work. You can visit Customise Your Preferences to customise your cookie consent. Read our Cookie Policy.

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Seeds, Plants and People - Horniman Museum and Gardens

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This exiting hands-on session explores everything about plants through objects, life plants and artefacts. Explore a range of seeds, live plants and artefacts in this exciting, hands-on workshop. Discover how seeds are dispersed, why we need plants and how plants are used by peoples around the world.

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Coney. Phoebe the Apprentice Ranger

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Phoebe has a new job for the summer. It's the job she has always dreamt of since she was a little girl. To stand up for the habitats of her favourite animals. To follow the countryside code. To be a Ranger.

Phoebe the Apprentice Ranger was a family adventure commissioned by the National Trust, Polesden Lacey (Surrey) for families to explore the site. Families met Phoebe and her boss Lenny, and then had the chance to explore a variety of missions and challenges, from spotting wildlife in the grounds, to cracking semaphore codes. Along the way they could earn ranger badges and help Polesden's new apprentice ranger Phoebe to learn more about the estate and the Countryside Code.

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Phoebe has a new job for the summer. It's the job she has always dreamt of since she was a little girl. To stand up for the habitats of her favourite animals. To follow the countryside code. To be a Ranger.

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programmes. This ambitious programme empowers teaching professionals from central government to the classroom to embrace a new kind of thinking which will bring natural shifts in practice and delivery within the existing system.

We are now on a mission to enrol the creative, academic and scientific communities in an unprecidented collaboration to bring transformation to education in the UK.

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From the architecture of the building to the thinking, learning and actions within the classroom, this programme will leave a legacy of enrichment and empowerment for the students, the teachers and the community.

It aims to develop a pathway towards transforming how we think about education and the way young people learn and to directly address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4.7*.

The programme is a young-person-centered, immersive and inter-disciplinary experience that draws on diverse expertise from game mechanics to promenade theatre, to reshape the experience of school. It encourages problem solving, teamwork, critical thinking, empathy and self-expression.

The Great Imagining also provides a model of teaching for creativity through its Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training

Over the 2 weeks, the students will be building an engaging and interactive exhibition throughout their entire school. This exciting contemporary learning centre will be designed in collaboration with experts.

From scientists and academics to artists, filmmakers, set designers and art directors, our partnerships with UK's greatest thinkers and makers will ensure every school transforms into its own Museum of the Future.

These exhibitions will invite in the public from families to businesses and politicians to enrol them in building a sustainable regenerative world.

The Great Imagining will empower young people to be healthy, confident and powerful citizens and leaders within their communities and workplaces.

Open to the public for only 6 months, nearly 170 years ago, this was arguably the first exhibition with a global ethos, because as well as drawing on British industrial design, exhibits were gathered from throughout the British Empire, (as it was then), and beyond.

It will reveal motivating and engaging stories of good practice and galvanising, impressive projects from around the world as well as within the UK itself. The programme will invite brillliant individuals and organisations to work with the school communities to imagine their world as they would like it to be - rather than accept the future we are sleepwalking towards.

By creating this opportunity for young people we will inspire thousands of young people to kickstart a collective imagining of a Greener, Fairer, Kinder future and in doing so re-imagine the education system itself for the next generation.

But we also face urgent and challenging crises with increasing social injustices, climate instabilities and ecological emergencies.

The multifarious challenges of the 21st century call for rapid and radical reflection and transformation on a global scale.

To respond adequately to the fast moving pace of change, we need widespread culture shifts towards collaboration, technological problem solving and scientific truth telling - to shift behaviours and support legislation, consensus and agreement throughout all nations and regions of the planet.

Against this backdrop our education system is no longer fit for purpose. Designed over a century ago, public education in the UK and beyond was created for a different world.

With increasing globalisation of trade and loss of industry in the UK combined with growing awareness of human rights of equality and fairness our school structure and methods of teaching are failing to address the needs of as well as inspire large sections of the population.

Increasing inequality growing from systemic privilege, racism and exclusion has been highlighted during the recent global pandemic and the massive exclusions from learning that highlighted. Debates around the recent #blacklivesmatter protests have shone a harsh light on aspects of the syllabus being currently delivered in the UK.

The recent exam results have also revealed the inequalities and the implications of competative, standardised testing systems and inspection methods.

These wider systemic issues, along side an erosion of creative experiences and the arts from the national school timetables, has lead to a broad consensus that something needs to urgently change within educational policy.

The Great Imagining offers a practical and immediate way to address the crisis in education as well as the very real and global threats to our future on the planet.

This project is being delivered by training local, regional as well as national partners to enable, support and promote The Great Imagining in every region of the UK.

These actions, as well as resources, best practice examples and experiments will include global as well as local perspectives.

We are working with creative partners and experts, regional partners as well as the schools themselves to provide a growing wealth of training, pledges, commitments, initiatives, resources and funding.

This community chest will support students and their schools to be leaders in their communities and be active in building a thriving, ecologically sustainable future.

Thus The Great Imagining will grow in intelligence, wisdom and utility as the best ideas and practices are revealed, understood and shared more widely.

These customised navigation routes ensure satisfying, meaningful experiences for the students - and plenty of free choice - while delivering a high quality rich and engaging exhibition for the audience.

Like the syllabus, the pathways of the curricula are being designed in partnership with expert practitioners from many fields from theatre, gaming and film to develop multiple ways to help the students navigate the landscape of our syllabus both as individuals and in groups.

The bespoke curricula are drawing on the principals and methodologies of gaming and promenade theatre to keep engagement dynamic so that young people can follow unique paths and interact with the syllabus and each other in emergent ways.

We know this innovative and much needed programme will play a vital role in helping us all to navigate our uncertain futures. We are now reaching out to the dynamic and brilliant creative, scientific, academic and funding communities of the UK and beyond.

An opportunity for collaboration.

collaborators and partners who can enable the project to reach its ambition for genuine cultural change.

If so you can get in touch with us by sending an email to partnerships@thegreatimagining.org with the subject:

The Great Imagining and your organisation or name. We are especially looking for connections in the following key areas:

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The Great Imagining | A transformative education programme for schools

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programmes. This ambitious programme empowers teaching professionals from central government to the classroom to embrace a new kind of thinking which will bring natural shifts in practice and delivery within the existing system. We are now on a mission to enrol the creative, academic and scientific communities in an unprecidented collaboration to bring transformation to education in the UK.

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Rewilding our world, video for children https://ed.ted.com/lessons/from-the-top-of-the-food-chain-down-rewilding-our-world-george-monbiot

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George Monbiot wrote a book that expounds upon his ideas of rewilding. Check it out here: Feral: Rewilding the Land, the Sea, and Human Life.
If you'd like to know more about rewilding, specifically in North America, check out Rewilding North America, by Dave Foreman or visit Dave's website here.
Callum Roberts is a marine conservation biologist, oceanographer, author, research scholar at the University of York, England. His work examines the impact of human activity on marine ecosystems, particularly coral reefs. To learn more about his research, check out his book, The Unnatural History of the Sea.
Be sure to check out George Monbiot's website: www.monbiot.com
Wolves were once native to the US' Yellowstone National Park - until hunting wiped them out. But when, in 1995, the wolves began to come back (thanks to an aggressive management program), something interesting happened: the rest of the park began to find a new, more healthful balance. In a bold thought experiment, George Monbiot imagines a wilder world in which humans work to restore the complex, lost natural food chains that once surrounded us.

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From the top of the food chain down: Rewilding our world - George Monbiot

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Our planet was once populated by megafauna, big top-of-the-food-chain predators that played their part in balancing our ecosystems. When those megafauna disappear, the result is a "trophic cascade," where every part of the ecosystem reacts to the loss. How can we stay in balance?

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TED Ed has many lessons (videos, animations etc) about biodiversity and climate for children. US focused but for anglophone world. https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-is-biodiversity-so-important-kim-preshoff

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Why is biodiversity so important? - Kim Preshoff

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Our planet’s diverse, thriving ecosystems may seem like permanent fixtures, but they’re actually vulnerable to collapse. Jungles can become deserts, and reefs can become lifeless rocks. What makes one ecosystem strong and another weak in the face of change? Kim Preshoff details why the answer, t…

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Ology website from American Museum of Natural History - large selection of playful learning resources. Interviews, games, challenges, explainers etc. Includes biodiversity, earth sciences etc etc.

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Horniman: In museums / workshops (competitive)

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Horniman: In museums / workshops (competitive)

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Institute of Imagination - Save Make Reinvent schools workshop. Sustainability & the Circular Economy.

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iOi schools programme building skills through creativity.

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Horniman: In museums / workshops (competitive)

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Horniman: In museums / workshops (competitive)

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Amazon rainforest: People & Animals. Schools workshop at the Horniman. Handling of taxidermy & Wai Wai artefacts. Also offered for follow up, a rainforest trail of the museum.

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What is life like in the Amazon Rainforest? Explore animals that live there and learn about people that call it their 'home'.

Get up close to taxidermy rainforest animals such as caiman, armadillo and tarantula, and discover how their amazingly adapted bodies help them survive.

In this session, pupils will have the unique opportunity to handle traditional objects handmade by the Wai-Wai people; a group living in the Amazon Rainforest of Guyana and Northern Brazil. Pupils will learn about life in the rainforest by exploring unfamiliar objects, materials they are made from and how they are used.

A short introduction to the Amazon Rainforest will be followed by the circle handling of taxidermy animals that live in the rainforest. Students will then be introduced to Wai-Wai people and explore two stations of Wai-Wai objects. We will finish by talking about what we learned through Wai-Wai objects, discuss threats facing the rainforest habitat and its people and discover solutions for positive change.

The cost of the session also includes timed access for the class to the Aquarium (please note - this is not private access) outside the session.

Learning Objectives

Pupils will be able to describe at least two ways in which Wai-Wai people use natural resources

Pupils will be able to mention several species of animals living in the Amazon Rainforest

Pupils will be able to give examples of threats to rainforest habitats and suggestions for positive change

The Horniman is the perfect place to explore your topic further. Use our 'Rainforest People' schools trail to learn more about the incredible display of Wai-Wai objects in our wonderful World Gallery. Search our Natural History Gallery for Rainforest animals (found in our Rainforest People Learning pack), or explore South American instruments in the Music Gallery.

'Thank you. The session was perfectly pitched for their age. Very interesting and fun.' Teacher

Workshop information

How to book

Booking a taught session includes a welcome briefing on arrival, timed access to a lunch space, cloakroom facilities and access to toilets for the exclusive use of school groups.

Contact us to make a booking:
schools@horniman.ac.uk
020 8291 8686

When you contact us please have ready:

- the name of the taught session you would like to book or topic you are studying,

- 1st/2nd/3rd choice of date and preferred session time,

- the number of pupils and adults attending.

Costs

Entrance to the Horniman Museum and Gardens is free of charge. Taught sessions and access to some exhibitions are charged for. We invoice after your visit.

The following charges apply:

Mainstream State schools: £90 including VAT, £75 excluding VAT

Private/independent schools: £129.60 including VAT, £108 excluding VAT

SEND schools and groups: £45 including VAT, £37.25 excluding VAT

We offer a bursary scheme for schools that meet a set criteria.

Planning your visit

See the School Trips page for other essential information including our Risk Assessment.

We are open from 10am-5.30pm, 7 days a week. Entrance to the Museum and Gardens is free of charge but must be booked in advance by emailing schools@horniman.ac.uk.

We offer reduced educational rates for our Aquarium, Butterfly House, and Temporary exhibition. See the School Trips page for further information.

Charges apply to all children aged 3 years and over, and all accompanying teachers and adults, unless they are specific 1:1 carers.

The Horniman connects us all with global cultures and the natural environment, encouraging us to shape a positive future for the world we all share.

COOKIES

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking "Accept All", you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. If you accept "Essential Cookies only" some elements, like videos and maps by third parties, may not work. You can visit Customise Your Preferences to customise your cookie consent. Read our Cookie Policy.

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Amazon Rainforest: People and Animals - Horniman Museum and Gardens

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What is life like in the Amazon Rainforest? Explore animals that live there and learn about people that call it their 'home'. Get up close to taxidermy rainforest animals such as caiman, armadillo and tarantula, and discover how their amazingly adapted bodies help them survive.

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In development by Daydream Believers. Forestopia. This challenge supports our learners to create an eco theme park inspired by a forest ecosystem and looks at ways we can help people reconnect with the wisdom and wonder of the natural world. (Will be shared at the Learning Planet festival end Jan 2023)

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We are Daydream Believers a not-for-profit organisation recognised by the HundrED as one of their top 100 Innovators.

This year we are working with schools on our new Creative Thinking qualification. Aimed at 15 - 18-year-old students this qualification is an innovative way of resourcing and assessing challenge-based learning. In this workshop, we will share the insights behind this experience by introducing you to Forestopia. This challenge supports our learners to create an eco theme park inspired by a forest ecosystem and looks at ways we can help people reconnect with the wisdom and wonder of the natural world.

We are looking for partners who would like to develop and deliver the Forestopia experience.
Pop into this workshop, share your ideas with us and be prepared to be immersed in nature!

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We are Daydream Believers a not-for-profit organisation recognised by the HundrED as one of their top 100 Innovators. This year we are working with schools on our new Creative Thinking qualification. Aimed at 15 - 18-year-old students this qualification is an innovative way of resourcing and assessing challenge-based learning.

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Weekly challenges for children - DreamBigAtHome - Woodcraft Folk

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Weekly fun educational challenges for children and young people to be entertained and engaged at home. Share your triumphs with us using #DreamBigAtHome

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FSC runs whole day workshops in FSC woods, including Epping & Beckenham (ie London) plus nearby e.g. Amersham. A range of topics, for early years primary groups. Enchanted woodlands, Barnaby Bear, Habitats etc. It's a complicated website, hard to find very much detail. Some topics are offered at some woods. Prices aren't given unless you fill in a form.

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Join us on an exploration of our woodland, through games, crafts and other activities. As we learn about woodlands we will take a look at animal's basic needs, make shelters for woodland animals, you can go to a smelly cocktail party or create a fairy garden. A flexible and adaptable programme that can be tailored to bring in specific stories or woodland activities to suit.

Example Timetable

This course usually runs from 10am - 2.30pm but times can be adjusted to suit your group and travel plans. During your visit you will be welcome to the centre and given an appropriate health and safety briefing. During the day we will undertake a number of activities, games and investigations (the exact activities will depend on the topic chosen). We will break for lunch at a suitable time. Please note that specific activities for your group are subject to change. We go out in all weathers and seasons and will tailor the content of the day accordingly. Some activities are only offered at certain times of the year.

Added value of this course

Develop personal skills

Have fun

Be inspired by a passion for the subject

Build friendships

Why Choose FSC?

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Early Years Enchanted Woodlands - Field Studies Council

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Join us on an exploration of our woodland, through games, crafts and other activities. As we learn about woodlands we will take a look at animal's basic needs, make shelters for woodland animals, you can go to a smelly cocktail party or create a fairy garden.

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Science Mus: In museums / workshops (competitive) 

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Science Mus: In museums / workshops (competitive) 

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IMAX Cinema - A Beautiful Planet film is recommended for 7 years up, but covers both space science & natural world themes.

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We offer formal education groups, such as schools, colleges and universities, up to 50% off tickets during term times and 25% off all other times. The discounted prices are:

For informal education groups, including Girlguiding, Scouts, youth groups and summer schools, we offer up to 25% off full price tickets. The discounted prices are:

For other groups, including adult interest groups, coach groups, we can offer up to 15% off full price tickets at any time. The discounted prices are:

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A Beautiful Planet 3D (U)-groups | Science Museum

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We offer formal education groups, such as schools, colleges and universities, up to 50% off tickets during term times and 25% off all other times. The discounted prices are: For informal education groups, including Girlguiding, Scouts, youth groups and summer schools, we offer up to 25% off full price tickets.