Our Early years programme offers a rich, immersive experience designed to enhance children’s language, communication and social development through a carefully structured blend of storytelling, outdoor learning, and practical, hands-on activities.
Our workshops support pupils in building confidence, sharing ideas and engaging meaningfully with peers. Each session is created to promote collaborative learning, critical thinking, and creative expression, aligning with key curriculum goals.
Set within a stunning natural landscape and surrounded by historic architecture, our workshops take full advantage of the environment to inspire curiosity and deepen engagement. Children are encouraged to explore the grounds, interact with nature, and draw on the unique features of the site to enrich their learning.
Self-Guided Visits
The Museum offers a stimulating and inspirational environment for early learning. Our historic buildings, natural environment and animals can be used to inspire creative, literacy and numeracy learning with lots of opportunities for exploration and active communication.
A self-guided visit allows you to explore in your own time and our Resources page has materials to help you prepare as well as activities to support a visit.
Onsite Workshops
Three Little Pigs Mini Builders Workshop
Duration: 1 hour
Cost: £60
This lively, interactive workshop brings the classic tale of The Three Little Pigs to life while introducing children to the science of materials and construction. Through storytelling and hands-on investigation, children explore which materials make the strongest houses and why!
What will they do?
Enjoy an engaging retelling of The Three Little Pigs with interactive elements.
Explore and test straw, sticks, and bricks to understand their properties and suitability for building.
Investigate our houses to understand the different materials they are built from and discover the chimney the Big Bad Wolf came down!
Learning Outcomes:
· Understand basic material properties and their uses.
· Develop problem-solving and teamwork skills.
· Connect storytelling with scientific exploration.
How to book
Please complete our Online Booking Enquiry Form
Alternatively, call us on 01243 811459 or email schoolbookings@wealddown.co.uk
Time Travellers: Homes in the Past
Duration: 1 hour
Cost: £60
Take your group back in time to explore how people lived in different historical periods. From cooking and cleaning to sleeping and using the toilet, children will discover how homes have changed over time.
What will they do?
Handle Real Artefacts and Examine authentic household items from the past.
Investigate different houses and Compare features of historic homes with modern ones.
Step inside real homes from different eras to see how people lived.
Learning Outcomes:
· Understand the evolution of domestic life.
· Develop observational and critical thinking skills.
· Engage with history through hands-on experiences and demonstrations.
How to book
Please complete our Online Booking Enquiry Form
Alternatively, call us on 01243 811459 or email schoolbookings@wealddown.co.uk
Little Red Hen
Duration: 45 minutes
Cost: £50
Inspired by the story of the Little Red Hen, this hands-on workshop helps children understand where food comes from and how it’s made. They become the Little Red Hen’s helpers, participating in every step of the bread-making journey.
What will they do?
Children scatter the wheat seeds and learn about how grain grows.
They will visit a working mill, explore and discover how grain is turned into flour.
Using a small hand quern, the children will grind grain into flour themselves.
The Children will get hands on and creative as they knead dough, understanding the final step before baking.
Learning Outcomes:
· Develop an appreciation for traditional food production.
· Understand the process involved in making everyday items like bread.
· Connect storytelling with real-world experiences.
How to book
Please complete our Online Booking Enquiry Form
Alternatively, call us on 01243 811459 or email schoolbookings@wealddown.co.uk
Wildlife and Habitats
Duration: 1 hour
Cost: £60
Let little explorers discover the magic of the great outdoors in this immersive, multi-sensory journey through our enchanting woodland. Designed to spark curiosity and connect children with nature, this adventure invites them to use all their senses to explore the vibrant life of the forest.
What Will They Do?
Explore the Woodlands and embark on a guided multi-sensory tour.
Engaging sight, sound, touch, and smell to uncover the secrets of the forest.
Adventure on a woodland bug hunt and search under logs and leaves to find mini beasts and learn about their habitats and roles in the ecosystem.
Take part in calming and engaging activities that promote mindfulness and wellbeing through nature.
Collect fallen leaves, feathers, sticks, and stones to craft a beautiful collage that celebrates the textures and colours of the woodland.
Learning Outcomes:
· Identify and describe common woodland habitats and the creatures that live there.
· Recognize the features of mini beasts and understand their role in the ecosystem.
· Observe seasonal changes and natural materials found in woodland environments.
How to book
Please complete our Online Booking Enquiry Form
Alternatively, call us on 01243 811459 or email schoolbookings@wealddown.co.uk
How to Book
Visit our Plan & Book page for all the information you need to organise and book a visit, including prices.
Online booking formNeed More Information?
Please email schoolbookings@wealddown.co.uk or call us on 01243 811459
