School Bookings

Habitats at Wicksteed

Mini Beasts 

• Explore the different micro habitats to discover and identify Mini Beasts. Work in groups to learn more about keys and flow charts, and how they help us identify what we find. We then design our own mini beasts.

Bird Watch

• This session is specifically tailored to the season of your visit. In Spring/ Summer we will look at birds migrating back to the UK, and how they are adapted to their habitat. In Winter we discover the challenges that face our common garden birds, and how they adapt to survive winter. You can also make pine cone feeders for your school grounds.

Tree Identification

• Learn about the structure and lifecycle of trees, looking at details such as bark and leaves, and learning about the seasons. Learn to identify and describe common tree varieties, as well as tree measuring.

Natural or Man Made

• Explore the natural and man-made objects in areas of the park, making your own drawings and observations. Using both natural and man-made, children construct mini shelters for their teddy bears. Conclude with a Teddy Bear Picnic

Trees in Books and Books in Trees

• Look at how trees are used within literature from ‘The Stick Man’ to ‘Stig of the Dump’ or ‘Alice in Wonderland’ to ‘Winnie the Pooh’, take part in a guided walk looking at and learning to identify tree species, then write your own short poem or story inspired by the trees. Learn about the origin of tree-based paper making and have a go at a paper-based craft activity.

Nature By Design

• Explore what is natural and what is man-made within the park. Take a guided walk around the park’s grounds, identify plants and wildlife in different areas. Through journaling sketching and collecting, we will- look at how we can share our ideas, experiences and imagination, and display our findings. There is the option for creating new images through collage and or drawing or building natural sculptures with found materials. Be introduced to the work of artists and designers inspired by nature and the natural world including Andy Goldsworthy.

Exploring Forces/Friction and Forces

• Using our playground as a laboratory, discover which equipment uses pushes and pulls. Explore with our push and pull scavenger hunt. Design marble run towers to investigate motion and speed.

Charles Wicksteed Day

• Learn about Charles Wicksteed as a significant local person in social history and as an inventor, engineer and entrepreneur. Have a tour around the park looking at all its historical features, learn more about what life was like for both rich and poor during Charles’ lifetime. Charles life will be put into context with other key local figures and national and international events. Learn more about Charles as an inventor and design your own fairground ride.

Victorian Day/ Wicksteed by the Sea

• Learn what life was like for both rich and poor Victorians in this area and how they would spend their leisure time and have fun. Activities can include learning about Victorian funfair’s including having a go at a coconut shy. Play some outdoor games and explore traditional toys and parlour games Victorian children would have played. Learn about Victorian interest in moving images and even have a go trying them for yourself! A look at seaside holidays and how they have changed within living memory. Includes Seaside and Safety by the water talk, drawing and writing a seaside postcard. Try a coconut shy and beach games in our traditional sand pit. Make and take home a souvenir sand art bottle.

Habitats at Wicksteed

Mini Beasts 

• Explore the different micro habitats to discover and identify Mini Beasts. Work in groups to learn more about keys and flow charts, and how they help us identify what we find. We then design our own mini beasts.

Tree Identification

• Learn about the structure and lifecycle of trees, looking at details such as bark and leaves, and learning about the seasons. Learn to identify and describe common tree varieties, as well as tree measuring.

Trees in Books and Books in Trees

• Look at how trees are used within literature from ‘The Stick Man’ to ‘Stig of the Dump’ or ‘Alice in Wonderland’ to ‘Winnie the Pooh’, take part in a guided walk looking at and learning to identify tree species, then write your own short poem or story inspired by the trees. Learn about the origin of tree-based paper making and have a go at a paper-based craft activity.

Nature By Design

• Explore what is natural and what is man-made within the park. Take a guided walk around the park’s grounds, identify plants and wildlife in different areas. Through journaling sketching and collecting, we will- look at how we can share our ideas, experiences and imagination, and display our findings. There is the option for creating new images through collage and or drawing or building natural sculptures with found materials. Be introduced to the work of artists and designers inspired by nature and the natural world including Andy Goldsworthy.

Fairgrounds and Rollercoasters

• Learn about the history and science behind the rides, find out how they work and, in a team, own marble run. Throughout all our Physics and Design sessions, there is the option to adapt and develop them further into Key Stage Two, enabling pupils to broaden their scientific view of the world around them.

Charles Wicksteed Day

• Learn about Charles Wicksteed as a significant local person in social history and as an inventor, engineer and entrepreneur. Have a tour around the park looking at all its historical features, learn more about what life was like for both rich and poor during Charles’ lifetime. Charles life will be put into context with other key local figures and national and international events. Learn more about Charles as an inventor and design your own fairground ride.

Victorian Day/ Wicksteed by the Sea

• Learn what life was like for both rich and poor Victorians in this area and how they would spend their leisure time and have fun. Activities can include learning about Victorian funfair’s including having a go at a coconut shy. Play some outdoor games and explore traditional toys and parlour games Victorian children would have played. Learn about Victorian interest in moving images and even have a go trying them for yourself! A look at seaside holidays and how they have changed within living memory. Includes Seaside and Safety by the water talk, drawing and writing a seaside postcard. Try a coconut shy and beach games in our traditional sand pit. Make and take home a souvenir sand art bottle.