Activity Sessions
Our schools’ programme supports the National Curriculum and is tailored to the varied ages, abilities, learning styles and needs of the children. All of our sessions are cross-curricular in their approach and provide pupils with opportunities to learn in an enjoyable and stimulating environment which promotes creativity. We always welcome enquiries and feedback and are happy to adapt sessions in order to meet your particular needs.
Foundation – Reception
Activity Boxes related to specific displays can be booked for use by Early Years Settings when visiting the Museum. Each Activity Box contains a mixture of real and/or replica artefacts, books and costume. They aim to enhance young children’s learning and to make what is often a first museum visit more enjoyable and interactive. For further details please call us.
Key Stage 1
Topic: Toys
Main curriculum link: History
Cross-curricular links: Literacy, Design & Technology
Website links: Bedford Bytes - Toys of the Past
Duration: 2 hours
Toys of the Past
Using a turn-of-the-century parlour room set and toy displays we explore how toys of the past are different from today’s toys. Children play with reproduced traditional toys and games and make a simple Victorian-style toy.
Topic: Houses and Homes
Main curriculum link: History
Cross-curricular links: Literacy, Design & Technology
Duration: Each session lasts 1 hour
Washday & Lighting
This hands-on session involves children in all aspects of the traditional washday and reveals why it was such a chore. It also explores how houses were lit before electricity and just how little light most families had access to.
Cooking & Eating
Using our range of handling objects we explore how people cooked and took their meals in the past, learning to sort old from new, form a simple chronology for changes over time, investigate objects and their materials and develop new vocabulary.
Which Room?
By linking real objects to the rooms in which they would have been used, children explore objects, choose describing words and make decisions about how and where objects are used in houses.
Topic: Mother Nature, Designer
Main curriculum link: Art & Design
Cross-curricular links: Science
Website link: Bedford Bytes – Mother Nature, Designer
Duration: 1 – 1 ½ hours
Mother Nature, Designer
Using birds, mammals, insects and shells from the collections children discover and draw the wonderful array of shapes and patterns found in nature and see examples of how designers have been inspired by nature in their work.
(Please note that pupils will not be able to access designs in the Cecil Higgins Art Gallery during its closure)
Key Stages 1 and 2
Topic: Victorian Childhood
Main curriculum link: History
Cross-curricular links: Literacy
Duration: Each session lasts 1 hour
Victorian Costume
What were unmentionables? How restrictive were Victorian clothes? How did the fashion of 150 years ago compare with today? We dress a selected boy and girl in our superb replica children’s costume to help children answer these questions.
Victorian School Lesson
Experience what it was like to be a Victorian schoolchild in this role-play session. Under the watchful eye of the schoolmistress children will copy from the blackboard, do mental arithmetic, read aloud and discover the rules of behaviour in the classroom!
Topic: Living Things
Main curriculum link: Science
Cross-curricular links: Art & Design
Duration: 2 hours
Adaptation & Habitats
Get up close to birds, mammals and insects to explore how each has adapted to its environment. Children can compare specimens, look for similarities and differences and learn about local habitats. Drawing activities focus children on the detail of adaptation.
Key Stage 2
Topic: Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings
Main curriculum link: History
Cross-curricular links: Literacy, Design & Technology
Duration: Each session lasts 1 hour
Blanket Dig
Our mock archaeological dig, using blankets to represent layers of soil in an excellent introduction to archaeological processes and understanding chronology
Dig up the Romans
Our special sand boxes offer children the chance to uncover the remains of Roman objects, to consider the nature of material that survives over time and to play the detective with Roman fragments.
Roman Life
Our original and replica artefacts cover different aspects of Roman life. Children explore themes through object handling, drawing and close observation of Roman displays.
Roman Soldier and Lady
Find out the impact of the Roman invasion on Britons through our costume session where we dress two selected children as a Roman soldier and a Romano-British lady and discuss their clothing, accessories and military equipment.
Anglo-Saxon & Viking Life
This is an opportunity to handle real as well as replica artefacts, to find out how and what we know about Saxon and Viking life and the impact these invaders had on Bedford.
Anglo-Saxon Costume
Enjoy our Anglo-Saxon costume and accessories, authentic in every detail. We dress two selected models to demonstrate what clothing can tell us about Saxon life, from textile and craft skills to lifestyle and trade.
Spinning & Weaving
Experience the process of transforming fleece into cloth through activities such as teasing, carding, spinning and weaving. We also consider other natural fibres and the plant dyes used in the past.
Anglo-Saxon & Viking Design
Brooches were used by men and women to fasten clothing. Children will take ideas from real and replica brooches, buckles and strap ends to create their own designed brooches.
Topic: Victorian Britain
Main curriculum link: History
Cross-curricular links: Literacy, Design & Technology
Duration: Each session lasts 1 – 1 ¼ hours
Victorian Domestic Life
Objects once familiar in Victorian households now present a challenge. What are they for? How do they work? Who used them and what do they tell us about the lives of Victorians? Pupils become detectives as they handle and discuss real artefacts.
Victorian Costume
This session explores the male and female fashions of c1860, materials, trade and what clothing reveals about Victorian life as we dress two selected children in our authentically-made replica costumes.
Victorian School Lesson
See details under Keys Stages 1 & 2.
Topic: Ancient Egypt
Main curriculum link: History
Cross-curricular links: Literacy
Duration: 1 ½ hours
Egyptian Life
This is an introduction to Ancient Egyptian beliefs about gods and death, and to hieroglyphic writing. Children will have the chance to handle real and replica artefacts and to see items on display in the Museum.
Topic: Britain since 1930
Main curriculum link: History
Cross-curricular links: Literacy, Design & Technology
Duration: Each session lasts 1 hour
Website link: Bedford in Wartime
Maude’s Suitcase
Children will meet Maude, a 1940s’ housewife, as they experience aspects of life on the Home Front. Air raids, rationing and ‘Make Do and Mend’ are all considered through role play, artefacts and music.
Evacuees
Find out about life for children during the war as we dress two selected children as evacuees and consider the objects they took with them and the experiences they went through. Pupils will be able to investigate a range of evidence.
Britain in the 1950s and 60s
This hands-on session introduces children to artefacts from the ‘50s and ‘60s and lets them explore some of the materials, designs, technology and interests of these decades.
Topic: Materials
Main curriculum link: Science
Cross-curricular links: Literacy
Duration: Each session lasts 1 hour
Investigating materials
Pupils will investigate the material properties of metal, glass, plastic, ceramics and fibre by devising and carrying out simple experiments. The notion of fair testing will be introduced as they improve their investigative skills.
Museum Materials
Why are certain materials used to make particular objects? Pupils will investigate the uses of a variety of materials found around the museum, relate their properties to their use and compare materials used in the past to those of today.
Topic: Literacy
Duration: 1 hour
Objects & Stories
Objects and displays provide a stimulating environment for pupils to develop their language skills. Descriptive phrases, persuasive writing, creative storytelling can all be explored and we are happy to adapt sessions to suit your particular requirements.
Topic: Art & Design
All workshops are based around our collections or current exhibitions and we are happy to design a workshop to meet your requirements. Examples of general workshops we can offer include:
Patterns and Printmaking
Explore the varied patterns in the museum’s collections and make patterned prints based on your designs.
Clay tiles
Be inspired by the medieval floor tiles of Warden Abbey to make your own clay tiles
Key Stages 2 and 3
Topic: Local History
Main curriculum link: History
Cross-curricular links: Literacy, Design & Technology, Geography, Citizenship, Art & Design
Duration: 1- 2 hours
Teachers’ resource: Bedford Castle CD-Rom
Bedford Castle
Explore the site of Bedford Castle and discover the clues to its long history. Our walking tour and Museum session engage pupils with interpretations over time, different perspectives and what objects and landscape reveal. Our CD-Rom has support material for both KS2 & 3.
Bedford Portrayed
Our slide presentation will introduce 18th and 19th century Bedford through the eyes of artists. Pupils will be able to examine particular images in more detail, exploring the evidence the paintings and prints present of a bygone age.
Key Stage 4 and beyond
Topic: Leisure and Tourism
Curriculum Link: Leisure & Tourism, Travel & Tourism courses
An opportunity for students to learn about a cultural attraction: our marketing strategy, customer care, audience development work and plans for redevelopment. We are happy to discuss your particular requirements and to provide information and relevant activities for your students as required.