Museum schools service - workshops
The museums school service offers unique and inspirational resources and experiences to support pupils' critical thinking and creative learning.
Our museum resources for schools enrich learning and inspire curiosity and wonder in pupils of all abilities and backgrounds.
More sessions will be added over time, so please check back here regularly. If you can't find what you're looking for, please let us know on the booking form. We'll try our hardest to accommodate you.
When booking your visit to the History Store, we strongly recommend including the introductory session 'History Detectives: What is History?' alongside your chosen topic. This session is adaptable for any key stage or year group, and provides valuable context, making your visit even more engaging and enriching.
For all key stages visiting the History Store
Key stage 1 workshops
- Toys and Games through Time
- Finding Fabulous Fossils with Mary Anning
- Keeping House in the 1600s: Spick and Span
Key stage 2 workshops
- Ancient Greeks: Written in the Stars
- From Stone to Iron: Can You Survive Herefordshire's Prehistory?
- Unearthing the Vikings: Raiders and Hoarders in Herefordshire
- WW2 Evacuees on the Home Front: "Chin Up, Children!"
History Detectives: What is History?
| Venue | History Store |
| Duration | 45 minutes |
| Cost | £2 per pupil |
Turn your class into history detectives! Children need all their sleuthing skills to uncover clues from the past. As they dig deeper, they will gain a hands-on understanding of timeline and history, becoming archaeologists, historians and finally palaeontologists. For any key stage/year group – be prepared to be enthralled!
This session is an exciting and engaging introduction to chronology and the concept of history itself. We strongly recommend that all schools try to include it in their visit to the History Store to complement their chosen topic.
Curriculum links and beyond
History, Science, Geography, Literacy, oracy, problem-solving, critical thinking, communication and listening skills, teamwork and fun!
Finding Fabulous Fossils with Mary Anning - KS1
| Venue | History Store |
| Duration | 60 minutes |
| Cost | £3.50 per pupil |
Meet Mary Anning and learn all about her fascinating life and fossil finds! Children will see, handle (and become!) ancient creatures from millions of years ago. They will assist Mary with her latest discovery by cracking open a dinosaur surprise and become expert fossil hunters in this hands-on session. ‘Now, little ‘uns! Let’s use our rock hammers on this ‘un…’
Curriculum links and beyond
History, Science, Geography, oracy, teamwork, problem-solving, critical thinking, listening and communication skills.
Keeping House in the 1600s: Spick and Span - KS1
| Venue | Old House Hereford |
| Duration | 1 hour |
| Cost | £3.50 per pupil |
Maximum number of pupils per session is approximately 15 children. If you are hoping to bring a full class, please get in touch and we can organise activities and timetables.
Oh no, all the servants are ill! We do hope it's not the plague. Head Maid Grace can't possibly get the Old House ready all by herself before the master and mistress come home… Get your aprons on, children, and don't forget your caps – it's time to help with some chores! From sweeping floorboards to swaddling babies (and everything in between) – there's no time to waste. Children become servants and discover how homes in the past were kept spick and span in this fully immersive session. But watch out for those mice… They're everywhere!
Curriculum links and beyond
(Local) History – homes beyond living memory, drama, oracy, teamwork, problem-solving, critical thinking, listening and communication skills.
Toys and Games through Time - KS1
| Venue | History Store or outreach |
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Cost | £3.50 per pupil + travel for outreach |
Put down those tablets, children, and turn off those phones! We’re going back to a time when there were few toys but a lot of games that children all enjoyed together. We’ll play some of those outside, then, inside, we’ll find toys that have been loved through the ages. From Barbie to spinning tops, from the familiar to the downright strange, the toys challenge the children through a range of cross-curricular activities.
Curriculum links and beyond
History, Science, Design & Technology, Maths, P.E., oracy, teamwork, problem-solving, critical thinking, listening, communication and sharing skills.
Ancient Greeks: Written in the Stars - KS2
| Venue | History Store |
| Duration | 60 minutes |
| Cost | £3.50 per pupil |
In this star-studded and immersive session, we become gods and heroes as well as ordinary Greeks. There's the night sky, real artefacts and myths. And the children will need all their courage and wits to defeat the terrifying monster, Medusa… Be prepared to leave starry-eyed and full of wonder!
Curriculum links and beyond
History, Literacy, Science/Astronomy, Art, Geography, oracy, problem-solving, critical thinking, communication, listening, and teamwork.
From Stone to Iron: Can You Survive Herefordshire's Prehistory? - KS2
| Venue | History Store |
| Duration | 60 minutes |
| Cost | £3.50 per pupil |
Travel with your class back to pre-historic Herefordshire! Do they have what it takes to survive? During this session, we examine artefacts that ancient hands once held. Then it's off to the Stone Age to experience the hunter-gatherer life. We spin into the Bronze Age to put down some roots and see what metals can do. Finally, we battle our way into the Iron Age. This experience is hands-on, entirely immersive and focuses on local history. It is designed to encourage children to think and feel their way through thousands of years of human history in just one session!
Curriculum links and beyond
(Local) History, Geography, Science, Design & Technology, teamwork, hand-eye coordination, communication, listening, critical thinking, learning ancient craft skills.
Please note: this session involves natural materials/resources. Please inform us on the booking form if there are any children with allergies in your class.
Unearthing the Vikings: Raiders and Hoarders in Herefordshire - KS2
| Venue | In school (outreach) |
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Cost | £3.50 per pupil + travel for outreach |
It is 878 AD and we Vikings are retreating from that vile Saxon king, Alfred, after a mighty battle. We must try to row our Longships up the Wye, fight menacing locals and hide our stolen treasure before we re-join the Great Viking Army in Herefordshire. Can we make it?!
Over 1,100 years later, we will rediscover that astonishing buried treasure and unearth the recent true crime story that surrounds the Herefordshire Hoard. We will be asking ourselves: what is treasure? And what is the right thing to do if we find it…?
Curriculum links and beyond
(Local) History, Crime and Punishment, Science, Drama, P.E., Geography, critical thinking, oracy, communication, listening, problem-solving and teamwork.
WW2 Evacuees on the Home Front: "Chin Up, Children!" - KS2
| Venue | History Store |
| Duration | 60 minutes |
| Cost | £3.50 per pupil |
So, children, war is raging and your train has arrived here in Hereford because Birmingham is facing such a threat from the skies. Chin up, it's hard to leave your families, of course, but we all have to make sacrifices now. Miss Collins will welcome you and make sure you have mastered those vital wartime skills. You will learn about your ARP warden and be reminded to keep your eyes peeled for anyone suspicious… they might be a spy! Stand by for an air raid drill and a task from the local Lumber Jills. And then the mayor's wife herself will arrive to allocate you to your new homes.
Curriculum links and beyond
(Local) History, Maths, Drama, critical thinking, oracy, communication, listening, problem-solving and teamwork.
*Please note: This session does involve an air raid drill. If you have any children in your class that might find this distressing – such as refugee children, please let us know in the enquiry form so we can contact you in advance to discuss how best to accommodate these children. Please also inform of us any allergies as this session does involve a small amount of food and drink.