KS1 and KS2 Programmes
at Folly Farm
Cathy Mayne and Anna Stevens
MY GREEN WORLD
Folly Farm Centre, Stowey, Pensford, BS39 4DW
EYFS/Key Stage 1
Working Together
Programme outline
Reception, Years 1 & 2
Start off in small groups working your way around
one of the Folly Farm woodland trails on a wildlife scavenger hunt - can you find an acorn, a
hazelnut, a spider's web and a rotting log? Or a
slug and a snail to put in your bug pot? When the
groups meet up it's time to compare what you've
found.
Learn to trust your partner as you find your way
around the woods blindfolded to play 'hug a tree'.
Make a comfortable and cosy shelter for our soft
woodland creatures.
After lunch we swap our groups around to make sure we work with
different people throughout the day and then it's time for our 'Give Me 5'
activity. Work as a team to locate 10 checkpoints on the map. At each
checkpoint there are 5 questions to answer - and at the end we see which
groups have managed to answer all the questions from all 10 checkpoints? This
activity can be competitive or not as the teacher prefers.
To end the day there is a whole class game.
Curriculum links
Personal, social and emotional development: helping children to develop a positive sense of
themselves and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others.
Investigating and experiencing new things and ‘having a go’; developing own ideas, making links
between ideas and developing strategies for doing things.
About us…
Cathy Mayne and Anna Stevens have worked in environmental education for many years both with the
Avon Wildlife Trust and other environmental organisations and have been tutors for Environmental
Education programmes at Folly Farm since 2001. They have also been involved with primary schools
across the region delivering a range of activities encouraging wildlife awareness amongst children
and adults alike.
Autumn Teddy Bears
Programme outline
Years 1 & 2
A programme following the main theme of the
Teddy Bears’ Picnic but with additional activities
which focus on how British animals prepare for
and survive through the winter months.
During the morning discover the secret of SWAF
through a story and some energetic games, then
hide and store some acorns for the teddies to eat
during the harsh winter months when there is
little food around.
At lunchtime set off on a trail to find the missing
teddies and have a picnic in the woodland shelter
or back at the centre.
Afterwards, choose a cosy safe place to keep a furry mammal
warm through the cold winter and settle it down for hibernation.
After a game, come back to see whose mammal has stayed the
warmest
Finally have a hunt for the acorns that were hidden away earlier.
Curriculum links
Understanding the world: making sense of the physical world and local community through play and
exploration; exploring, observing and finding out about people and the environment.
Science: exploring ways of looking after living things and keeping them alive and healthy;
investigating the local environment and using findings to inform actions to care for it.
Geographical and social: developing knowledge about the UK and the wider world; using
geographical skills, including first-hand observation, to enhance locational awareness; understanding
how people, communities and places are connected and can be interdependent.
About us…
Cathy Mayne and Anna Stevens have worked in environmental education for many years both with the
Avon Wildlife Trust and other environmental organisations and have been tutors for Environmental
Education programmes at Folly Farm since 2001. They have also been involved with primary schools
across the region delivering a range of activities encouraging wildlife awareness amongst children
and adults alike.
Teddy Bears’ Picnic
Programme outline
EYFS Foundation / Key Stage 1
A highly imaginative programme providing an
exciting series of activities to help children learn
the Needs of Life for all living things.
During the morning discover the secret of SWAF
through a story and some energetic games,
followed by a special Earthwalk using all our
senses in the natural world.
At lunch set off on a trail to find the missing
teddies and learn how they have been helped in
their survival by the plants and animals of the
woods.
After a picnic, create a miniature woodland island for the teddies, complete with shelter, water
air and food (SWAF).
Curriculum links
Understanding the world: making sense of the physical world and local community through play and
exploration; exploring, observing and finding out about people and the environment.
Science: exploring ways of looking after living things and keeping them alive and healthy;
investigating the local environment and using findings to inform actions to care for it.
Geographical and social: developing knowledge about the UK and the wider world; using
geographical skills, including first-hand observation, to enhance locational awareness; understanding
how people, communities and places are connected and can be interdependent.
About us…
Cathy Mayne and Anna Stevens have worked in environmental education for many years both with the
Avon Wildlife Trust and other environmental organisations and have been tutors for Environmental
Education programmes at Folly Farm since 2001. They have also been involved with primary schools
across the region delivering a range of activities encouraging wildlife awareness amongst children
and adults alike.
Hungry Caterpillar
Programme outline
Reception / Year 1
The concept of life cycles and how insects use their
senses, colour and camouflage to survive are explored
through a focus on caterpillars and butterflies.
Start the day following a fun trail through the woods to
find out what a caterpillar really needs before it can turn
into a butterfly. A leaf hunt for the hungry caterpillar
and a chrysalis building activity complete the morning in
the woods.
After lunch enjoy a lively butterfly feeding game and
make a colourful butterfly collage with natural
finds.
Learn about camouflage and symmetry in the natural
world.
Curriculum links
Science: understanding simple life cycles; how the natural world evolves; thinking creatively and
inventively about how and why things work, identifying patterns and establishing links between
causes and effects.
Geographical and social: understanding the needs of living things and our responsibilities towards
them.
About us…
Cathy Mayne and Anna Stevens have worked in environmental education for many years both with
the Avon Wildlife Trust and other environmental organisations and have been tutors for
Environmental Education programmes at Folly Farm since 2001. They have also been involved with
primary schools across the region delivering a range of activities encouraging wildlife awareness
amongst children and adults alike.
Miniature World (Mini-beast Day)
Programme outline
Years 1 & 2
The importance of mini-beasts to nature and our world and how
we can help them to thrive are the focus of this day.
Follow a game of chance trail through the woods and understand
the vital role mini-beasts play in our world through the clues you
find on your way. Learn about their importance as pollinators,
decomposers and as part of the food chain. Explore a miniature
world which provides everything mini-beasts need to survive and
thrive.
In the afternoon, either take a closer look at some of the minibeasts that can be found in Folly Farm’s thriving pond and
discover how they are all connected or, armed with bug viewers
and magnifiers, go on a big mini-beast hunt in the garden, fields
or woods.
Curriculum links
Science: using the local environment to explore and answer questions about animals in their habitat;
learning to identify a variety of common amphibians and insects and their food; understanding the
variety of animals that are carnivores, herbivores and omnivores;
Geographical and social: developing knowledge about the UK and the wider world; understanding
the needs of living things and our responsibilities towards them.
About us
Cathy Mayne and Anna Stevens have worked in environmental education for many years both with
the Avon Wildlife Trust and other environmental organisations and have been tutors for
Environmental Education programmes at Folly Farm since 2001. They have also been involved with
primary schools across the region delivering a range of activities encouraging wildlife awareness
amongst children and adults alike.
Brilliant Birds
Programme outline
Years 1 & 2
Spring is a busy time for birds and the children
will find out why on this day. They will also
discover why birds are important and how we can
help them thrive.
What do baby birds need to survive and what
dangers might face them from the moment the
egg is laid until the moment the chicks can leave
the nest? Find out how difficult survival is by
following a trail of chance into the woods.
Once in the woods find your bird mate and think about how together birds build their nest by
building one yourselves. What do you prefer to eat?... it might be worms, caterpillars, seeds,
flies or even mice! When you have collected enough food to feed your family, your
chicks will be ready to fly away.
After lunch make woven willow bird feeders, complete with fat
ball, to take back to your school grounds to attract as many birds
as possible into the school environment.
Please note: There is a £15 supplement per class
of up to 30 to cover the cost of materials.
Curriculum links
Science: using the local environment to explore and answer questions about animals in their habitat;
learning to identify a variety of common birds and their food; understanding the variety of birds that
are carnivores, herbivores and omnivores;
Geographical and social: developing knowledge about the UK and the wider world; understanding
the needs of living things and our responsibilities towards them.
About us
Cathy Mayne and Anna Stevens have worked in environmental education for many years both with
the Avon Wildlife Trust and other environmental organisations and have been tutors for
Environmental Education programmes at Folly Farm since 2001. They have also been involved with
primary schools across the region delivering a range of activities encouraging wildlife awareness
amongst children and adults alike.
Creativity and Sensory Day
Programme outline
Key Stage 1
Immerse yourself in the nature of Folly Farm
through a wide range of sensory games and
activities.
These could include: making a colourful collage
from natural finds; creating a cocktail of smells;
focusing on the sounds of the woods; meeting a
tree or appreciating the woods in an upside-down
way!
Art activities will depend on the season,
but could include creating an art gallery
from leaf or shadow pictures, making an
animal from clay or an apple and other
natural finds.
All activities take place in the woods or
in the garden.
Curriculum links
Art: using a range of materials creatively to design and make products; using drawing, painting and
sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination; developing a wide range of
art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space.
Geographical and social: understanding the needs of living things and our responsibilities towards
them.
About us…
Cathy Mayne and Anna Stevens have worked in environmental education for many years both with
the Avon Wildlife Trust and other environmental organisations and have been tutors for
Environmental Education programmes at Folly Farm since 2001. They have also been involved with
primary schools across the region delivering a range of activities encouraging wildlife awareness
amongst children and adults alike.
Nocturnal Nature (1 night residential)
Programme outline
Year 2
What happens when you go to bed and the night-time
hunters emerge?
Go on a trail into the woods following the adventures of
Spike, the baby hedgehog, who meets a variety of other
nocturnal creatures. Learn all about where they live, how
they keep warm and hunt for food.
Find out how to ensure your own small furry mammal
survives a cold winter’s ‘night’ - will it still be alive in the
‘morning’?
A series of fun games help children to understand how
nocturnal animals use their senses to survive. Discover your
own ‘magic spot’ at Folly Farm.
The really fun part begins after supper when we set approved
small mammal and moth traps, watch for badgers,
listen for owls and detect bats!
In the morning check the traps and watch the badger camera
to see what’s been happening during the night.
Discover how owls hunt and what the owls at Folly Farm have
been eating by dissecting an owl pellet.
We’ll get creative in the afternoon by creating our own nocturnal creature and finally revisit our
‘magic spot’ to finish the day.
Curriculum links
Science: using the local environment to explore and answer questions about animals in their habitat;
learning to identify a variety of nocturnal animals and their habitats; understanding the variety of
animals that are carnivores, herbivores and omnivores;
Geographical and social: developing knowledge about the UK and the wider world; understanding
the needs of living things and our responsibilities towards them.
About us
Cathy Mayne and Anna Stevens have worked in environmental education for many years both with
the Avon Wildlife Trust and other environmental organisations and have been tutors for
Environmental Education programmes at Folly Farm since 2001. They have also been involved with
primary schools across the region delivering a range of activities encouraging wildlife awareness
amongst children and adults alike.
Key Stage 2
Autumn Antics
Programme outline
Years 2 & 3
How do Folly’s woodland mammals and birds
prepare for winter? Do they need to find a warm
and dry place to hibernate? Do they collect a store
of nuts and acorns to draw on when food is
scarce?
Follow a trail into the woods to discover what
hedgehogs, jays and squirrels do in the autumn as
they prepare to survive the cold winter months.
Once in the woods have a go at hiding acorns, just
like the jay, and test your memory to see if you
can find them again at the end of the day.
Can you keep a small mammal warm enough to
survive the winter ‘night’ and will it still be warm
when you come back to check in ‘the morning’?
In the afternoon get creative and have a go at
finding the full array of colours amongst Folly
Wood’s fallen leaves to create an autumn rainbow
collage to take back to school.
Curriculum links
Science: identifying animals in their habitats and how they are suited to it; finding out how different
habitats and microhabitats provide for the basic needs of different kinds of animals and plants, and
how they depend on each other. Art: exploring a range of techniques and materials using colour,
pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space.
About us
Cathy Mayne and Anna Stevens have worked in environmental education for many years both with
the Avon Wildlife Trust and other environmental organisations and have been tutors for
Environmental Education programmes at Folly Farm since 2001. They have also been involved with
primary schools across the region delivering a range of activities encouraging wildlife awareness
amongst children and adults alike.
Home Sweet Home (Habitats Programme)
Programme outline
Years 3 & 4
Investigate three of Folly Farm’s habitats – wetland, woodland
and meadow – and discover which plants and animals live there.
The class is welcomed by the ‘Mayor’ of Folly Farm who
describes the importance and role of individuals within a
community. The children are encouraged to apply for a job in
one of the Folly Farm communities (habitats).
It is not immediately apparent what each ‘job’ is – but the
children find out what they need in order to carry out the job
properly, and what their role is within the community. What
happens when the wetland dries up? Will these species be
able to survive in another habitat or will it destroy the
delicate balance of nature?
Spend the afternoon either pond dipping to explore a vibrant
freshwater habitat, or deep in the woods investigating a
woodland micro-habitat.
This highly imaginative hands-on programme explores habitats,
adaptation, interdependence and what happens when habitats
are harmed.
Curriculum links
Science: comparing the effect of different factors on plant growth, eg amount of light and water;
identifying that all animals need the right type of nutrition; recognising that living things can be
grouped in a variety of ways; identifying a variety of living things in a local and wider environment;
recognising that environments can change and that this can sometimes pose danger to living things.
About us
Cathy Mayne and Anna Stevens have worked in environmental education for many years both with
Avon Wildlife Trust and other environmental organisations and have been tutors for Environmental
Education programmes at Folly Farm since 2001. They have also been involved with primary schools
across the region delivering a range of activities encouraging wildlife awareness amongst children
and adults alike.
Craft and Creativity Day
Programme outline
Key Stage 2
Immerse yourself in the nature of Folly Farm through a
wide range of creative games and craft activities.
These could include:
Performing a play through touch, smell and sound;
Painting with natural materials and ‘home-made’
paint;
Making a picture out of felt;
Weaving a hurdle out of willow and hazel;
Weaving on a Y-stick;
Appreciating the woods in an upside-down way!
Creating an Andy Goldsworthy-style work of art.
All activities take place in the woods or in the garden.
We are happy to tailor this day to your specific
requirements: if you would like an emphasis on either art
or craft activities, please let us know.
Curriculum links
Art: using a range of materials creatively to design and make products; using drawing, painting and
sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination; developing a wide range of
art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space.
Geographical and social: understanding the needs of living things and our responsibilities towards
them.
About us…
Cathy Mayne and Anna Stevens have worked in environmental education for many years both with
the Avon Wildlife Trust and other environmental organisations and have been tutors for
Environmental Education programmes at Folly Farm since 2001. They have also been involved with
primary schools across the region delivering a range of activities encouraging wildlife awareness
amongst children and adults alike.