Activities for Schools
KS1 & KS2
www.museums.sandwell.gov.uk
and click ‘museums for schools’
for more details, booking forms
and guidance notes
Sandwell Museum Service
Why visit
a museum?
• Museums offer a unique learning environment where
children can learn in a completely different way to how
they would learn in the classroom.
• Museums can inspire and motivate.
• Museums can stimulate all the senses, as well as
nurture creativity.
• Activity sessions in museums can provide an holistic
approach to learning, working across the curriculum at
the same time, using topics from history and art, to
speaking and listening, creativity, English and
citizenship. They can cover whole topics in a few hours.
• Museum work can also be the basis of projects and
follow up work back at school, including ICT and design
and technology.
• Children who often find traditional classroom based
activities difficult respond well to the hands on and
visual nature of museum visits.
• Museums offer children a taste of the past which they
can see, smell, touch and hear.
Why visit Sandwell
museums?
Sandwell is located in the heart of the Black Country.
We have six museums across the borough from historic
houses to a purpose built museum and art gallery.
Sandwell museums offer a wide range
of activities across our six museum sites
as well as loan boxes covering a wide
range of topics. Our sessions have been
carefully tailored to meet the needs of
the national curriculum for different key
stages and we aim to continuously
develop them by listening to teachers
and children to meet changing needs.
We are also very happy to work with
teachers on specific one-off projects
at any of our sites.
We are adding new and one off sessions
and exhibitions all the time so log onto our
website www.museums.sandwell.gov.uk
to find out more.
Sandwell Museums Education Officer
is based at Haden Hill House
Links to the
Curriculum:
KS2: Tudors and
the wider world.
What were the
differences
between the lives
of rich & poor in
Tudor times?
KS1: How were
toys different in
the past? What
were homes like a
long time ago –
Then and now
The Tudors at Oak House
Living History
for KS2
Becoming a
Tudor, Rich
and Poor in
Tudor Times
The pupils are asked to imagine that they have travelled back in
time, to the end of the 16th century. Master Hugh Digby has
gone to conclude negotiations for his daughter’s marriage. Some
of the pupils take roles representing members of the family and
children of local gentry, whilst the remainder play children of the
servants and estate workers. All children are given a costume
and the session is undertaken in character as a role-play. The
children get an insight into the lives of rich and poor Tudors in
the best way possible by becoming Tudors themselves and
meeting Tudor characters. The very different experiences of the
children gives an excellent opportunity for feedback and follow
up work, starting at the Oak House. Living History is the past the
children can step into, see, smell, touch and experience. It is truly
the best way of learning. 10am-2:30pm
Teachers said:
“It was fantastic. Many of the children said it was the best
trip they had ever been on”
“Very impressed with the role-play. I will be able to use the
visit for literacy and art as well as history – Thank you”
Tudor Time
Travelling
at KS1
(Yr 2 & Yr 1)
(Yr 1 in
summer
term only)
At KS1 the children are not asked to
become Tudors but are time travellers
visiting Tudor times from the twenty
first century to learn about houses and
homes and old toys in the past. The
session is hands on and the children
get to dress up as Tudors and meet
Tudor characters. Sessions focus on
comparisons between then and now,
similarity and difference.
10am-2:30pm
Guided tours with
object handling
and handling
tours with
workshops are
also available
which can be
tailored for KS1
or KS2. The
teacher led
workshops
available are
Tudor Toys or
Tudor textiles.
For more information about Tudor sessions and costs contact the
Oak House on 0121 553 0759 or visit www.museums.sandwell.gov.uk
for guidance and booking forms.
Links to the
Curriculum:
KS2: Victorian
Britain, Children
from different social
backgrounds. What
was it like to live
here in the past?
KS1: Houses and
Homes, Old toys—
comparisons
between then and
now, similarity and
differences.
The Victorians at Haden Hill House
Living History
for KS2
Becoming a
Victorian,
Children from
different social
backgrounds
A day of costumed role-play activities, set within a storyline
designed to cover the national curriculum. Pupils are given
an insight into the lives of children from three different social
backgrounds by becoming Victorians themselves, living in the
middle of the nineteenth century. The fictional owner of the
house is Mr Thompson and on this day in 1855 there are
three groups of children in the house. Mr Thompson’s great
nieces and nephews, the domestic servants, and urchins from
the local workhouse. The very different experiences of the
pupils make excellent scope for follow up work, discussion
and cross curricular activity beginning at the museum and
continuing at school.
10am-2:30pm
Teachers said:
“A brilliant day! The children were so excited and learned so
much. Many of the children said they felt like real Victorians”
“The standard of costume, scenario and role-play was superb and
the pupils were completely immersed in the role – Thank you”
Victorian Time
Travelling at
KS1
Suitable for
Year 2 and
Year 1 (Year 1
in the summer
term only)
Children will become time-travellers
and step back in time in full costume
to meet Victorian characters and
experience how homes and toys differ
from today. Activities are hands-on –
expect interesting objects to be
brought back to school! Emphasis is
made on ‘then and now’.
10am-2:30pm
Living History is the
best way of learning
about the past, by
stepping into it and
experiencing it. It is
history children can
see, touch and smell
Guided tours and
tours with workshops
are also available
which can be tailored
for KS1 or KS2.
For more information about Victorian sessions and costs contact Haden Hill
House on 01384 569 444 or visit www.museums.sandwell.gov.uk for
guidance and booking forms.
Toy Handling
Curriculum
Victorians,
Children in
Victorian Britain.
What was it like
to live in the
locality in the
past? How did
life change in
Victorian times?
Local History
studies
The Victorians
Life on the canals
at Galton Valley Canal Heritage Centre
Visit Galton Valley Canal Heritage Centre for a day of activities
looking at the canals which helped to make Smethwick an
important industrial centre. Take a guided walk along the valley
where the children can see industrial sites and try their hand at
working a lock (weather permitting)
10am-2:30pm
For more information visit our website
or contact the centre on 0121 558 8195
Toy Handling
for KS1
Suitable for
all years
Toy handling at Wednesbury Museum
and Art Gallery allows children to have
a hands on experience of real and
replica toys from the past. Children
learn about using their imagination, and
how toys worked, what they were made
of and how they moved. They also look
at toys for boys and girls and make a
simple toy to take back to school. You
can also visit our old toys gallery.
10am-12pm
Contact Wednesbury Museum for times and costs on
0121 556 0683 or visit www.museums.sandwell.gov.uk
Links to the
Curriculum:
Comparing then and
now, using artefacts
to learn about the
past. Recognising old
and new. A sense of
chronology.
Home Front
A look at life at home
during World War II
Visit Haden Hill House for a day of activities looking at life
on the home front during World War II. The children first look
at photographs of the local area during this time and use
props to interpret them before creating small dramas. The
children also handle original artefacts through hands-on
activities including some role-play. The children look at
evacuation and pretend to be evacuees, told where they are
to stay by the stern billeting officer. They also explore air
raids, rationing with hand-on food activities and celebration.
Most sessions are museum led but some of the sessions are
teacher led – full instructions are provided before the visit.
Links to the
Curriculum:
Britain since 1930.
Impact of World War II.
Life for children in
World War II.
Haden Hill House was used by evacuees during WWII.
It was also used by bombed out families and as a food store
10am-2:30pm
A teacher and pupil resources website to accompany
the activity day at the museum is available at
www.homefrontinsandwell.org
Contact Haden Hill House for times and costs on 01384 569 444
or visit www.museums.sandwell.gov.uk for details and to print off
booking form and guidance notes
PO Box 42
Environment House
Lombard Street
West Bromwich
B70 8RU
Web: www.museums.sandwell.gov.uk
Haden Hill House
Halesowen Rd, Cradley Heath B64 7JU
01384 569 444
Oak House Museum
Oak Road, West Bromwich B70 8HJ
0121 553 0759
Wednesbury Museum & Art Gallery
Holyhead Road, Wednesbury WS10 7DF
0121 556 0683
Galton Valley Canal Heritage Centre
Brasshouse Lane, Smethwick B66 1BA
0121 558 8195
Loan collections
We have a selection of handling
collections for you to borrow for
a small charge. These include:
• Victorian
• Victorian laundry
• WWII
• 1930s
• Tudor
Visit our website for full details
or call 01384 569 444
SMBC/WM 2007.11
Visit our website for further details, costs
and booking forms with guidance notes at:
www.museums.sandwell.gov.uk
Click museums for schools