Learning Activities

Take time to play with the museum’s toys during our All Our Childhood Toys learning activity.

Children will be welcomed into Pit Cottage No. 5 on Francis Street in The 1900s Pit Village where they will have the opportunity to handle up to 30 artefacts that tell the story of life in the cottage.

What was school like if you were 5 or 6 years old in the past? Discover the games of the playground and try out an infant lesson in the kindergarten.

Discover what it was like to live in an early 1900s pit cottage with this immersive remote learning activity that brings the museum straight into the classroom.

Ten period toys have been hidden around the museum. The shop owner will take the children around The 1900s Town by live link and look for the toys. Once found, they can be examined and explained. The shop owner will show the children how to play with the toys. Toys can be purchased as part of the experience and used in the classroom alongside the live, remote delivery.

Explore the museum’s resources to discover the history of your school. This activity includes a live visit to The 1900s Town, a pre-recorded film relating to your local history, such as a visit down the coal mine and the pit cottage, and access to maps, images, newspaper reports, census, ephemera and artefacts from the collection to support the learning.

Just One Spark is the story of the investigation into the explosions and the race to find a solution to ensure the safety of miners.

Explore the science behind the safety lamp and learn about the history of coal mining with this live and explosive learning activity.

Experience a traditional lesson of reading, writing, arithmetic and drill delivered from the Board school in The 1900s Pit Village straight into your classroom.

Discover how the Suffragettes took action in the North East with this remote learning activity.

Rally through the Town carrying banners and placards, and chanting to encourage onlookers to join your cause.

Children will take part in a range of activities covering topics such as the black out, rationing, dig for victory, the black market, war time cookery and the Home Guard.