Learning Activities

Take your class to the fabulous 1950s and sample a variety of toys and games that children would have enjoyed in the post-war era.

Step inside one of our cosy cottages in The 1900s Pit Village and gather round the roaring fire to listen to a member of costumed staff tell a festive fable.

This is an enquiry based activity linked to the English Literature GCSE curriculum, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Students will use their powers of persuasion to encourage six characters linked to the story to give money to the poor.

A notice outside the Chapel announces the death of 12 year old James White who has died at the Pit. You need to investigate what has happened!

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.

Children will arrive at Pockerley Old Hall to discover that Joe the Quilter has been murdered. They will need to work together to investigate what has happened, who Joe was and who might have committed the crime. In doing so they will unravel a story of cottage industry, crime and punishment in 1820’s rural Northumberland.

Inspired by drawings and paintings by Norman Cornish this activity will deliver Part A Discover and Part B Find Out of the Arts Award Discover Level.

A customer at the chemist’s shop is complaining of an ailment. Pupils are tasked with experimenting until they find a cure!

Welcome to the rope factory! Children will experience piece work, working together under strict factory conditions to earn their wages before using their mathematical skills to turn their earnings into a meal for a family of seven.

Visit a fairy tale world full of elements from nursery rhymes and traditional tales to support understanding of the genre by bringing the settings, characters and objects to life.

Bring to life the exciting world of pantomime and perform Cinderella on our beautiful scaled up toy theatre.

Children are swept into a story of highway robbery. As they unravel the evidence they will task themselves with putting pen to paper to make all well in this session that inspires writing back in the classroom.