We're very fortunate in the British Isles to have a superb array of museums that have been created to inform and inspire adults and children alike. Most of our major cities have internationally acclaimed museums housing all manner of fascinating exhibitions, and Cardiff is no exception. There are two in the Welsh capital that lend themselves perfectly to an educational trip for children of varying ages.
The National Museum of Cardiff
Situated in heart of Cardiff, this magnificent institution is renowned for its art, geology and natural history exhibitions. The diverse displays are housed in different galleries and each has a wealth of information for youngsters to discover. Children can dive into the Clore Discovery Centreto get some hands on experience of fossils, Bronze Age weapons and other artefacts from ancient times; or perhaps they'd prefer to journey through the Evolution of Walesgallery,encountering dinosaurs and woolly mammoths along the way.
The museum is tailored to different stages of the curriculum, offering exploratory workshops for children from KS2-KS4. Younger pupils will be enthralled by the exciting exhibition that takes them into the incredible world of the common worm, which gives them the chance tocrawl through the wonderful 'wriggloo' and play interactive gamesalong the way. For dinosaur enthusiasts there's the thrilling opportunity to become a dinosaur detective,while for the more creative students there are some excellent art and sculpture workshops.
Older children will be able to immerse in various genres of art, choosing from several themes; while if science is the focus of the educational trip,the evolutionary workshops are an excellent option.
St Fagan's National Museum of History
Renowned as one of Europe's premier open-air museums, this is a wonderful venue for an educational trip. The museum is located in the outstanding St Fagan's Castle and Gardens. Walking through the grounds is like entering a time warp and all the original buildings have been brought back to life. Continuing the journey back in time, youngsters can explore the traditional Welsh houses, a farm, a school, a chapel and even a Women's Institute. The complex is alive with activity and while craftsmen reveal traditional skills, farmers demonstrate old farming techniques and native livestock graze the fields.
Offering a real insight into the cultural heritage of Wales, this museum is a valuable educational tool and, with workshops aimed at KS2, 3 and 4, there's something tailored to suit all ages. Children from KS2 have the chance to learn more about how shops were established and functioned in years gone by,or they can get an introductionto the handmade toys that children just like them used to treasure. They can explore costumes and religion and even get some hands on experience of how people used to wash their clothes. Older children will relish the chance to get involved insome local craft makingor immerse in theexcellent Making History workshop.
Whatever your subject focus, if you're looking to book an educational trip, making contact with the experts in the industry is a good place to start. These specialists will help plan every aspect of the trip, so you can relax and concentrate on making the outing as informative and memorable as you can for everyone involved.
Martin Wynn
