Outdoor Learning for Key Stage 2
For Key Stage 2, activities encourage pupils to use their own initiative and build confidence. The curriculum-based activities incorporate outdoor exploration and games which encourage pupils in team work and creativity.
Learning for Key Stage 2
Activities will be tailored to your school group and the weather but can include any of the following:
Reliving Romans
Visit Painshill’s Roman Mausoleum, Bath House ruins and Roman-inspired Crystal Grotto. Pupils build their own model temple or coliseum, design a god or goddess mosaic, dress in Roman tunics and discover what life was like in the Roman Legion.
Greek Myths and Legends
Pupils think creatively to escape the Minotaur in the Labyrinth and work together to stop Jason stealing the Golden Fleece. Encounter Greek heroes, gods and monsters at the Trojan tent, temples and Amphitheatre.
River Explorers
Pupils visit the Waterwheel on the River Mole and conduct experiments on the flow of the river. Pupils work in teams to create their own mini river using natural materials to build the banks and create geographical features.
Navigation Challenges
Pupils test their map reading skills with games and fun geography challenges. Activities include 3D map-making, compass games and a blindfold disorientation challenge.
Living Things & Habitats
Search Painshill’s diverse habitats for land and water invertebrates. Discover ecosystems, food chains, adaptation and life cycles. This learning activity involves identification and analysis.
Plant Explorers
Discover plant anatomy and seed dispersal with experiments, measuring and recording, observation and games. Starting out as seeds, pupils take a plant’s life journey by visiting our ancient Cork Oak and Great Cedar. This activity is adapted for each season.
Den Building
Pupils use natural materials to build and weatherproof their dens before a final camp inspection and waterproof testing. Den Building can be adapted for different projects, for example roundhouse settlements, historic dwellings or survival shelters.
Dragon Quest
Set out on a mysterious quest to discover the very last Dragon’s egg and save this magical species from extinction. Follow the Painshill Dragon Guide through the fiendish traps and challenges laid by the Dragon Hunters.
Wild Weather
Come and experience the weather in the great outdoors here at Painshill. With practical games and activities to explore climate and weather cycles and exciting experiments. We will look into weather systems, rain cycles, explore different micro-climates and engage with climate change.
Vikings Vs Saxons
Travel back in time in this historic landscape on the boundary of the Danelaw between the Saxons and Vikings. Get hands on with ancient crafts, spinning and weaving real sheep fleece, visit the Ruined Abbey to investigate Viking raids before joining a Viking shield wall. Escape to the shelter to cook Saxon cakes on an open fire…just don’t burn them like King Alfred!
Explorers
Painshill is the perfect place to find out about explorers, investigating how our collection of plants and trees made its way here from around the world and find out about the explorers from those far flung places. Discover how people travelled as they explored many years ago, including crossing the Atlantic and First Nation tribes of North America. Become Pocahontas or Sherpa Tenzing Norgay to investigate the important role of indigenous peoples to expeditions. After exploring Painshill made your own natural map and tell the world (well your class) about what you have discovered.
Pirate Challenges
Working together as a crew, pupils undertake swashbuckling challenges including peg-leg races, sea-monster making and the eye-patch blindfold trail. Pupils follow clues to find the buried treasure.
Testimonials
As ever, we had the most enjoyable day yesterday. Thank you so much. So many of the boys told us it was, “the best day ever” and lots of them were asleep on the coach on the way home.
Mrs P
I just wanted to email you to say a huge thank you for all your help with our visit. The girls had an absolute ball and loved every minute of it and, in particular, Adam, who was his usual, wonderful, crazy and informative self! The weather held out for us and it was great to be outdoors with our girls – it was their first outing as a class due to Covid!
Mrs M
I am writing to thank you and the fabulous Ros, for the loveliest of school trips. Ros is full of energy, with a great sense of humour that had the children in fits of giggles and made them warm to her from the start. We all had such a fun and busy day, hunting for minibeasts in different habitats, playing games to learn about predators, prey and what minibeasts need to survive. It really was a treat to be able to do this trip this year.
Mrs R
Contact us about Learning for Key Stage 2
Things to See & Do
Painshill is an award-winning 18th century landscape garden where you are invited to walk around a work of art. Winding paths will take you on a journey to discover a living canvas with beautiful vistas and dramatically placed garden buildings. Stroll around the Serpentine Lake, wander through woodland and promenade past follies, including the Ruined Abbey, Gothic Temple and Turkish Tent.
