As part of our Dinosaur topic we visited the Peterborough Museum to find out more about these wondrous prehistoric creatures. The children were very excited about our visit (and the walk there) and for many children this was their first visit to the museum.

When we arrived we were greeted and welcomed into the teaching room. The children listened eagerly as they were told about the activities planned for them. We then walked to a room which immediately excited the children. The lights were dimmed and under water music filled the room. The children’s inquisitive nature took hold and they began to ask questions and look at the prehistoric underwater artefacts.

After briefly exploring the Jurassic sea display we gathered in a circle to begin our session. We were introduced to a lady of the past called Mary Anning. We were told how Mary was a significant person from the past who shaped our understanding of the world of fossils and the Jurassic seas.

All the children were given the opportunity to handle fossils including those of ammonites and plesiosaurs. Uchenna and Arshid became deep sea divers and dived under the waters to retrieve the fossils.

After our fossil exploration we returned to the teaching room to learn how to make our very own clay creatures. We rolled, squashed, pinched and pulled the clay to achieve different effects and then made a sea scene for our ammonites and plesiosaurs to live on. The children were very pleased with their clay work and were eager to take it home there and then!

At the end of the session the children learnt a song about dinosaurs and seemed to particularly love the part where they could roar as loud as possible!

Click here to see more photos of our time at the museum.