Activities for self-led visits at Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre
For those groups wishing to lead their own visit, the following activities provide a variety of opportunities for exploring the Secret Hills exhibition and Onny Meadows.
Exhibition activities
Take a fascinating journey through Shropshire’s past: meet a mammoth, explore an Iron Age roundhouse and take off with our film panorama that drifts across the local landscape like a hot air balloon.
The Shropshire Hills Through Time exhibition costs £2.75 per child age 5 and over. One adult goes free for every 10 children; additional adults cost £3.25.
Master copies of the following activity sheets are available on request to challenge the children during their time in the exhibition:
- Secret Senses (KS1) Stimulate your senses and find out what Iron Age people ate and what a mammoth tusk feels like
- Mammoth Quiz (KS1&2) Become an expert on mammoths
- Tusker’s Timeline Trail (KS2) Travel back in time to find out about the Shropshire Hills; how they were made, how long ago, who lived there and what did they do. Time periods covered include the Ice Age, Iron Age, Roman and Medieval.
- Landscape Detective (KS2) Use clues around the exhibition to uncover evidence of people’s activities in the landscape.
- Investigating the Iron Age (KS2) Look at evidence from hill forts and roundhouses to build up a picture of how Iron Age people lived. Available in two ability levels.
Onny Meadows activities
There are 30 acres of meadow attached to our Centre that can be explored by a circular pathway of less than a mile’s length. Play constructions, ponds and the River Onny can be visited and wild meadow flowers enjoyed during the summer months.
Treasure Hunt or Scavenger Hunt (KS1&2)
Approx duration: 45 mins
Students find and collect natural ‘treasures’ or look to find a list of objects out in the meadows on their walk during this activity that encourages them to look more closely at the world around them and respect the environment.
Orienteering courses (KS2)
We have a number of options available to select from depending on the age and ability of your children and your dwell time at the centre. Contact us for more details of the following:
Photo Challenge
Orienteering Puzzle
Onny Meadows Permanent Orienteering Course
GeoCaching trails (KS2)
Students use a GPS unit to find their way around the meadows to locate hidden ‘treasure’. At the moment we have two trails. Secret Stones introduces the geology of the area by taking students to actual rocks of different types positioned around the meadows. Home Sweet Home takes a look at various habitats, matching animals with their ideal homes. These trails take approximately 45 minutes to complete.
Each GPS unit costs £3.00 to hire.
