Could you survive the Ice Age? Do you know what creatures live at Creswell Crags, both now and 50,000 years ago? Have you got the know-how to become an archaeologist? And do you know what lurks within the pond in the meadow at Creswell Crags?
Spend your summer holidays at Creswell Crags and discover the answers to these questions and more, as the onsite team inspire the paleontologists, archaeologists, and ecologists of the future with a variety of activities during the school holidays. Join the team for a different activity every week of the summer and learn something new every time!
Go on a Stone Age Safari from Monday 24th July to Sunday 30th July and discover how palaeontologists learn about Ice Age animals just from examining their bones. Get up close with some of the animal bones from the collection, including teeth from a mammoth and a smilodon! After finding out about Ice Age animals and their bones, families will have a chance to re-build a real animal skeleton.
Investigate beneath the water surface with the Creswell Crags Ranger Team during the Pond Dipping Sessions running from Monday 31st July to Sunday 6th August. The team will talk about the pond ecosystem and demonstrate the best net technique, so families can have a go at pond dipping and see what invertebrates they can find.
Challenge your family to build the best Ice Age shelter during Survival Skills – Shelter Building from Monday 7th August to Sunday 13th August. In this fun hands-on session, families will have a go at Stone Age survival skills and see if they can build a suitable shelter to call home. Using real reindeer fur, faux-leather and sticks, families will work as a team to see if they have what it takes to survive the Ice Age.
Discover Ice Age fashion with a Stone Age Jewellery Making Workshop running every day from Monday 14th August to Sunday 20th August. Find out about the types of clothes and jewellery people wore in the Stone Age and how they used this to express themselves, much like we do today. The team will also teach children how to make their very own piece of Stone Age jewellery to take home.
Hunt for Minibeasts in the Meadow and explore the different ecosystems as you go. A member of the Ranger team will introduce participants to the Crags and the variety of habitats here. The Rangers will demonstrate how to use the nets in the long grass to carefully catch some minibeasts and teach families how to look for signs of life in some of the hidden habitats. The Minibeast Safari runs from Monday 21st August to Sunday 27th August.
In the last week of the school holidays the team will be asking families if they can dig it like an archaeologist! During a fun mini excavation activity, families will discover what bones, rocks and objects might have been found at the end of the Ice Age. The team will introduce participants to the different layers of history and how to identify the ages of objects, and the difference between archaeology and palaeontology. Can you Dig It? Become an Archaeologist runs daily from Monday 28th August to Sunday 3rd September
Hannah Steggles, Head of Public Engagement said,
‘Families are always looking for things to do during the school summer holidays and we wanted to use this time to inspire children about everything that makes Creswell Crags unique. We have a brilliant team here that includes archaeologists, palaeontologists and ecologists, and they’re eager to share their expertise with the next generation this summer through a range of fun family activities themed around their work. And hopefully we might inspire a few young minds to become the next generation of experts!’
The Summer Holiday Activities run every day from Monday 24th July to Sunday 3rd September. For details of the different themed weeks, times, prices and booking information visit https://www.creswell-crags.org.uk/events-listings.
Posted on 24 July 2023
