What is it?
Interactions with animals can vary immensely; they can range from big establishments with no animal contact such as zoos, small animals at a farm park.
What does it involve?
The basis of all encounters with animals is to interact with them! Sometimes it may be from a distance to ensure safety on both sides, but you can often get up close; you can train and even ride some animals.
Why do it and what are the benefits?
Spending time with animals has been proven to be beneficial in many aspects of life and development - it can teach things such as compassion, responsibility, and discipline for both yourself and others.
What equipment do we need?
Depending on what sort of animal encounter it is, the equipment involved will vary. For example, riding a horse requires a lot more specialist equipment than stroking a cat! Make sure to check with your destination to see if you need to bring anything.
Who is it suitable for?
Animal encounters are suitable for pretty much anyone - always be careful with smaller children though, as they may not understand how to handle them properly.
Costs?
Can vary from free to reasonably expensive. Grounds that are open to the public and free to enter can often have wildlife roaming around to admire, but more extravagant establishments such as zoos with many more animals will undoubtedly cost more!
Issues/Things to think about? (unsuitable for age groups, medical conditions etc)
Be aware of allergies when it comes to animal encounters; although mild allergies are much more common, the risk of a student having a severe reaction means you should exercise caution if there is going to be physical contact with an animal.
How do we include?
It will depend entirely on the type of animal encounter, but in general these kinds of activities will be great to include all students in, as everyone can interact with an animal in some manner.
Doing it abroad?
The variety of animals abroad will often vary greatly from our own, and encountering them can be a once in a lifetime opportunity! Foreign nature and safari parks can be great places to visit, so make sure to check out your destination thoroughly to see if there's one you can take a trip to.
Main website:
Check out individual websites for specific information on what's available for you to do!
The Bell Pettigrew Museum is the University's zoology museum. It is a rare survival of a Victorian teaching museum, and wonderfully atmospheric.
The displays, which include examples of several extinct species, are arranged to allow the evolutionary and taxonomic relationships between animals to be clearly understood.
Schools
Kirbuster Museum was opened to the public in 1986. It is the last un-restored example of a traditional ‘firehoose’ in Northern Europe. The house has a central hearth and a stone neuk bed, a unique survival. Kirbuster was occupied up until the 1960s and was once the home of the Spence and Hay families.
Corrigall Farm Museum is a traditional ‘but and ben’ house. It portrays a typical Orkney farmhouse and steading in Victorian times - late 19th Century. The working barn and grain kiln, horse-drawn machinery and livestock make for an interesting visit for children and adults.
John Muir's life and work has inspired people all over the world. Now the Dunbar birthplace of the pioneering conservationist has been transformed into a new visitor attraction. Our family-friendly interpretative centre explores the work and achievements of this remarkable man.
Come rain or shine, there's something for everyone at Almond Valley. We're open throughout the year and with many attractions under cover, there's plenty to see and do whatever the weather
There's so much for students to enjoy, and our play areas hold special appeal to those under ten years old. We'd recommend that you allow at least four hours for your visit.
The University's Zoology Museum houses many fascinating specimens from around the world. Most of them were collected by the celebrated Sir D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson, the first Professor of Biology at Dundee.
The museum’s displays are worldwide in scope, from protozoa to the great whales, including taxidermy, skeletal material, study skins, fluid-preserved specimens and models. Visitors are warmly welcomed to the museum, and there is no charge for admission, though we ask that children are accompanied by a responsible adult.
Set in 26 acres of woodland, on the outskirts of St Austell, the UK's only china clay museum and country park provides a fascinating day out for all the family. The park is set in the grounds of two former working china clay pits and provides visitors with a fascinating insight into china clay.
Wickedly Wonderful is a summer camp in the UK for children, it regularly receives top reviews in the national press, The Sunday Times and Daily Telegraph.
We offer residential summer camps during the summer and Easter holidays and skiing trips during the February half term holiday for children aged 6 to 13 years.
'The Royal Cornwall Museum is an essential place to come to if you are fascinated by Cornwall' Kurt Jackson, artist
If you want to see an unwrapped Egyptian mummy, explorers medicine chest and a wide range of Cornish and British art then head to the Royal Cornwall Museum.
The multi-award winning National Maritime Museum Cornwall has 15 galleries, over five floors beautifully illustrating the past, present and future of this island nation. Silver winner of UK Heritage Attraction of the Year at the 2013 British Travel Awards, the Museum features a number of stunning exhibitions dedicated to the sea, boats and Cornwall.
Bodelwyddan Castle has over 500 years of history to discover. We are an independant charitable trust and a regional partner of the National Portrait Gallery with a mixture of UK and National Collections to discover. Our free, state of the art multimedia guides will take you on a fascinating journey through this historic house and will bring its stories and characters to life.
Nobody ever forgets their first sight of Blickling. The breath-taking red-brick mansion and ancient yew hedges sit at the heart of a magnificent garden and historic park in the beautiful Bure meadows.
The story of the estate unfolds over a thousand years. The landscape with its hedges and narrow tree-lined lanes has changed little over the centuries and is quintessentially Norfolk.
Sewerby Hall is a Grade I listed Georgian country house with Regency and Victorian additions set in 50 acres of picturesque park. The Hall contains an important collection of Amy Johnson memorabilia and galleries in which a temporary exhibition programme is displayed.
Basing House has a Museum with rooms dedicated to everyday life in the Tudor period and the Civil War as it happened here at the site.
School Visits
The Ventnor Downs rise steeply above the Victorian seaside town of Ventnor. With the sparkling sea below and the holm oak trees which have colonised the south facing chalk slopes there is almost a Mediterranean flavour to the landscape. On the top of the downs you find a complete change of landscape with large open areas of grass and heather.
A steep-sided dry stream valley on the edge of the Marlborough Downs near Swindon. Valued as flower-rich unimproved chalk grassland and traditional hay meadow. On entering the site visitors will glimpse a small spring fed stream bordered by hedgerow and old willow pollards. The stream separates the main valley from a colourful hay meadow.
We are the organisation to encourage the people of Greater Manchester to recycle more and recycle better.
The community we live and work in needs to appreciate waste as a valuable resource. We have to recycle it. We all need to lead the way, to drive it forward and take the initiative.
We seek to change lives and the perceptions people have about the world they live in. We do this by creating lasting partnerships between different groups who share the same vision of allowing young people to understand and experience different cultures to enable them to contribute to building a better global village.
Designed by Scottish architect William Adam in 1732, Haddo House near Aberdeen is a magnificent example of an historic Scottish stately home.
School visits are available by prior arrangement and can be tailored to suit your requirements.
These high chalk cliffs look out onto the English Channel, giving far-reaching views towards the French coast.
As well as the beautiful sandy cove to explore and enjoy, you can sample great food at our beach-side restaurant or from our take away facility. Get active on a range of adventure activities, experience fantastic live music and events. Stay in self catering accommodation on the beach or learn new skills on our on-site training courses.
We have been giving tuition in windsurfing and kitesurfing in our watersports school in Poole harbour for over 20 Years. It operates in the shallow waters of Poole Harbour - one of the most popular places to learn windsurfing and kitesurfing in the UK. All our windsurfing instructors have been trained to RYA standards and IKO standards.
There is a wide range of outdoor activities with Ace Adventure to suit any age or ability. We can cater from high adrenaline thrills to relaxed wilderness and wildlife experiences.
Hire a Canadian Canoe or a Kayak and discover the tranquil beauty and natural wildlife of the River Wye. Contact in advance if booking with children.
The Bushcraft Company offer residential school trips with a difference, taking students into the wild and giving them real back-to-nature experiences they will never forget.
A 15-year-old boy fell 60ft over the edge of a cliff whilst on a geography school trip, miraculously only suffering minor injuries.