Plantasia
Plantasia
Come and explore our unique tropical haven of wonderful plants and animals situated in the heart of the city.
Why Plantasia?
The City and County of Swansea take their Environmental responsibility very seriously and were inspirational and forward thinking when they decided to create a Rainforest in the middle of the City to highlight the need and importance of looking after and protecting the World we live in. Rainforests are so important as they are the lungs of the World and contain over half the world's species of plants and animals.
BUT, did you know every second an area the size of a football field is destroyed, that's 86,400 football fields per day, or over 31 million football fields of Rainforest each year!
So here at Plantasia we hope to show you how important it is to save our Rainforests! So come in and walk around our Tropical Paradise, take time to learn about the plants and animals which call the beautiful Rainforests their home.
Schools are welcome to come and do their own thing at Plantasia, have a general walk around or do sketching.
Alternatively, schools may choose to do one of the following tours/workshops, available in English and Welsh:
Guided Tours
10.30am - 11.15am
Tours are conducted by the staff who know the hothouse and its plants well. Tours can be slanted towards particular themes and may be adapted for all age groups.
*Animal Guided Tours
10.30am - 11.15am
Animal tours are conducted by our resident animal technicians. They look at what our animals and insects eat, how they are looked after and many other interesting facts. Do the cockroach challenge if you dare!
*Arts & Plants
10.00am - 12.00pm or 12.30pm - 2.30pm (1.5 hours for reception)
These practical art sessions, using the wonderful plants as inspiration, involve observational drawing that focuses on shape, pattern and texture.
*Felt Making
10.30am - 12.00pm or 12.30pm - 2.00pm
Felting is a fairly simple process, using wool without weaving or knitting. It lends itself superbly to coloured wall displays and felt panels can be abstract or pictorial.
Papermaking
10.30am - 11.15am
There will be a one week block of practical papermaking sessions where each child will make their own paper to take back with them.
*Arts & Animals
10.00am - 12.00pm or 12.30 - 2.30pm
Draw and make your own moveable animals with card, inspired by the real animals at Plantasia. Suitable for Year 1 onwards.
*Roots, Shoots, Flowers & Leaves
10.30am - 12.00pm or 1.00pm - 2.30pm
Children will never forget the parts of the plant after discovering them inside the tropical hothouse. This workshop also focuses on the functions of the plant parts and the role of plants in the environment. The workshop ends with a fun activity in which the children can become roots and shoots themselves and work together to find food and water for their 'human plant'! Suitable for Year 1 onwards.
*Easy Peasy Seed Germination
10.30am - 12.00pm or 12.30pm - 2.00pm
What does a seed need to germinate? The children will set up a scientific investigation to answer this question by planting pea seeds in petri dishes in a variety of conditions. The children will measure the results, analyse the data and draw conclusions from the experiment.
This session also includes a talk on the needs of green plants which teachers can reinforce by taking the children into the hothouse.
Suitable for Year 2 onwards.
*Rainforest Workshops
10.30am - 11.15am
Based on our Education Officer's trip to the Amazon rainforest using her experience, slides and artefacts of Ecuador. The content will range from the plants, animals and people of this amazing region to the huge environmental issues that arise from its exploitation.
Suitable for Year 2 onwards.
Only available in English.
*Poetry at Plantasia
10.30am - 11.45am or 1.00pm - 2.15pm
The children and the tutor will read and discuss traditional poetry that has been written about plants and animals. The children will then go into the hothouse for inspiration to write a formal rhyming couplet.
There will be a short discussion about their couplets, in which the children will learn the importance of constructive feedback and drafting in the writing process. The rest of the workshop will focus on modern poetry, specifically 'cut-up' style poems. The children will seek out the wide range of words (and definitions) that have been hidden in the hothouse, and use them to create abstract poems.
Suitable for KS2.
Only available in English
*Workshops At your school (Swansea area only)