Summer 2017
24th April - 21st July 2017
Visit the Botanic Garden and travel to different habitats around the world in our Glasshouses and explore our beautiful Garden outside. Our 4.5 acre site holds collections of medicinal plants, allotment-style vegetable beds, tropical and arid glasshouses, beautiful flower borders and fantastic trees all set in the oldest botanic garden in the UK.
Mini Explorers
We would like to welcome young explorers to the Garden, to discover what a Botanic Garden is. Find Peter Rabbit in the veg beds and see which vegetables are growing. Spot all the colours to be able to sing a rainbow, and search for mini-beasts near the Bog Garden. We will sing different songs and include a range of activities to encourage exploration. This session is part guided tour and part self-guided activities.
Suitable for Nursery and Foundation Stage
Session length 1 hour 15 minutes
Download pre- and post-visit information here
Download the notes for teachers here
EYFS Framework
Communication and language
Personal, social and emotional development
Understanding the world
Expressive arts and design
Feed the World
This is an introduction to the range of plants that we grow for food. We will explore the Glasshouses and Gardens outside to find a range of food plants from around the world, and think about which parts of plants we eat. This session is part guided tour and part self-guided activities.
Suitable for Key Stage 1
Session length 1 hour 15 minutes
Download pre- and post-visit information here
Download the notes for teachers and a map of the Garden here
Curriculum links
Science Sc2 life processes and living things: 3 – green plants, 5 – living things and their environment
A Plant's Life
How do plants live in some of the most extreme places on the planet? Pupils will see how plants have adapted to different habitats. The session will explore how insectivorous plants catch their own food, how plants in the desert survive with little rainfall and how plants in the rainforest reach up to the sun and put up with wet, steamy conditions. Pupils will also have a chance to explore the Garden outside, looking for temperate plant adaptations and the oldest tree in the Garden. This session is part guided tour and part self-guided activities.
Suitable for Key Stage 2
Session length 1 hour 45 minutes
Download pre- and post-visit information here
Download the notes for teachers and a map of the Garden here
Curriculum links
Science Sc2 life processes and living things: 3 – green plants, 5 – living things and their environment
Plant Lifecycles: from seed to plant to seed again
We will look at what plants need to grow, and just how they do it. Why do plants need to be pollinated? Why do seeds need to disperse? These questions and many more will be answered during your exploration of the Garden. This session is part guided tour and part self-guided activities.
Suitable for Key Stage 2
Session length 1 hour 45 minutes
Download pre- and post-visit information here
Download the notes for teachers and a map of the Garden here
Curriculum links
Science Sc2 life processes and living things: 1 - life processes, 3 – green plants, 5 – living things and their environment
Waste-Free Lunch Challenge
This is available throughout the year when booking an education visit. The Waste-Free Lunch Challenge is offered to all groups wanting to stay for a picnic lunch. The aim of the activity is to have lunch whilst creating as little rubbish as possible. Children are encouraged to recycle, compost and reuse as many items in their packed lunches as possible.
Suitable for all Key Stages
Session length: add an extra 45 minutes to your visit
Download more information here
Curriculum links
Citizenship: Preparing to play an active role as citizens; Developing a healthy, safer lifestyle
How to book…
Places are limited for all of our school programmes and are allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.
Find out more about visiting the Garden with a school group here.
Read our notes to help you prepare your risk assessment here.
If you would like to make a booking, or if you require further information, please contact:
Kate Castleden and Emma Williams, Education Officers
E education@obg.ox.ac.uk
T 01865 286694
Primary Teacher CPD training
We offer a range of primary teacher CPD opportunities. Please see here for more details.