School Visits
Hands-On History
Bringing the Past to Life
As you will hopefully be able to see, we are about more than just salt!
Our experienced education team offer a wide range of workshops to support the History curriculum, many of which have cross-curricular links to science, art, music and more.
The education service makes good use of original and high quality replica artefacts in their workshops to offer a hands-on approach to history. Pupils will meet characters and try out tasks and crafts to learn about the past in an exciting and memorable way.
“This brought learning to life for my pupils, the interactive approach really engaged them.”
“A superb day which the children continue to enthuse about.”
Workshops can last a full day or half-day, (often half-days are better for reception and year 1). Full day workshops cost £4 per child and a half-day costs £3 per child for Cheshire County Council schools. We are obliged to add VAT to the cost for non-CCC schools but this can sometimes be reclaimed by your school. We can accommodate up to about 60 pupils at a time.
For more information or to book, call our Education Officer on 01606 271640 or email Tom Hughes
Anglo-Saxon Settlers
Pupils will meet a Saxon and discover many aspects of life 1100 years ago in this very hands-on workshop.
Activities include …
- Armour and Weapons
- Food and Cooking
- Spinning Wool
- Runes and Riddles
- Farming and Hunting
- Being “buried” Sutton Hoo style with a range of grave goods
- Making Saxon Clay Pots
- Storytelling and Roleplay
- Archaeology and Placenames
- Grinding Corn
- Clothing and Costume and much more …
Viking Invaders
In these workshops your pupils will discover the world of the Vikings. They may have been fierce warriors, but they were also skilled craftsmen and great storytellers. They will meet a Viking and try out many activities including...
- Raiding and Invading
- Settling, Farming and Hunting
- Riddles, Sagas and Roleplay
- Food and Cooking
- Making Viking God Figures
- A Viking Chief’s Burial
- Clothing and Costume
It is also possible to combine the Viking and Anglo-Saxon workshops if you wish, please contact the Education Officer on 01606 271640 to discuss.
Tudor Festivals
The Salt Museum holds special Tudor workshops at the end of each school term. These are very special workshops where pupils will meet several Tudor characters and join them in their day-to-day tasks. The workshops are very popular so we recommend booking early.
Tudor Workshop dates for 2008-09:
7 —16 July 2008- Tudor Midsummer Festival - Help the household servants prepare the feast, games and dances for the summer festivities.
24 November - 9 December 2008 - Tudor Christmas - Lay the table for a banquet, make yuletide spice bags, take part in a mummers’ play, play period instruments and learn a bawdy dance.
20 April - 3 May 2009 - Ghosts of the Mary Rose - Meet two of the men from King Henry VIII’s warship and discover life on board.
How Do We Know About the Great Fire of London?
In this living history workshop your pupils will have a chance to meet Samuel Pepys and learn about his life and his diaries. They will find out about his experiences in the Great Fire and help to act out the events of September 1666, minus the flames of course! The children will also meet one of Mr Pepys’ servants, hear their story of the fire and learn about everyday life in London in the 1660s as well as events like the Great Plague.
These activities take up half a day which most teachers tell us is just right for Key Stage 1 pupils. If, however, you do want to stay for the whole day we can add workshops playing with toys of the 1660s and making firemark insurance signs.
A Victorian Child’s Life
The Salt Museum offers workshops looking at the lives of Victorian children. They include lots of hands-on activities using original artefacts from the period and a look at the Victorian workhouse building in which the Salt Museum is housed.
For Key Stage 1 pupils we look at the theme of “Homes A Long Time Ago” and try out domestic chores such a washing in the dolly tub, butter making and rag rug making. We also look at the Workhouse building as a home for very poor people and pupils will find out what it was like to live there. If you wish to stay for a whole day we can also add a workshop looking at toys in the home, comparing parlour games, toys from the nursery and games from the street or back yard. 
For Key Stage 2 pupils we take a broader, more in-depth look at life for a Victorian child. This includes a lesson in the 3 ‘R’s with a Victorian schoolmaster, helping the family to run the home, children’s games and an insight into children at work using the Salt Industry as a case study.
Toys Through Time
A hands-on workshop for Key Stage One pupils where children really get a chance to learn through play. They will take part in various workshops to see how toys have changed through the ages. They will also learn about the materials the toys are made from, find out how they work and discover toys for rich and poor. All of these can be compared with toys of today.
The pupils will look at toys from Tudor times, the Victorian age and the mid-20th Century. They do not need to understand these terms, just have fun playing with the various games from 500 years ago, 150 years ago and grandma’s childhood. From hobby horses through cup-and-balls to tin toys.
The Salt Industry
A look at this ancient industry which was so important to the history of Cheshire. Pupils can take part in a guided tour of the museum’s galleries to discover how salt was made and handle original artefacts from the industry. They will also have a science workshop in our lab looking at “Changing Materials” and carry out experiments in dissolving, filtering and evaporation to refine brown rock salt into white salt.
A full day’s visit can also include a guided town walk to look at the effects of the salt industry on the landscape - or - a workshop creating a living timeline of a Cheshire salt town.