Essential information

Location
Key Stage
Early Years Foundation Stage
Curriculum links
Art
History
Music
Session length 60 minutes
Session times Thursday, 10.30–11.30 and 12.45–13.45
Session dates 25 February, 11 March, 29 April, 10 June, 15 July
Capacity 30 pupils per session
Price £90

Session overview

Introduction 

Learners are introduced to the story of the Queen’s House through interactive storytelling. 

Gallery Activity 1: Memory Game 

In one of the galleries, learners discover a painting of the Queen’s House and explore different elements in the picture through call and response and actions. 

Activity 2: I Spy (A sailor at sea) 

In the next gallery, learners look at portraits of sailors on the wall and play I Spy. 

Missing Piece 

Learners climb the stairs to look at portraits of famous Kings and Queens, as well as the ones from the Queen’s House story. They match paper cut-outs to paintings on the wall and find the King and Queen connected to the house.   

Tudor Ball 

In the Great Hall, learners dance to period-appropriate music using the actions they learned earlier in the session. 

Learning objectives

Learners will: 

  • Learn new vocabulary through song, rhyme, roleplay and repetition 
  • Explore and respond creatively to artworks 
  • Spot shapes and patterns in architecture and paintings

Curriculum links

EYFS Art, History and Music 

  • Through conversation, storytelling and role play, where children share their ideas with support and modelling from their teacher 
  • Listen attentively and respond to what they hear with relevant questions, comments and actions 
  • Participate in small group, class and one-to-one discussions, offering their own ideas, using recently introduced vocabulary 
  • Talk about the lives of the people around them and their roles in society

Key words

Tudor, Sailor, House, Museum, Art Gallery, King, Queen

Suggested pre-visit knowledge and activities

Prepare children to notice shapes, patterns and details in the Queen’s House by going on a shape and pattern hunt in their own classroom. 

As part of the activity, invite them to roleplay as shape detectives, ready to visit the Queen’s House and spot the special shapes and patterns hidden in the building and its artworks.

Suggested post-visit knowledge and activities

Invite learners to recall the different actions, artworks and stories they encountered in the Queen’s House. 

Together, create a simple dance using body shapes. For example, arms in a circle, legs as a triangle, or group lines to make a square. Sing the shape song again with new Queen’s House moves. 

Provide large sheets of paper and crayons for learners to draw the shapes and patterns they remember from the visit. Encourage them to share and talk about their pictures in pairs or small groups, repeating key vocabulary.