This site is part of the South West Heritage Trust.
Adventure through time, jumping between hundreds of millions of years BCE and today with hands-on workshops for home educated young people.
Join us for inspiring, diverse themed sessions that bring history, archaeology, science and traditions to life through real objects, fascinating stories and immersive activities.
Whether your child is learning about when dinosaurs roamed around Somerset, uncovering the prehistoric Isle of Avalon, investigating Roman innovations, exploring traditional rural life or discovering the impact of wartime Britain, our regular Home Education Sessions are designed to support learning, spark curiosity and help families connect with others in the home education community.
Weekly workshops are inspired by the remarkable collections and stories found at:
Each session is 90 minutes long. We require a minimum of one adult and one child for any booking. Sessions are suitable for all ages between 7–14 years.
Thursday 15 July 2027 Become an archaeologist for the day! Dig for objects and investigate what they can tell us about the past. Sort finds...
Friday 18 June 2027 Handle real archaeological objects from prehistory to Victorian times, investigate clues from the past and discover what artefacts can tell us...
Thursday 4 March 2027 Explore the River Parrett and its importance to trade, transport and industry, before taking on three practical challenges that reveal how...
Friday 19 March 2027 Explore our very own Taunton Castle and its fascinating history covering hundreds of years through art, craft and medieval role-play. The...
Friday 18 September 2026 Take part in a palaeontological dig, explore life from millions of years ago in the Museum and create your very own...
Thursday 7 January 2027 Get messy experimenting with shaping, pressing, rolling and marking clay, then use your imagination to create your own designs and objects....
Thursday 6 May 2027 Get ready to celebrate Somerset Day by making your own clay dragon finial. Somerset Brick & Tile Museum, East Quay, Bridgwater...
Thursday 13 May 2027 Celebrate Somerset Day by writing your own dragon-inspired story before turning it into a stop-motion film. Somerset Rural Life Museum, Chilkwell...
Friday 19 February 2027 Discover what Somerset was like in a world of warriors, kings and communities around the time of Alfred the Great. Step...
Thursday 15 April 2027 How did people have fun in Anglo-Saxon England? Discover games played during the period and challenge yourself to play board games...
Thursday 20 May 2027 Explore the stories, imagery and literature of Anglo-Saxon England. Discover Beowulf, explore the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and experience the power of storytelling...
Thursday 8 July 2027 Explore life inside the hive, learn how bees work together and uncover the secrets of honey, pollination and the beekeeper’s craft....
Thursday 19 November 2026 Explore the skills and beliefs of Bronze Age communities. Learn how to light a fire, try your hand at pewter casting...
Friday 20 November 2026 Excavate and handle real Bronze Age objects, explore our museum collections and make your own Wick Barrow beaker using ancient methods. The Museum...
Thursday 11 March 2027 Experience life in 1915 in rural Somerset: scarecrows, recruitment and the national egg collection scheme. Includes object handling. Somerset Rural Life...
Thursday 1 July 2027 Discover the legacy of the Great Fire of London in Bridgwater as you investigate how local buildings were constructed, why bricks...
Thursday 21 January 2027 Step into the shoes of an Iron Age person and discover the different roles within an Iron Age community. Experiment with...
Friday 18 December 2026 Challenge yourself to get the best deal at a busy market day for Iron Age people in Somerset. Explore key sites...
Thursday 25 February 2027 Get hands-on with Iron Age pottery and discover the distinctive Glastonbury ware tradition. Use prehistoric-inspired tools and techniques to make your...
Friday 21 May 2027 Step into the turbulent world of the Monmouth Rebellion and discover what happened when the people of Somerset took a stand...
Thursday 18 March 2027 Discover the colourful world of Roman decoration. Make your own paint and paintbrush before creating a miniature fresco inspired by Roman...
Friday 22 January 2027 Discover how people lived and dressed in Roman Somerset, handle real Roman artefacts found in our county and think like an...
Thursday 10 June 2027 Step back to 1940 and the Second World War in rural Somerset. Become evacuees arriving in a new village, tackle the...
Thursday 15 October 2026 Discover how life changed when people began farming and living in settled communities. Explore the technology behind the Neolithic and work...
Thursday 17 September 2026 Travel back to the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods and discover how hunter-gatherers survived. Try your hand at flint knapping and create...
Friday 16 October 2026 Discover how people lived, communicated and travelled thousands of years ago. Explore the museum, create cave paintings to share messages, make...
Friday 23 April 2027 Explore Tudor buildings, uncover fascinating stories and step into the world of Tudor life and politics. Discover how people lived, explored...
Thursday 17 June 2027 Become a Viking craftsperson and make your own leather pouch. Create a set of wooden runes to keep inside, then learn...
Thursday 3 December 2026 Get into the festive spirit with a hands-on Christmas session inspired by the people who made Somerset’s bricks and tiles. Discover...
Thursday 4 February 2027 Ever wondered what the difference between a Clinker and a Legger is? Step back in time and discover what life was...
Thursday 10 December 2026 Play parlour games, make crackers and fill a cornucopia as you get stuck into the Festive spirit while learning how the...
Thursday 11 February 2027 Discover traditional Somerset farming and find out how people worked the land and cared for animals in the past. Have a...
Thursday 8 October 2026 Discover how children and the family ran a Victorian home. Cook drop scones in the farmhouse kitchen, make a rag rug...
Thursday 12 November 2026 Line up. Boys sit at the front. Girls, at the back. Feet flat on the floor, hands where I can see...
Thursday 14 January 2027 Discover why people have wassailed apple trees for hundreds of years, explore some of the sights, sounds and stories of this...
