Why book
Dartmoor Zoological Park for School Trips and Educational Visits?
Whether you’re interested in our curriculum linked workshops delivered by our team of skilled and highly knowledgeable Discovery and Learning Officers, a personalised tour tailored to your curriculum objectives, or prefer to lead your own self-guided visit, we have all the information you need for an inspirational day out.
Whatever the age our workshops and tours at Dartmoor Zoo are a great way to introduce your pupils to science, with literacy and numeracy embedded, create lasting memories that enhance and reinforce classroom learning.
They’re fun, hands-on, interactive AND curriculum linked! If you don’t see a workshop that quite fits your needs we can always create individualised lessons plan to accommodate the most specific of curriculum objectives.
Teacher Checklist
Risk Assessments Resource Packs
What activities are available during group visits?
EYFS
Head, shoulders, scales and tails: The animal kingdom is vast and varied. Come to Dartmoor Zoo to learn how to group animals based on their similarities and differences.
Magnificent minibeasts: All around us is a magical miniature world full of hidden surprises. Join us on a journey of discovery into the realm of the minibeast.
The big bad wolf: The wind is howling here at Dartmoor zoo, become part of the pack and learn what it takes to survive in the big bad world.
Making sense of the world: Sounds, smells, sights…. The world is full of wonders but how do we and our animal friends sense the world around us?
Investigating the world: Natural wonders are closer than you think. Come and investigate a world of natural curiosities here at Dartmoor Zoological Park.
Hide and seek: There’s more to patterns than meets the eye. Come and explore the clever ways our amazing animal friends use patterns in the struggle for survival
Close encounters workshop: Get up close and personal with some of our charming reptiles and invertebrates while being dazzled by fascinating facts from one of our amazing animal experts.
Primary
Classification (KS1): Is it a bird? Is it a mammal ? No, it’s a reptile. Come and learn how to categorise creatures based on their curious characteristics.
Habitats (KS1): Our surroundings shape who we are. Come and learn about the diverse world of habitats and how they provide homes for every living thing on earth.
Animal superheroes (KS1 and KS2): Discover a world of real-life super heroes here at Dartmoor zoo where super powers are not just in the movies.
Classification (lower KS2): The hip bones connected to the backbone, well if you have one that is. Join us on a journey into the incredibly diverse world of invertebrates and vertebrates and discover how we classify a variety of animals based on their similarities and differences.
Adaptations (KS2): With competition for food and shelter animals are locked into a constant struggle to survive in an ever-changing world. Come and learn how animals have adapted to fight for their survival.
Classification (upper KS2): 1.5 million and counting; with such a diverse world of amazing animals it can all get a bit confusing. Let’s learn how to use the Linnaeus system to categorise all living species on earth.
Life cycles (upper KS2): Mammals, insects and amphibians: All living things grow, change and reproduce. Let’s lift the lid on the wonderful world of life cycles and explore the eternal circle of life.
Evolution and inheritance (upper KS2): Nothing stays the same for ever, in a fast paced ever changing world you either adapt of die. Explore how and why animals have evolved into the innumerable forms we see today
We designed a zoo (upper KS2): Finances, public relations, enclosure design; put all of your skills to the test with our competitive award winning design a zoo challenge.
Close encounters (KS1 and KS2): Get up close and personal with some of our charming reptiles and invertebrates while being dazzled by fascinating facts from one of our amazing animal experts.
British sign language assisted zoo tour (KS1 and KS2): Struggle to find British Sign Language assisted activities? Look no further, come and join us here at Dartmoor Zoo
British sign language assisted close encounters (KS1 and KS2): Struggle to find British Sign Language assisted activities? Look no further, come and join us here at Dartmoor Zoo
Secondary (KS3 and KS4)
Animal behaviour and training: Training is an essential part of caring for zoo animals. Learn about the role of training in zoo’s and directly observe the welfare benefits with this insightful session
Science in the workplace: Gain an insight into how we use science every day whilst running a zoo with over 250 animals.
Careers in the animal industry: It takes more than just keepers to keep things running in a zoo, meet a menagerie of workers from a range of roles and find out more about this exciting and rewarding fast paced industry.
Ethics: Yes or no; sounds like a simple choice, but in the complex world of zoo animal ethics you’ll soon learn that making the right or wrong decision is anything but straight forward.
Adaptations: In a world full of challenging conditions and conflict you either adapt or die. Come and see how our animals have adapted to face these challenges.
Animal behaviour: The animal mind is more complex than we ever imagined. During this session we investigate the numerous ways in which we can study animal behaviour in an attempt to continually improve our conservation and welfare standards.
DZP newsroom: Give your students the platform to become journalists for the day, with the opportunity to write an article for our website.
Enrichment making and design: When it comes to animal welfare we are always aiming for excellence. Help us enrich the lives of our animals by creating a variety of sensory surprises
We designed a zoo: Finances, public relations, enclosure design; put all of your skills to the test with our competitive award-winning design a zoo challenge.
Close encounters: Get up close and personal with some of our charming reptiles and invertebrates while being dazzled by fascinating facts from one of our amazing animal experts.
British sign language assisted zoo tour: Struggle to find British Sign Language assisted activities? Look no further, come and join us here at Dartmoor Zoo
British sign language assisted close encounters: Struggle to find British Sign Language assisted activities? Look no further, come and join us here at Dartmoor Zoo.
P-16 (KS5)
Enrichment making and design: Resourceful? Creative? Like a challenge? Come to Dartmoor zoological park to design and build a variety of innovative devices to help enrich the lives of our animals.
We designed a zoo: Finances, public relations, enclosure design; put all of your skills to the test with our competitive award-winning design a zoo challenge.
Ethics: When it comes to animal welfare we are always aiming for excellence. How do you decide what is right and wrong? become part of an ethical review committee and gain an insight into the immensely difficult decisions made in zoos.
Research at Dartmoor Zoo: Zoo research plays a fundamental role in improving our understanding of how to care for and conserve species both in captivity and the wild.
British sign language assisted zoo tour: Struggle to find British Sign Language assisted activities? Look no further, come and join us here at Dartmoor Zoo
British sign language assisted close encounters: Struggle to find British Sign Language assisted activities? Look no further, come and join us here at Dartmoor Zoo.
What size groups do you cater for?
We cater for groups of any size and can run multiple sessions throughout the day. Workshops accommodate up to 30 children per session and tours up to 20 per session.
Do you offer on-site classroom facilities?
Yes
Is there first aid on site?
Yes
Do you offer access for visitors with disabilities?
Yes
Do you cater for visitors with Special Educational Needs (SEN)?
Yes
Teacher Checklist
Risk Assessments Resource Packs
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