Virtual School Trips for 2020/21

Posted on 2 October 2020

It might be more difficult to arrange school trips at the moment, but there is a great solution to this problem: virtual school trips!

Many museums, galleries and attractions from around the world created virtual tours while they were closed during lockdown, which are brilliant to use in the classroom, paired with some of our fantastic teaching resources from the Scholastic Resource Bank, for Early Years and Primary pupils.

The Great Barrier Reef

Find the virtual tour of the Great Barrier Reef here.

Explore the Great Barrier Reef, thanks to Google! Take a virtual dive to some of the Reef’s best dive sites, and see what you can find. A fantastic opportunity to learn more about the oceans, and the wildlife that lives under the sea.

Life Under the Sea activity sheet

Learn fascinating facts about wildlife found under the sea, and encourage children to include their own facts.

Protecting Our Planet: Our Oceans powerpoint and teacher’s notes

We all know how important and vulnerable the Great Barrier Reef is. Try this lesson all about protecting our oceans – as part of our Protecting the Planet series.

Ocean News newspaper template

After the virtual tour, encourage their creativity to write a report on the Great Barrier Reef with this brilliant photocopiable template.

Longleat Safari Park, UK

Find the virtual tour of Longleat Safari Park here.

Everyone loves a trip to the zoo! Get up close with Longleat’s famous residents, from the big cats to the rhinos and camels. Longleat have also created additional content available on their app including quizzes, factsheets which will accompany the tour.

Tell Me Why! Zoo animal fact cards

Help children learn some fascinating facts about the animals as they watch the tour.

Animal Tracks activity sheet

Animal Patterns activity

Talk about animals and their distinctive features, discussing who might have made the tracks, and which animal has each pattern. You could even have a creative session making more prints in sand and dough, or recreating more animal patterns with pens and paint!

Circle of Life article

This article is full of activities all about animals and the circle of life, to use as you watch the animals at a zoo, to talk about the places they come from, and how they live.

The International Space Station

Find the virtual tour of the International Space Station here.

This isn’t any normal school trip! A virtual tour of the International Space Station certainly feels like a once-in-a lifetime experience, but it’s not!

International Space Station poster

We can’t go to the ISS without seeing a picture of it first! Take a look at our poster of the station, available to download for free.

Space Knowledge Quiz

For KS2 pupils, these space question sheets provide opportunities for learning recaps that will appeal to children’s sense of competition and fun!

World Space Week activities

Discover a great selection of space-themed activities for Early Years in this article.

The Natural History Museum, UK

Find the virtual tour of the Natural History Museum here.

Take a virtual science trip to the Natural History Museum, where you can dive into the museum’s 80 million specimens with unique, new features: encounter a prehistoric marine reptile in virtual reality, navigate the galleries in 360 degrees, take a tour of ten new exhibits, and take students on an expedition through the galleries to learn about adaptation in the natural world.

The making of a fossil activity sheet

Use this activity sheet with illustrated stages to help children write the story of how a fossil is made.

Evolution PowerPoint and teacher notes

After seeing how much animals have changed ovre time thanks to the Natural History Museum, try this lesson all about evolution.

Charles Darwin trivia challenge sheet

Test children’s knowledge of the famous scientist with this fun quiz.

Pyramids of Giza, Egypt

Find the virtual tour of the Pyramids of Giza here.

Visit the last standing wonder of the ancient world! Explore the site of the Ancient Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, and learn about their history and how it was discovered.

Map of Ancient Egypt

Before you start your virtual trip, this activity map is a great way to get children up to speed with Ancient Egypt.

The Greatest Discovery of them All activity sheet

Use this activity sheet to help children learn all about the greatest discovery from Ancient Egypt: the tomb of Tutankhamun.

How the Ancient Egyptians Made Mummies activity sheet

Discover how the Ancient Egyptians made mummies with these illustrations showing the stages of the process.

Stonehenge, UK

Find the virtual tour of Stonehenge here.

Discover one of England’s most famous landmarks, with this interactive tour of Stonehenge with a 360-degree view from inside the monument – with information about its history, how it was built and the landscape around it.

Mysteries Revealed lesson activities

Take a look at this selection of activities to do in the classroom about Stonehenge, perfect for working on alongside the virtual tour.

Stonehenge facts sheet

This factsheet is a great resource to share in the classroom.

Invaders and Settlers questions worksheet

Embracing the topic of ancient settlers in the UK, you can use this set of questions on invaders and settlers.

Harry Potter at the British Library , UK

Find the virtual tour of the British Library’s exhibition here.

Dive into the world of Harry Potter thanks to a virtual exhibition from the British Library. Learn about the real history of magic and the magical classes of Hogwarts, as well as the making of this magical best-selling series.

Creative Writing Workshop

This Creative Writing Workshop series looks at story characters in depth and detail, providing exciting opportunities for children to explore their favourite character – and create believable and interesting characters of their own.