Home Educator’s Day

Join us for Home Educators’ Day as we dig into the magical world of plants, medicine and playful discoveries! How do plants heal us? What stories do herbs and folklore hold? And how can a simple seed spark such big discoveries?

Find out at Thackray Museum of Medicine’s Home Educator Day.
This packed programme is designed especially for home-educating families with children of all ages.

The following activities will be included with museum entry:

Thackray Science Live: Tree-mendous Tales
11.30am and 1:30pm | 25 mins | Ages 6+
Our much-loved Boffins are branching out with a live show all about the magical powers of plants! Expect folklore stories, curious creatures and lots of leafy laughs.

Craft: Seed Packet Creations
10am–4pm | Drop In | All Ages
Get crafty as you create your very own card seed packet and fill it with colourful seed paper shapes. Take your seed paper home, place it on a patch of soil and watch it transform into a beautiful bursts of nature over time.

RHS Workshop: How to make a Bird Feeder
10.30am–3.30pm | Drop In | All Ages
Create a pinecone bird feeder using natural materials with the help of the RHS, and welcome new feathered friends into your outside space!

Apothecary: Remedies with Mary Seacole
10.30am–12pm and 1pm–2.30pm | All Ages
Meet Mary Seacole in the Apothecary Shop to learn all about her favourite herbal remedies and recipes.

Outdoor Play Space: Splash Station
10am–4pm | All Ages
Make a splash with our water filled channels, bends and chutes to discover how water helps gardens grow. Younger visitors can enjoy pouring, filling and splashing with watering cans and plant-themed toys.

Outdoor Play Space: Dig It
10am–4pm | All Ages
Gloves and aprons at the ready – dig deep, plant and play in our hands-on station using artificial plants and gardening tools. Built by Leeds Wood Recycling, this activity is perfect for budding gardeners.

Outdoor Play Space: Playful Potions
10am–4pm | All Ages
Mix, mash and muddle magical recipes in our mud kitchen. Using stones, potion pots and nature-inspired ingredients, cook up your own wonderfully wild creations.

The Great Garden Trail
10am–4pm | Ages 6+
Your garden is ready to grow. Follow the trail through our galleries, spot the hidden plants and find out more about their medicinal properties. Complete the quest and watch your gardening knowledge blossom!

Under-5s Explorer Bag: Fairy Finders
10am–4pm | Under 5s
Little explorers can follow a magical fairy door trail around the museum using their very own fairy map and colouring activity sheet.

Each bag is filled with folklore-inspired fancy dress, including foraged fairy wands and felt foxglove hats, so children can dress up and let their imaginations grow wild.