Summer Family Festival: Summer Buzz @ the Natural History Museum

Scurry, scuttle, splash and swoosh... summer is alive with energy! From the tiniest ponds to the mighty oceans, there’s magic to discover in nature this school holiday!  

Pollinator Count

Free, no need to book

It’s time for our annual Pollinator Count! Join the National Education Nature Parkopens in a new window Team and get counting pollinators in our gardens as part of real science research. Brush up on your identification skills and discover more about pollinators as you learn more about the insects you see every day.

• Friday 24th July – Friday 28th August
• Mondays and Fridays, 10:30am–4:30pm
• Pond, Nature Discovery Garden
• Recommended for ages 4+

T. Rex Show with Teach Rex

With incredible puppets that unleash a mighty roar, this journey into the prehistoric is fun for kids and adults alike! Watch and learn, grab a photo with the fearsome Tyrannosaurus rex and its friends and make a wonderful family memory.

• Tuesday 4th – Thursday 27th August  
  Tuesdays–Fridays, 10:30–11:15am, 1–1:45pm and 3:30–4:15pm
• Non-member: £12
• Member: £10.80 
• Flett Events Theatre, Floor 1, Red Zone
• Ages 3+

Pond Explorers

Free, no need to book

Join our Learning Team to explore the biodiversity of our vibrant pond in our Nature Discovery Garden. From newts to dragonflies, there are many animals who call it home. In this free event, you’ll step into the shoes of a scientist and have a go at using microscopes, hand lenses and other scientific equipment to identify the different insects and amphibians in our urban garden. 

• Friday 24th July – Friday 28th August 
• Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10:30am–1pm
• Pond, Nature Discovery Garden  
• Recommended for ages 4+

LEGO® Biodiversity Super Builders

Free, drop-in

Calling all builders of the future – nature needs our help! Get hands-on and learn about some of the biggest challenges facing our natural world. Then use your imagination, creativity and LEGO® bricks to build and share your very own amazing solution.

• Tuesday 28th July – Thursday 27th August

• Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 1:30–4:30pm

• Entry every 30 minutes, last entry at 4pm

• Investigate Centre, Central Building, Lower Ground Level
• Recommended for ages 6+

Ocean Tales

Free, no need to book

Dive into a sensory ocean adventure for young explorers and their families. Discover amazing creatures from Jurassic seas through sensory props, movement and imaginative storytelling. Led by our learning volunteers, you’ll explore ocean textures and sounds while joining in with the interactive tale Plesi Finds a Family.

• Sunday 26th July – Sunday 23rd August
• Sundays, 11:30am–2:30pm
• Nature Activity Centre, Nature Discovery Garden
• Recommended for ages 4+
• Subject to volunteer availability

Women in Science Tour: Featuring Mary Anning

Free, no need to book

Encounter numerous treasures, including specimens collected by Mary Anning herself. Plus, learn more about our displays and the cutting-edge research we carry out. Tours are led by our learning volunteers and last around 45 minutes.

• Tuesday 28th July – Tuesday 25th August
• Tuesdays, 12:15pm and 1:15pm
• Hintze Hall, Central Building, Ground Floor
• Meet by the Learning Volunteer Tours sign
• Recommended for ages 12+
• Subject to volunteer availability

Visions of Nature

Join us for a mixed-reality experience that imagines a possible future a hundred years from now. Don your headset and be transported a century into the future to explore what could lie ahead for the planet. Journey around the globe as you’re surrounded visually and audibly by the awe and wonder of the future natural world.

• Friday 24th July – Friday 28th August
• Daily, 10:15am–5pm, slots every 15 minutes
• Non-member: £9.95
• Member: £7.95
• Zoology Spirit Building, West Wing, Ground Floor
• Ages 10+ only due to headset size