Victorian Life
The permanent displays in the Royal Pump Room Museum rleate to Harrogate's spa history and feature replica shop fronts, details of visitors as well as treatments.
Schools resources include:
-
Activity backpacks
-
Mystery objects game
-
Victorian Life teachers pack
-
Victorian Life workshop
-
Online resources
Come and use new backpacks which contains:
- toys and games to compare to those on show in the museum
- description cards to help when looking at objects
- a treasure trail around the museum
Mystery object boxes
Read the clues on the leaflet with the box of 6 Victorian mystery objects to work out what they might have been used for!
The backpack and mystery object boxes are available on a visit to the Royal Pump Room Museum, requiring a £10 deposit (refunded on return).
They are also available for use in schools, again subject to a £10 deposit and agreed loan period. Contact us for more information.
Teacher's pack
To discover about all things Victorian, there is a
teacher's pack available for £3 or downloadable from this website. The pack includes:
- Background information on the exhibition
- National Curriculum links
- Details of the themes display in the
Victorian Life exhibition
- Images from the
Victorian Life exhibition to enhance classroom learning
- Suggestions for learning
- Activity sheets
Victorian Life workshops
Be a Victorian Engineer for the Day!
Using a large-scale construction kit, the young engineers
will build a range of simple machines and mechanisms.
These will incorporate gears & cogs, drive chains, cams and wheels and axles to explore how objects move, turn and spin.
Throughout the activity, pupils will also investigate many
scientific and technological principles including:

- forces
- levers & pivots
- energy
- structures & frameworks.
Museum objects and exhibits will also be used in the workshops to emphasise and highlight the above themes in a real life/real world context in particular the development and growth of the railways.
Time permitting, a demonstration will be given to show how the potential energy in steam can make objects move and turn a mini Steam Engine!
This workshop links to closely to the Key Stage 2 curriculum:
ScienceUnit 4E Friction and
Unit 6E Forces in Action
Design and Technology Unit 5C Moving Toys, Unit 6A Shelters, Unit 6C Fairground and
Unit 6D Controllable Vehicles
History: Victorians and
How people in this area lived in the past
The workshop can be adapted for other Key Stages, please just ask!
Sessions last 2 hours and are charged at
£100 per class and booked by arrangement.
Victorian Life
This workshop:
- introduces pupils to toys from
the past and compare them to their toys. Toys featured include a pull-along fire engine and Noah's ark. Pupils will then make a Victorian toy of their own.
- offers replica Victorian costume for trying on
- plays the mystery objects game
This workshop links to
History Unit 1: How are toys different from those in the past?, Unit 11: What was it like for children living in Victorian Britain
and
Design and
Technology Unit 1A: Moving Pictures.
These sessions are charged at £45 and are available on request please contact us to arrange.
To book:
To book a visit or use of the resources please ring
01423 556188 or
email us.
Please note the maximum group size is 35 pupils.
If a charging event, all bookings will receive an invoice shortly afterwards. A deposit of 40% will be retained if the booking is cancelled less than three weeks before the session date.
This is charged in order to cover our costs when cancelling the session leader at short notice.