School Trip Area Choices
/ Isle of Wight Trip Activities / Museums / Dinosaur Expeditions
DINOSAURSFOSSILSPREHISTORICDinosaur Expeditions is a field centre based on the south west coast of the Isle of Wight, displaying fossils recovered predominantly from the local beaches, cliffs and fields.
Also featuring a number of examples of paleoart, this gives an unusual twist to any visit.
Expert-led beach fossil hunting expeditions are also organised from the centre, usually on a local beach such as Compton or Freshwater Bay, but sessions can be set up anywhere on the Isle of Wight.
Dinosaur Expeditions is great for all ages, but perhaps a little overwhelming for the very youngest visitors
Here's some of the most frequently-asked questions about school visits to Dinosaur Expeditions, posed by teachers and other group leaders
At the Dinosaur Farm you can eat indoors in the lower barn, or outside on picnic tables. At the beach, well, there is a beach!
If you are starting at the Dinosaur Farm:
On arrival please congregate outside whilst a teacher checks in at the desk in the main barn. Staff will outline the plan for your session which will mostly be led, so you will just need to supervise.
If you are starting at the Beach:
Find a safe place to congregate near the car park and the staff member from Dinosaur Expeditions will find you. There will be a safety briefing before the beach session begins. You will need to supervise.
Dinosaur Expeditions includes a beach fossil hunt. Sturdy footwear and clothing suitable for the weather conditions are required. There is a small chance that feet may get wet, so spare socks/shoes might be worth packing.
We normally allow a half day for a visit to the Dinosaur Farm plus a beach fossil hunt. Many groups split the day with Tapnell Farm or The Needles which are both a short drive from the farm.
At the Dinosaur Farm there is a toilet block close to the main barn. At the beach, there is a public toilet in the car park area.
We will pre-book your visit for you and your entry charges will be paid directly by Education Destination. All you need to do is show up at the agreed time, line the kids up outside, identify yourselves to staff and you'll be handling dinosaur poo in no time!
There are toilets at the Dinosaur Farm and there are public toilets (civic amenities) close to the usual beach fossil hunt site.
There's plenty of outdoor space at the farm, and indoors there's chairs and tables in one part of the gallery used for hands-on activities that can also double as a lunch space.
No
Obviously for the beach part of the visit there's a chance of getting wet or sandy, so we recommend wellies or a pair of old shoes/trainers for this along with a spare pair of socks in one's rucksack just in case. Whilst the fossil hunt can be modified or curtailed in really bad weather, this is very unusual. They generally do go ahead in 'normal' rain so a quick check of the forecast is a good idea and come prepared. The biggest safety concern is of course tidal conditions and wind.
The following Dinosaur Expeditions educational resources are FREE to use when you book your trip with Education Destination. Some include pre or post-visit classroom work, others are on-site activities. All are accompanied by detailed Teacher Notes and some even have sample lesson plans!
Prepared by our expert team of teachers with local Island knowledge, each resource addresses a specific National Curriculum topic. Click on any image for full details.
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Head Teacher with a group of 30 KS2U students
Housemistress with a group of 40 KS3 students
KS2 Teacher with a group of 25 Upper KS2 students
Head of PSHE & Citizenship with a group of 12 KS5 students
KS1 Teacher with a group of 30 KS1 students
Deputy Head with a group of 30 Mixed Ages students
