NEWTONGRANGE WORKSHOP FIELD GUIDE
Where Maths Meets Mini‑Beasts: A Hands‑On Family Workshop at the Museum Gardens
A 1.5‑hour family workshop at the National Mining Museum Scotland in Newtongrange where kids meet giant millipedes and stick insects, hunt garden bugs with magnifying glasses and activity sheets, and build shape‑inspired insects to explore symmetry, patterns and counting.
Where Maths Meets Mini‑Beasts: A Hands‑On Family Workshop at the Museum Gardens.
Set inside the National Mining Museum Scotland in Newtongrange, Creepy Crawlies is a compact, workshop‑style outing that moves from up‑close encounters with live invertebrates to a hands‑on bug hunt in the museum gardens and back indoors for creative, shape‑based insect making. The program blends direct nature contact with simple mathematical ideas—symmetry, patterns and counting—so children experience discovery and creativity in the same session.
Highlights
Outing Highlights
Meet Giant Millipedes and Stick Insects
Participants meet incredible live creatures up close—giant millipedes and stick insects—guided by an expert from Brilliant Beasties, offering a calm, supervised encounter with minibeasts.
Hands‑On Bug Hunts with Magnifiers
Families move outdoors into the museum gardens for a hands‑on bug hunt, using magnifying glasses and activity sheets to observe symmetry, patterns and counting in nature.
Shape‑Inspired Insect Making
After the garden session, participants return indoors to design and construct shape‑inspired insects—an activity that ties observation to simple maths and creative play.
What the day feels like
What the 90 Minutes Feels Like
Creepy Crawlies unfolds like a compact field lesson: a short, supervised meeting with live specimens led by an expert, a spirited scavenger hunt among museum beds with magnifiers and activity sheets, and a focused indoor craft that uses shapes and counting to translate observations into hands‑on creations.
Suitability
Who it's for
Who this workshop suits best.
Practical planner
Details to review before reserving
The session uses magnifying glasses and activity sheets as part of the bug‑hunting activities; participants should be prepared for short outdoor time in the museum gardens.
Review cancellation policies before reserving.
Frequently asked questions
Planning Your Outing
How long is Creepy Crawlies?
The workshop runs for 1.5 hours.
Where does the workshop take place?
Creepy Crawlies is offered at the National Mining Museum Scotland in Newtongrange, Scotland.
Who leads the close‑up animal encounters?
Encounters with giant millipedes and stick insects are led by expert Jacqui from Brilliant Beasties.
What activities are included?
Families meet live millipedes and stick insects, undertake a hands‑on bug hunt in the museum gardens with magnifying glasses and activity sheets, and return indoors to create shape‑inspired insects.
Is this suitable for children and families?
Yes—this experience is described as perfect for curious kids and nature‑loving families, blending discovery, creativity and conservation.
Will materials be provided?
The program includes magnifying glasses and activity sheets for the garden bug hunt and provides materials for the indoor creative session.