Year 3 Science trip to the Chelsea Physic Garden

This week, Year 3 visited Chelsea Physic Garden, London’s oldest botanic garden, established in 1673 and home to over 4,500 medicinal, edible and useful plants.

The garden is also the site of scientific research and cultivation of plants, and was an apt site to learn and discover for Year 3, whilst consolidating this terms’ Science learning around plants and their environments. Alongside some indoor sessions working with plant samples and identifying different types of natural life, the children explored the grounds via a trail hunt and observatory nature walks, gathering fallen leaves, petals, and other fallen natural treasures along the way, to be examined in greater depth later on in the classroom. 

The Chelsea Physic Garden is also home to several glasshouses which are kept at different temperatures and humidities in order to cultivate plants who are habituated to different climates, for example the tropical glasshouse, where cocoa and vanilla beans grow. We also explored the  ‘The Garden of Edible and Useful plants’, ‘The Garden of Medicinal Plants’, and the ‘World Woodland Garden’. It was a real treat to explore so many different plant environments in one place, and bring our Science learning to life outside the classroom.  

In the pupils’ words: 

"The first activity we did was a fabulous treasure hunt. We had to find 18 pinecones hidden amongst amazing plants and flowers. Our hard work paid of because we found them all. What a great start! After that there was a really interesting plant hunting workshop. Many of us liked smelling peppermint and lemongrass because of their lovely scents." 

"In the afternoon, after enjoying a delicious packed lunch, we learnt all about the parts of a flower and how seeds are spread. Some plants fire their seeds into the air like a canon! My favourite ones stick to you. The Chelsea Physic Garden is amazing, they have more than 4,000 species of plants." 

"The edible garden was mouth-watering and we learnt all about vanilla and cocoa beans."  

"I really enjoyed learning about the biggest and smallest seeds in the world. My favourite smelling plants were lavender and rosemary."  

"I liked going into the greenhouses to see the ferns and other plants that need hot weather. Although, I wasn't one of the lucky students who saw a toad in the garden, I loved the whole experience!"