Minibeasts in VR

We are getting up close with some fascinating garden invertebrates.

Visit the garden as never before. Meet some incredible beetles and insects and view the world from their perspective. Absorb fascinating facts as you are immersed in a 3D exploration of minibeast life.

The workshop includes plenty of curriculum points from the 'Living Things & Their Habitats' and 'Animals' objectives such as classification, camouflage and defence mechanisms, diet and habitats, life cycles and adaptation. Shrink to the viewpoint of a ladybird, enter a hive of busy honeybees and witness a caterpillar undergoing metamorphosis to a beautiful butterfly.

VR takes you to places you've never experienced before and engages everyone with its wow factor! The best part? No welfare issues with real animals being brought to school! 

Issues with live animals in schools are well documented*; there are risks to the children (of disease, injury, allergy and phobia), risks to the school (legal challenges, inadequate risk assessments) and of course, risks to the animals themselves (injury, stress, travelling conditions, noise and handling).

However, the benefits of learning about animals are also invaluable, such as compassion and understanding of conservation needs. The fabulous thing about our new workshops is all these benefits can be gained through immersive education in VR! Additionally, VR can get up close with exotic and dangerous creatures, and even X ray their physiology, for deeper understanding of the scientific concepts.   _{*Source: RSPCA, PETA and National Education Union}