Introducing cultural capital into primary aged kids

[Schooldinners1]

I regularly volunteer at a community hub. We hold lots of events for kids from all walks of life.

I am planning activities we could do with them all summer and we can also access funding in order to do these activities/days out.

I was wondering if any of you had some nice suggestions of positive experiences the kids could have that will give them confidence and new experiences.

We have done local art galleries, museums and most recently a ferry tour of the local skyline.

I was thinking maybe something musical/sporty?

This is for children 5-11. Thanks

this sounds like such a great project. nature centres/zoos/farms might be fun especially in urban areas ? there are a few urban farms/petting zoos around in most cities.

There are outdoor concerts for children in the summer round here. The childminder took DSs to one a couple of years ago (Peter and the Wolf in Dorking, I think). Cheap, child friendly and a dose of culture!

Some children miss out on really basic things like cooking a meal together or going swimming.
Have you been to your local library or church / mosque / temple?

Films afternoons from different cultures like Studio Ghibli's Totoro, or Cartoon Saloon's Secret of Kells or Wolfwalker? Something other than mainstream stories.

Riding the top of a double decker bus route in a circle? Only doable if everyone's been to the toilet and you have a good ratio of volunteers to children, but I've done it with a Cubs groups and they loved it.

See if a local chess club will bring boards in and teach them basic chess moves.

Similarly, any local youth orchestras or choirs that will let them watch a rehearsal?

I think it's great to give primary school age children an insight into culture that they can imagine themselves aspiring to.

Classical music? Bach to Baby might branch out to primary school age for something like this.

Sporty things, what about Quik cricket, football snooker, touch rugby

Nature centre would be a great idea - lots of our local ones do talks aimed at primary children covering things like how plants grow, what bees do, stages of tadpole/frog development, where to find insects. And that is something I notice the MC kids in DS’s class all know, and the WC kids are much less likely to know.

Petting zoo/family farm would also be a great option, as would an actual zoo (though that might be pricier). Aquarium/sea life centre if you have one nearby.

Could you invite a local dance teacher to come and do a lesson / learn a dance in a day type thing? My daughter's dance school covers a different dance type each day - bhangra, street, acro etc - for ages 4-16.

Maybe ask if any of the parents want to come and talk to the children about what working in their field is like?

I'm pretty sure WC kids know what an insect is and that tadpoles turn into frogs

Black and white silent films - Buster Keaton or Charlie Chaplin shorts are great and still funny, and it’s amazing how many kids have never seen anything in black and white.

They do, but they seem less likely to have been taken to places where they can physically see it (lifting rocks to find wood lice, seeing tadpoles developing into frogs over weeks, etc).

OP is looking for “cultural capital” things, Forest School, nature walks, visiting RSPB reserves, etc are all very MC things to do. Doesn’t mean that no WC people do it, just as there are plenty of WC people who like classical music and history, but taking kids to a classical concert or museum is seen as MC.

Are there other schools who could come and talk about eg debating ( if they do that at the other schools ). Would you let me know whereabouts you re as there is the most fabulous thing near me ( rough idea OK ie N S W E ). re horse riding. I do think parents coming in to talk about a variety of jobs and what they had to do to get into them is a good idea.

A dance class sounds like a good idea, especially a Bhangra type dance so they can learn about other cultures. Mosque, sikh temple visit. Big game of rounders. Afternoon of board games. Trip to a threatre if there are any child friendly shows on.

A matinee show at a theatre
A science museum for kids that age group visit an art studio (different to a gallery) check if there's a printmaking / artists spaces within distance where thr kids could get a tour

YABU to use the term “cultural capital” it is patronising. Just do some fun activities.

Circus skills

puppeteering

Animation ( simple stuff)

history of cinema ( MOMI)

Natural history collections (Hornimans - coral breeding program

Crystal Palace park - dinosaurs are not accurate though)

Trip to Lyme Regis to Jurassic coast

Fossil hunting/ make your own fossils ( plastic of Paris and a mould)

Owl poo- google it
Amazing. As a child the 1970s I attended a local museum club- did fab things and trips every week but the owl poo is a really clear memory
Very cheap (need plastic gloves these days, a few pellets and tweezers/tools)