Museum education
At the museum, we're not just committed to preserving historical artefacts, but also to providing opportunities for meaningful learning for all.
Whether you are able to visit the museum or not, these materials are designed to allow you to access and interact with the museum and learn about local history, geography and culture, while practicing other skills such as map reading, English language, reading, maths and social skills.
All these resources are released under a creative commons license, which allows you to copy, edit, and even publish your own versions of these materials, as long as you release them under the same license (i.e. other people can also copy, edit, etc.)
Click the links to view the free resources. For any questions or requests for resources, get in touch.
Staithes in a Suitcase
Would your group like to host a mini-exhibition of Staithes objects - with bonnets, ganseys and a model endeavour? We are happy to lend you our Staithes in a Suitcase loans box, or even send over one of our team to provide activities and information to go with it!
Email Douglas at staithesmuseum@gmail.com
Staithes Objects Speak
Can an old fishing hook become a poem? What story might a sailor's compass tell? If a museum object could speak, what would it say?
Our Poetry Adventure Workbook is a colourful, creative guide to looking at museum objects in a whole new way. Through games, prompts and imaginative challenges, it encourages you to slow down, notice the little details and discover the stories hidden inside everyday things.
Although it was created to accompany our Summer Poetry Competition, the workbook can be enjoyed at any time. Whether you're visiting Staithes Museum, exploring another museum, or simply looking closely at an interesting object at home, the activities are designed to help you see the world through a poet's eyes.
It's suitable for children, families, schools and anyone who enjoys being creative—no previous poetry experience needed!
To keep the booklet free and easy to print, simply complete the activities on a separate sheet of paper or in your own notebook.
Download the workbook and the worksheet here, and start your own poetry adventure!
Cottage Map Crossword
Did you know that Staithes Cottages don't have numbers, they have names? In this activity, you need to explore the village and find the cottages marked on the map, then fill in their names on the crossword. You can purchase a printed copy of this activity from the Museum's gift shop.
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Staithes dialect colouring page
Find out how to say some common Staithes words in the Staithes dialect. Remember, it's not a gansey, it's called a smock jacket!
Download a pdf here.
Captain Cook and the Extraordinary Emu Egg
A comic-style history zine for curious kids and thoughtful grown-ups
Captain Cook and the Extraordinary Emu Egg is a funny, illustrated story about Captain Cook, Joseph Banks — and an emu egg that didn’t need to be “discovered.”
Created by Rosie, this short printable book reimagines a moment from Cook’s 1770 voyage to Australia, when Cook wrote that the Aboriginal people “wanted nothing we could give them.” The story uses humour to explore what happens when explorers try to “discover” things that are already known, understood, and cared for by others.
Told in the style of Horrible Histories, it’s full of jokes, odd facts, and lively drawings — but beneath the silliness, it asks an important question:
👉 What does it really mean to know something?
Through the emu egg, children learn about two different kinds of science:
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Western science, like Banks’, based on collecting, naming, and measuring.
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Aboriginal science, based on observation, relationships, and thousands of years of knowledge about the land and its living things.
The story is designed for primary school–aged readers (KS2) and includes a four-page activity booklet for schools, families, and museums. It encourages curiosity, respect for different worldviews, and big conversations about how knowledge is shared - and who gets to tell the story of discovery.
Get the storybook here.
Get the accompanying worksheet in A4 format here,
Or the accompanying worksheet in booklet format here.
Strange things at the museum
This is an ESL worksheet, that can be adapted for many uses. Students practice forming defining relative clauses, then play a game where they are given a fact about an object in our museum, and must make up two lies (using defining relative clauses), with which they will try to trick their partner.
Fairytale Dominoes: Staithes Myths
Play a collaborative storytelling card game based on Staithes' myths and legends. With 60 beautiful black and white images, practice speaking and imagination skills.
Guess Who? Captain Cook
Is he a man? Is he wearing a hat? Does he live in the pacific? Play a game of guess who with the fabulous copperplate portraits found in our Captain Cook exhibit. You will get a chance to look more closely at the faces and clothing of the people met by Captain Cook on his third voyage, and practice describing, and listening to descriptions.
Print out the cards to play at home , or come and visit the museum and play on giant cardboard boards!
Need something different? Just ask!
We love creating educational materials that bring our museum to life! If you have any special requests or ideas, please get in touch via email at staithesmuseum@gmail.com , and we will do our best to help.