The Little Red Hen at Brixton Windmill

During December 2012, over 120 children from nursery and reception classes visited Brixton Windmill to take part in our Little Red Hen workshops. The children, aged four and five, visited from Sudbourne Primary School and Holy Trinity Primary School in Brixton.

Using drawings and props, we heard the story of the Little Red Hen who is a very hard worker, but who cannot persuade her friends to help her make a loaf of bread! We learned all about the process that the hen worked through to make her bread, from growing and harvesting the wheat, to grinding it to make flour, and mixing it with ingredients in order to make a tasty loaf!

After hearing the story we spent some time discussing whether the little red hen was right not to share her loaf with the other farm animals! We then had the chance to visit the ground floor of the windmill to handle wheat, flour and bread, and we made some flour using the querns. Then the children got to work on some beautiful creative storyboards so that they could continue to learn about the story when they returned to school. Using felts, feathers, tissue paper and fabrics, the children created wonderful tactile collages of the little red hen.

Debbie Green is the Early Years Foundation Stage Manager at Sudbourne Primary School, who are working this year on a whole-school curriculum topic of ?Using your Loaf!? She says, ?Going inside a real windmill was a great experience and one about which the children are still talking. The children experienced useful learning opportunities in a number of Areas of Learning and Development and the activities linked very well with our school topic. All the staff and volunteers commented on what a worthwhile and straightforward trip it was and we will definitely consider repeating it with future classes.?

We?d like to thank the teachers, staff and parents of both Sudbourne Primary School and Holy Trinity Primary School for taking the time to bring their groups to Brixton Windmill.

If you are interested in bringing a reception, nursery, or year 1 group to a Little Red Hen workshop, you can make a booking by contacting our education officer, Stephen Lawlor, at slawlor@lambeth.gov.uk. Workshops last 90 minutes and cost ?60 for schools in Lambeth, and ?120 for schools outside Lambeth.