“It was a great session – children had the opportunity to feel the wheat… and the challenge of making the windmill was just the right amount of difficulty…the children learnt so much more being at the mill than finding out using books or internet.”
Year teacher

Visit inner London’s only surviving windmill. Learn about how windmills work, the engineering behind these remarkable buildings, and how people used them in the past.

Figure out how to utilise wind power to turn the mill stones. Take on our group challenge to build your own windmill from bottles and boxes and use cogwheels to make it turn the millstones. Test your masterpiece and discuss the problems that you encountered – can you work out why yours is more efficient than anyone else’s?!

This session includes a visit inside Brixton Windmill and classroom session in Brixton Windmill Centre.

Age group: Years 3-6

Duration: 1.5 hours

Cost: £120 (Lambeth and Southwark schools); £150 (other state schools); £170 (independent schools)

Pupils will:

• understand how wind was used to power the windmill
• consider the different factors affecting power and efficiency
• explore how pulleys can be used to harness energy
• explore how gears can be used to manage force
• work as a team to tackle a technical challenge
• evaluate and discuss their work.

National Curriculum links

• Science (pulleys and gears)
• Design and Technology ( technical knowledge)