Things to do with family at The Firs
Spend time surrounded by musical inspiration in the pretty cottage and garden at The Firs and make music with instruments in the sound garden.
Planning your family visit
- Baby changing facilities in the Visitor Centre.
- Highchairs are available in Little Al’s Kitchen.
- Please be aware you need to cross a bridleway to get to the cottage and cottage gardens.
May Half-Term at The Firs
Saturday 24 May to Sunday 1 June
This half term at The Firs, tick off some 50 things to do before you’re 11 ¾. Dotted around the garden there will be fun family activities to take part in.
Our 50 things to do before you're 11 3/4 will include:
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Getting to know a tree - collect a piece of paper and a wax crayon from visitor reception to create a bark rubbing.
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Make friends with a bug - next to our bug hotel will be a magnifying glass, piece of fabric and simple ID with an invitation to borrow and explore.
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Play in Nature's Band - Alongside our wooden drumkit will be a sound wall to create music with everyday objects.
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There will also be opportunities to play percussion pairs and croquet on the lawn.
Summer of Play at The Firs
Our Summer of Play will be taking place between the 19 July to 31 August.
Come on a musical journey with us this Summer, discovering Elgar’s Wand of Youth.
This year we will be celebrating The Wand of Youth, a piece of music started when Elgar was a child and finished in adulthood. Inspired by his childhood memories of growing up here. Come along, play, dance and listen to music and step into the footsteps of Elgar.
Suite No. 1, Op. 1a: IV. Sun Dance
Learn the weather waltz where you can twirl, leap and dance in whatever the weather.
Suite No. 1, Op. 1a: V. Fairy Pipers
Search the orchard and open the fairy doors to meet Elgar’s family.
Suite No. 1, Op. 1a: VII. Fairies and Giants
Enter the imaginary world of fairies and giants, sit in the giants’ chair and create your own small world for a fairy.
Suite No. 2, Op. 1b: III. Moths and Butterflies
Discover more about British moths and butterflies, matching their wing patterns.
Suite No. 2, Op. 1b: V. The Tame Bear
Bring along your favourite teddy and enjoy creating a teddy bears picnic in the idyllic cottage garden.
Suite No. 2, Op. 1b. VI. Wild Bears
Join the Wild Bears Band, where you will be the musician. Create music from everyday objects and our nature-based instruments to create your own rhythm.
With more to explore this Summer of Play, visit The Firs. Our Summer of Play offer will be taking place between the 19 July to 31 August.
Nature Makers at The Firs
At The Firs join Shelley from Nature Makers to make meaningful memories every Monday over the Summer Holidays. From 10.30am-11.30am discover nature and the world around us through facts, nature play and exploration, through Art & Crafts in our beautiful gardens.
Sessions include:
Monday 21 July ‘Birds and Birdsong – Listening for birds, making binoculars and clay bird nests.
Monday 28 July ‘Bees and Butterflies’ – Flapping and buzzing – symmetry in nature/ hapa-zome printing (leaf and petal bashing)
Monday 4 August ‘Sounds of the Seaside’ – Making swimming dolphins, tin-foil seaside scenes/ water-play with crashing waves.
Monday 18 August ‘My Musical Garden’ – Making shakers, stick wind-chimes, natural drums and forest bathing in sound.
Monday 25 August ‘Sounds of the Summer’ – With a focus on weather – rainmakers, windsocks – using cyanotype paper for printing
Elgar Soundscapes: Creating Musical Journeys through Nature.
Discover a musical family experience in the garden at The Firs to find the 5 ingredients needed to build musical compositions.
A composer’s job is to create musical recipes using sounds, which the orchestra performers can follow to recreate compositions.
Elgar Soundscapes is an interactive activity inspired by our Curating Elgar project, developed with over 200 participants to respond to Elgar’s story, music and connection to landscape and nature. Visit The First to have a go at creating your own musical journeys by exploring sounds within the garden and try it out in your own green spaces.
Sound Garden
Choose between the three large instruments that wind around the pagoda, surrounded by trees and beautiful plants. There’s the vertical xylophone, hammock xylophone and a metallic swirl to create all sorts of tunes.
We have the instruments just add your imagination. You might even have an Elgar in the making?
Using our specially crafted music makers (also known as golf balls on sticks) create your own tune and share it on our social media use #soundgarden.
Cottage garden
After making music there is lots of exploring to be done in the woodland areas and pretty cottage garden, with bug hotels to discover and an opportunity sit next to a life size statue of Elgar himself on one of our garden benches.
'50 things to do before you're 11¾'
Do you know about the National Trust '50 things to do before you're 11¾'? You can tick off some of the activities while you're at The Firs; build a den, create some wild art, join natures band and much more.
Which will you take on?
Find out more here: 50 things to do before you're 11¾ | Visit | National Trust