Free Resources
From downloadable activity sheets to virtual tours, we are building a directory of free-to-access resources from around the web that can help enhance your primary science lessons.
Please note that these are all links to external websites and organisations. While we endeavour to keep the information here up-to-date and relevant, the Edina Trust is not responsible for the content, reliability, or accessibility of other websites and services.
If you have any comments or suggestions, please contact us.
Broad Range Resource Banks
STEM Learning
STEM Learning is the UK's largest provider or education and careers support in STEM. Their website is packed with thousands of free-to-access, quality-assured resources to support science teaching, categorised into topics for easy links to your curriculum.
Primary Science Teaching Trust
The PSTT vision is "to see excellent teaching of science in every primary classroom in the UK." Their website lists a wide range of resources and advice for teachers, including downloadable versions of all issues of their free Why & How? magazine.
Explorify
Get your pupils thinking like scientists! Explorify gives you access to low-prep activities, so that you can enhance your science teaching no matter your confidence level. You will need to sign up to access the resources but there is no cost involved.
Life Science Centre
Life Science Centre is a unique educational resource based in Newcastle upon Tyne. They have supported teachers for over 20 years by delivering activities to enhance the STEM curriculum. You can download a wide range of activity ideas and guidance as well as take a virtual tour of their exhibits.
Glasgow Science Centre
GSC offers a wide range of science experiences for schools, as well as a selection of amazing resources to support educators, aligned to the Curriculum for Excellence and National Qualifications Stages. You can explore themes such as Body Systems and Cells, Electricity, Our Future Energy, and Climate Change.
You will find a wide range of activities and instructions for workshops on the Royal Institution learning website. Filter by topics and age range to find the resources you need. You can also watch the Christmas Lectures online.
Royal Institution: Learning
Institute of Physics: IOPSpark
IOPSpark has over 2,000 free physics teaching resources including classroom-ready material, teaching guidance, video content and student worksheets all tried and tested by teachers. Use the filters to find resources aimed at your pupils' age range and topics.
National Museum Wales/Amgueddfa Cymru
Explore a wide range of resources based on the collections at the museum's sites. Here are a selection of STEM themed activities for you to try:
The Wild Escape | Museum Wales
Minecraft your Museum! | Museum Wales
Urban Nature Project | Museum Wales
Dinosaur Plants: Spotters Guide | Museum Wales
Urban Meadow Learning Resource | Museum Wales
Make your own bee hotel | Museum Wales
Animals
Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum, London, have a wide range of resources available online, with topics from the Animal and Human Bodies to Life Cycles and Habitats. Topics are divided into suitable age groups. There are downloadable worksheets, 3D models to explore, a virtual tour of the museum, and more.
RZSS: ZOOdle
RZSS's digital learning environment offers free resources, which include interactive games, practical and written tasks and quizzes. You can also access videos and live webcams at Edinburgh Zoo. Learn more about conservation, animal behaviour, and more.
London Zoo
London Zoo is bringing the zoo to you! On their website you can find webcams and live streams, animal antics, zookeeper videos, and behind-the-scenes updates. You can also access the ZSL learning resources page for a range of animal-themed activities and projects.
Monterey Bay Aquarium
This aquarium is located in California. They have a fantastic range of live cams and pre-recorded videos of marine animals, including penguins, sharks, jellyfish, sea otters, and more. A great way to bring these animals to life in the classroom!
University of Manchester: Manchester Museum
Manchester Museum is closed to the public until February 2023 as we transform into a more inclusive, imaginative and caring museum. But we are still here for you. They have uploaded their digital content onto their website so you can explore and enjoy Manchester Museum in your own home.
Plants
RHS Campaign for School Gardens
RHS aims to give children and young people, from two to 18 years old, opportunities to grow and connect with nature. We do this by supporting school staff, home educators and youth group leaders with training, resources and advice, so they can encourage young people to explore the outdoors and learn how to care for plants and our planet. You can find free activities, lesson plans, and info sheets on their website.
Kew Gardens: Endeavour
Created for schools by experts and teachers at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Endeavour has everything teachers need to deliver inspiring lessons about plant science and the environment. You will need to create an account, but it is free to do so. There are activities, quizzes, videos, and more aimed at all age groups.
Garden Organic
The charity Garden Organic brings together thousands of people who share a common belief - that organic growing is essential for a healthy and sustainable world. They have a range of activities, posters, games, projects, and more available for free on their website, as well as extensive organic growing advice.
Learning Through Landscapes
LTL's aim is 'encouraging active play and outdoor learning in primary schools'. You can find a huge range of outdoor lesson ideas on their website developed by teachers and early years educators, ideal for both curriculum-led outdoor learning and Forest Schools.
Grow Your Own Potatoes
Launched in 2005, Grow Your Own Potatoes (GYOP) was one of the first primary school based growing projects. Since then, it has become the largest of its kind with over 5 million children taking part in learning where potatoes come from, how they grow and the health benefits. The straightforward and hands-on nature of the GYOP project makes it perfect for young pupils.
Forces and Electricity
Scottish Maritime Museum
The museum focuses on Scotland's shipbuilding heritage, and their resources are a fantastic way to link science topics with real-world applications. The 'Ship to Shore' online activities cover lots of topics including designing and building your own boat, how to build DIY harmonica (how waves produce sound), and lots more!
Drax Power Station
Drax Power Station is a large biomass power station located in North Yorkshire. Over the last decade the power station's world-class engineers have upgraded two-thirds of its power-generating units to use sustainably-sourced compressed wood pellets in place of coal. You can take a virtual tour and learn more about biomass and the carbon cycle, renewable energy, and how electricity is generated.
SSE Renewables Hydro Tour
Hydro power is Scotland's original source of renewable energy, and you can find our more about how hydro power uses water to generate electricity on the SSE Renewables website. You can also take a look inside hydro power stations through videos.
Siemens Keadby2 Power Station
The Keadby 2 Power Station uses a first-of-a-kind turbine - a combined cycle gas turbine - making it one of the cleanest and most efficient gas-fired power stations in the world. As part of the project, Siemens developed a set of resources aimed at educating KS2 pupils about energy generation and the difference between renewable and non-rewewable energy.
The Museum of Flight (Seattle)
If you are interested in taking a look inside various aircraft, head over to the museum's website to access 360 panoramic photos or even a 3D tour that lets you walk around inside the exhibits!
Materials
Royal Microscopical Society
RMS offers free Microscope Activity Kits for schools to borrow. The kit includes curriculum-mapped activities for the classroom, or you can use them in your own science lessons such as searching for minibeasts. You can also find lots of fantastic photos taken through microscopes!
https://www.rms.org.uk/outreach/microscope-activity-kits.html
Earth and Space
Mission X: Train Like an Astronaut
Mission X: train like an astronaut is a free educational project for students aged 8-12. Developed by space scientists and fitness professionals working with astronauts and space agencies worldwide, Mission X uses the excitement of space exploration to inspire students to learn about science, nutrition, exercise, and space.
Spaceport UK
The UK is planning to develop several spaceports to launch rockets carrying satellites into space. This resource contains eight activities, which look at the development of a UK Spaceport and the launch of satellites into Earth orbit. They link to aspects of geography, science and engineering.
National Park Virtual Tours
Fly over an active volcano in Hawai'i, or dive into a shipwreck in the Dry Tortugas. These virtual tours - part of Google's Arts & Culture collection - include videos and interactive 360 degree photos, and are a great way to explore exciting natural environments in some of the US's famous national parks.
https://artsandculture.google.com/project/national-park-service
Down 2 Earth: Resources and Loan Boxes
Down 2 Earth encompasses a variety of resources for students and teachers, enabling them to learn more about the science of asteroids and comets. You can find free resources, an online impact calculator, and schools in Wales can borrow their loan boxes to handle real rock samples, meteorites, and dinosaur fossils.
SAMHE Project
SAMHE (pronounced 'Sammy'!) is an exciting project designed with and for schools. It's a collaboration between scientists from 6 institutions across the UK and supported by DfE.
Poor air quality negatively impacts pupils' health and concentration, affecting attendance and attainment. SAMHE will provide evidence informing improved national policy and practice. Furthermore, it will enable pupils to interact with real world data on their environment and give them the agency to take informed action. Sign up today to claim your own free air quality monitor and get started!
Evolution and Inheritance
Natural History Museum
You can find a small selection of classroom activities and videos on the Natural History Museum
Reebops from SSERC
Reebops are model animals that can be used to demonstrate inheritance! The idea was developed by Patti Soderberg of the University of Wisconsin. You can find a comprehensive explanation and guide for a fun classroom activity in the SSERC bulletin linked below.
Coding
Scratch Jr
Scratch Jr is a free app available on the App Store or Google Play. Young children (ages 5-7) can program their own interactive stories and games. In the process, they learn to solve problems, design projects, and express themselves creatively on the computer.
Lego Education Lessons
You can find free lesson plans for Lego coding kits on their website. You will need to have the right kit. Explore up to 75 lessons with all of the information you need, from materials lists to building instructions.