Minibeasts in VR
The garden, seen from a beetle's point of view.
About this workshop
We get up close with some fascinating garden invertebrates in this VR workshop. Pupils visit the garden as they have never seen it, meet some incredible beetles and insects, and view the world from their perspective.
Shrinking to the scale of a minibeast does something a magnifying glass cannot: it makes the scale of a leaf, a puddle or a blade of grass real. Pupils absorb the facts because they are standing in them.
An ethical, risk-free alternative to live classroom creatures, avoiding animal stress while removing stings, bites, and allergy risks entirely.
A strong choice for EYFS and KS1, and for any school running a minibeast hunt that deserves a grand finale!
How the session runs
What happens
- 01
Minibeasts
Pupils shrink to about the size of an ant and explore a garden from ground level. Beforehand they name what they expect to find; afterwards they sort it out - six legs makes an insect, eight an arachnid - and work out what all of it eats.
- 02
Ladybird
The ladybird gives the class its model insect: six legs, three body parts, antennae and an exoskeleton. Pupils find out why it is red - a warning to predators - and meet its other tricks, playing dead and releasing a smelly liquid from its feet.
- 03
Caterpillar
The class follows one of nature's great transformations, from egg to caterpillar to butterfly. Pupils see a caterpillar that can almost double in size in a day, and find out what happens inside the chrysalis.
- 04
Honeybees
Honeybees arrive as a colony - thousands of insects working as one. Pupils learn that bees see ultraviolet light we cannot, why pollination puts food on their plates, and what happens to crops if bees disappear.
- 05
Virtual museum
The session closes in the museum, where pupils explore independently with a few surprisingly interactive minibeasts.
What pupils will learn
The science they take away
Built around key National Curriculum objectives, we’ve created an immersive, fact-filled workshop.
- 01How to identify common invertebrates by their features
- 02That minibeasts can be grouped by observable characteristics
- 03What different minibeasts need from their habitat
- 04The role invertebrates play in pollination and decomposition
- 05How scale changes what an environment looks like
- 06How to observe carefully and describe what they see
Curriculum links
What this covers in the National Curriculum
Science - Living things and their habitats
- Understand that minibeasts are invertebrates and do not have backbones.
- Recognise the difference between vertebrates and invertebrates.
- Identify and name a range of common minibeasts, including insects, arachnids and molluscs.
- Recognise the main characteristics of insects, including six legs, three body parts, antennae and an exoskeleton.
- Describe the life cycle of a butterfly and understand the process of metamorphosis.
- Understand the importance of minibeasts within food webs, and the role of honeybees in pollination.
In your school
At this scale, an ordinary lawn becomes a towering emerald jungle of hidden marvels.
Logistics
What we bring, what you need
We bring
- A fully networked class set of VR headsets
- Our own minibeast content, built for primary pupils
- A DBS-checked facilitator to lead every session
- Cleaning and hygiene kit used between every class
You provide
- A school hall or a large, clear indoor space
- A parking space close by to unload equipment
- A member of school staff present in each session
Questions schools ask
Before you book
- Will children who dislike insects cope?
- Nearly always yes - and it frequently changes their mind. Any pupil can lift the headset at any point.
- Is it suitable for Reception?
- Yes. It is one of our most popular EYFS sessions and the pacing is adjusted for the age group.
- How long are headsets worn?
- In short stretches within a 45-minute session, not continuously.
- Can we pair it with a real minibeast hunt?
- Many schools do exactly that, running the hunt in the afternoon.
Feedback from schools
What schools said
Five-star Google reviews of Education Group, who deliver our workshops. Reviews naming this workshop come first.
Our school loved their habitats VR experience. The instructor was lovely and kept children engaged and calm. Would 100% book again!
The whole school really enjoyed all of the workshops that we had during the day! They were so engaging and fun for the children to learn about a range of science topics. It was great that we got to choose the topics we wanted to learn about. I would fully recommend.
As a specialist SEN school for autistic pupils aged 4-16, it is important that external providers can adapt their approach to meet the individual needs of our learners and Education Group consistently achieves this. Their sessions are always well planned, engaging, and tailored to the needs of our pupils.
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