MEET THE MUDLARKS
Passionate about connecting children to nature.
Mudlarks provide exciting, educational Beach School sessions for children in Northumberland. Our Beach School sessions connect children to nature and allow them to enjoy, experience and learn all about their wonderful coast.
Mudlarks Outdoors
Mudlarks are fully insured for all provided activities. All staff are qualified Beach School Leaders, First Aiders with all required DBS checks. We provide full risk assessments for each activity and location.
Bridie Melkerts a Qualified level 3 Beach Schools Leader, with a BSc in Marine Biology and MSc in Environmental Management.
Helen Ellis is our fully Qualified Primary teacher with over 20 years of experience in education.
Our team are passionate about connecting children to nature and enabling them to gain wonder and respect for their local environment and wildlife.
Mudlarks Nominated for Persimmon Building Futures Award
Woop Woop - We're delighted to announce MUDLARKS is on the shortlist to win a share of Persimmon Homes’ Building Futures £1million pot supporting under-18s nationwide but we really need online votes to win.
Over the last two years we have seen the positive effect learning outdoors can have on children, improving physical and mental well-being as well as helping to create a connection between children and nature and inspiring the conservationists of the future. Often our beach School sessions are a child's first experience of rock-pooling, sand-sculpting, bird watching or exploring their local coastline. We want to offer these opportunities to as many children as possible and winning this award would enable us to benefit hundreds more children around Northumberland.
Persimmon Homes NORTH EAST is backing MUDLARKS to be a prize winner where cash awards will be made to those winning the most online votes.
It's such an honour to have been selected as a regional finalist, but we really need people to get behind us and get voting so that we are in the strongest possible position to earn one of the awards. Please Please give us a vote and share this post.
Year 5s Vs Plastic Pollution
2019
Over 300 Children from 10 different Schools in Northumberland experienced our Year 5s Vs Plastic Pollution Beach Schools in 2019. The children learnt all about the Global Problem of Plastic Pollution and how they can be part of the solution to this problem. Each child took part in a Beach Litter Pick and wrote letters to people in positions of power. We had response from The Prime Minister, CEO of Colgate, The Chief Executive of Northumberland County Council and The Duchess of Northumberland. With huge thanks to Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty for helping to fund these valuable lessons. Click on the link below to find out more about Northumberland Coast AONB
Stranded ! Yr 6's Surviving on a Desert Island
2019
11 different schools took part in our Yr 6 Mixer Beach Schools. These sessions aim to offer children the opportunity to build new relationships in a collaborative day inspired by the text Kensuke's Kingdom. The children built dens, played games and followed a map to find treasure. It was a pleasure to see so many new friendships being made during these sessions. We wish all of our Mudlarks every success in their move to Secondary School.
Shilbottle Primary School
2019
This was our second year of working closely with Shilbottle Primary Reception Class and Friendly Frogs nursery. What a class of superstars - we were pirates, ornithologists, shell hunters, geologists, historians and artists. We loved every session and can't wait to see these Mudlarks again soon !
Embleton Primary Beach School
2019
Mudlarks worked with Embleton Primary School every Friday for a year to help them set up as a Beach School. We thoroughly enjoyed each and every session with this school in one of the most beautiful coastal classrooms in the world. Mudlarks are very proud of helping this school become a fully fledged Beach School and are delighted that we still get to visit regularly - Keep up the fantastic work Embleton Primary !
Hipsburn Primary School
2019
We continue to work very closely with all classes at Hipsburn Primary delivering a wide range of sessions to children from nursery - Yr 6. THis school is making the most of its enviable location next to the beautiful sweeping sands of Alnmouth Bay. The children have had sessions on Pirates, Vikings, Grace Darling, Den Building, Rock Pooling and much more. Lots more are planned for the future so watch this space........
Get in Touch
2019
Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you'd like to find out more about Mudlarks and how to book your Beach School Session. We're always keen to work with new schools and meet new Mudlarks !
TK Maxx - Neighbourly Grant
Grant to help deliver 12 Beach School Sessions to local children
Mudlarks were recently delighted to receive a grant from TK Maxx via the Neighbourly Grant fund. TK Maxx and Homesense are partnering with Neighbourly for a 12-month environmentally-themed programme which gives funds from the sale of plastic carrier bags to over 400 good causes across the UK. We're working closely with local Primary Schools to deliver 12 special Beach School sessions all with an environmental and conservation theme. The children will learn all about nature on their doorstep and the harm plastic can have on their local environment. They will take part in litter picks and other practical conservation tasks. We're very grateful to the staff of TK Maxx for voting for Mudlarks and enabling us to provide these sessions.
Swarland Primary School
A whole School at Beach School over two days
We were lucky enough to have the whole of Swarland Primary School with us over 2 days in the summer term. They were superstars at rockpooling and learning all about the creatures that we found. We made treasures to take home, completed scavenger hunts and made Beach art - phew !
Beach School Sessions
We have a wide variety of curriculum linked, exciting and educational beach sessions available from nursery to Y6
As passionate outdoor educators, Mudlarks Outdoors take great pride in every beach school we lead. The subjects can vary (Grace Darling, Tides, Rocks and Fossils, Seabirds, Rocky Shore Field Surveys, Vikings, Pirates) each one is carefully designed to ensure students learn more about the natural world around them and enjoy their outdoor experience. Please contact us to find out which sessions would be best for your class.
An Example Session
A link to an example Beach School Session - this is a Grace Darling day with strong links to lighthouses, drama, history and literacy.
Grace Darling Day
Get in Touch
Contact Mudlarks Outdoors regarding their published work, course offerings or any other inquires.
