Home Educator Event: Myths, Legends & Cryptids

The Cryptid Lecture – Myth or Reality?

11am

Begin your day in the Lecture Theatre with an illustrated talk exploring the captivating world of cryptid creatures, mythical beasts and rediscovered species.

From ancient folklore to modern rediscoveries – such as the coelacanth and the okapi – we’ll separate science from legend, uncover how myths begin, and celebrate the explorers and scientists who turned stories into discoveries.

Activities & Moth Design Studio

10.30am – 12pm / 2pm  – 3pm

Get hands-on with specimens and mysterious artefacts in the Activities Classroom. Handle items from the natural world and learn how real animals inspire myth and design.

Then, get creative and design your own moth. Take inspiration from camouflage patterns, mimicry, and vibrant warning colours – or go wild and create a moth that looks like you! It’s art meets evolution – a chance to explore how nature’s patterns inspire human imagination.

The Skulls & Specimens Room

1pm – 2pm

Can you reconstruct a creature from its skull? Was it predator or prey? How might it have moved?

Step into a mini laboratory where science meets mystery. Examine skulls, bones and models while you measure, observe and sketch your way to uncovering what each animal might have looked like in life.

This session brings you closer to the work of palaeontologists, zoologists and illustrators who turn fragments into full creatures.

Explore the zoo

Put your new skills of observation into practice as you journey around the zoo!