Schools invited to prehistoric party with dinosaurs set to take over Northampton town centre this month

Schools across Northampton are invited to transport their classroom back to the Jurassic era as part of a dinosaur campaign set to sweep the town centre this month.

Lesson plans and resources designed to help captivate the imagination of Key Stage One pupils have been made available to local schools in anticipation of the dinosaur-themed family fun day taking place in Northampton town centre.

A collection of dinosaurs will appear in Market Square and other parts of the town centre along with a whole host of dinosaur themed activities aimed to help children consolidate their learning on the Jurassic era.

Northampton Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID) operations manager, Mark Mullen, said: "We have planned a whole host of unmissable activities to help spread some much-needed cheer this summer.

"To encourage everyone to join our prehistoric party, we have written to schools all over the town providing them with a downloadable link to a Key Stage 1 lesson plan as well as other resources such as information leaflets and stickers.”

The pack includes facts about different dinosaurs, featuring what they eat and how they move.

Mark added: “The children can then consolidate their learning with some interactive activities by popping along to Northampton town centre with their families on Saturday, July 24 to join our prehistoric party, with supersized guests appearing throughout the day as well as special offers available in shops, cafes, bars and restaurants until August 14.”

Characters including Ritchie the Raptor, Zeus the T Rex and Tank the Triceratops will entertain crowds between 11am and 4pm on July 24 with retailers and food outlets then continuing the fun for a further three weeks up to August 14 with ‘Dino diner meal deals’ in cafes and restaurants, special offers and ticketed activities.

Attractions include a free 30-minute 360°immersive video experience that will transport visitors back in time through the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous geological periods in the pre-bookable Dino Dome.

Budding palaeontologists can also use the Explore Northampton app to hunt and augment 10 friendly dinosaurs around the town centre, which will come to life through smart phones as part of the Dino Trail.

Schools interested in receiving teaching resources can email [email protected].

The event is the first to be staged by the BID as part of a refreshed calendar activities to coincide with the relaxing of Covid restrictions. The BID is a group run by business owners with the aim of making Northampton a better place to live, shop and work.

Businesses voted in favour of renewing the BID for five more years in March 2021, securing £1.5 million to be spent on promoting Northampton. Businesses pay an annual levy into a collective pot that is used to deliver the BID events, initiatives and projects in line with the BID Business Plan.

The Board is governed by local business people who all give up their time as Board directors on a voluntary basis to help steer the project delivery in line with the BID Business Plan.

To find out more about the BID and any upcoming events, visit https://www.discovernorthampton.co.uk/