🌿 Primary 5–7 Explore the Garden of Cosmic Speculation! 🌀
On Thursday, our Primary 5–7 class set off on a wonderful adventure to the one-of-a-kind Garden of Cosmic Speculation, just outside Dumfries, joined by our friends from Portpatrick Primary’s P5–7. 🚌💫
Thankfully, the weather was warm and dry, and the rain stayed off all day, giving us the perfect conditions to enjoy the beauty of this fascinating garden.
Created by architect and theorist Charles Jencks and his wife Maggie Keswick, the garden is famous for combining science, maths, nature and art in striking and creative ways. It’s packed full of spirals, symbols, patterns, and sculptures that invite you to think, wonder and ask questions.
🌳 Our pupils loved wandering through the different landscapes, noticing unusual architecture, rare plants, and clever use of space and design. Every twist and turn had something new to discover!
🐌 One of the highlights was Snail Hill – a grassy spiral path that seemed to go up and down at the same time! It’s made only of earth and grass, so we had to walk carefully — but the view and the experience were well worth it.
🌉 Another standout moment was learning about the two great red bridges. The original red Japanese-style bridge is iconic, but we learned that when a train line had to be built through the garden, the owners made a deal: the new bridge would also be red and match the Japanese architecture, to stay in harmony with the rest of the design. That thoughtful blend of nature and human development fascinated the children!
We also took part in some brilliant STEM challenges:
🔢 Find the Fibonacci! – We hunted for patterns and spirals in plants and nature.
🦆 Bridge Building! – Could we build a bridge strong enough to hold a rubber duck for 10 seconds? That was the challenge!
🧱 LEGO Structure Design! – Pupils were asked to design a replacement for a wooden garden structure that had been damaged by storms. Their new designs had to be imaginative, strong, and reflect the style and spirit of the garden.
🌟 Ava G, Nanci-Rose, Myra, Robin and Danielle built a beautiful and sturdy model featuring a Japanese-style bridge, trees, and a blend of natural and bright colours.
🌟 Ry, Rubie, Brooke, Joanna, Maya and Ava W created an impressive red structure with sections, a lift and ramp for accessibility, and elements inspired by Jencks’ famous sculptures like “the eye” and “the ear”.
🌟 Thorin, Ross, Callum, Gregor and Kamil began designing a tunnel-style red structure, a twist on the bridge idea, with intricate, colourful patterns inside to grab attention.
Before heading home, we enjoyed a lovely lunch together in the base building, where everyone could relax, chat, and take in the day’s experiences. 🧺🌤️
It was a day filled with curiosity, creativity and calm and one we won’t forget any time soon.
🧠🌍🎨
🌍 UNCRC Rights of the Child
- Article 28 – Right to an education
- Article 29 – Education must develop every child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full
- Article 31 – Right to relax, play and take part in cultural and artistic activities
- Article 12 – Right to express views and be listened to
🎯 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Goal 4 – Quality Education
- Goal 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities
- Goal 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production
- Goal 13 – Climate Action
- Goal 15 – Life on Land
🌱 SHANARRI Indicators
- Safe – Pupils explored and participated in STEM challenges in a safe, supportive environment
- Healthy – Outdoor activity, movement, and wellbeing
- Achieving – Pupils showed creativity, teamwork and STEM thinking
- Nurtured – Positive interactions, lunch together, and encouragement throughout
- Active – Engaged in physical challenges and nature exploration
- Respected – Pupils’ ideas and group contributions were valued
- Responsible – Environmental awareness and thoughtful structure design
- Included – All pupils participated and collaborated in inclusive groups
🧠 Meta-skills
- Curiosity – Asking questions and noticing design elements in nature and architecture
- Creativity – Designing unique LEGO structures with natural and symbolic themes
- Sense-making – Understanding the connections between maths, science and art
- Critical thinking – Planning and testing bridge strength and functionality
- Collaboration – Working together in teams for all tasks and challenges
- Communicating – Explaining ideas, design choices and sharing feedback
- Initiative – Taking the lead in problem-solving and exploring the gardens
- Adapting – Responding to changes and challenges during activities
✝️ Strands of Faith
- Signs of God – Recognising God’s presence in the natural world and creative human expression
- In the Image of God – Using our gifts and talents to create, design, and work together
- Reign of God – Living out Gospel values like respect, stewardship and community
- Hours of God – Taking time to reflect in peaceful, meaningful outdoor surroundings
