The Seaside Through Time: Spittal Promenade and Sands, 1950s, 2008 & 2021
Reference: | Suggested age groups: EYFS, KS1 | Topic areas: At the Seaside, Then and Now
SPITTAL PROMENADE AND SANDS
The first photograph was taken in the 1950s and shows Forte’s café, the promenade, and the beach. Note the flags and the lights.
The second photograph of Spittal Promenade shows the play park and the café. It was taken in 2008.
The third photograph of Spittal Promenade shows the play park and café. It was taken in July 2021.
QUESTION PROMPTS
What is different in these two photographs? Is there anything the same in both photographs? What colour are the two photographs? What types of buildings can you see in each photograph?
What types of snacks and ice creams do you think the café’s sell? What types of food do you eat when you go to the seaside? What colour are the buildings in the 2009 photograph? What colour might the buildings have been in the 1950s or 1960s? Would you rather walk or play on a shingle, stone or sand beach? How many flags can you see? What might the flags have been for in the 1950s photograph? What might the flags have been for in the 2021 photograph? What are the people on the beach doing? Can you find the dog? What colour gloves is the lady walking the dog wearing? What other animals might you see at the beach? What do you do when you go to the beach? What can you see at the play park? What is your favourite thing to do at the play park? Have you ever been to a play park at the seaside?
KEY WORDS
📝 Promenade – A path along the seafront made for taking leisurely walks.
📝 Play park – An outdoor play area often with rides such as slides and swings.
📝 Compare – To find things that are the same and different.
READING SUGGESTIONS
📚 Billy’s Bucket by Kes Grey
📚 Sneakers the Seaside Cat by Margaret Wise Brown
📚 Where the Sea Meets the Shore by Kate Messner
📚 Salty Dogs by Matty Long
📚 Splash, Anna Hibiscus! by Atinkue
📚 Duck & Goose go to the Beach by Tad Hills
📚 Bobby’s Beach Day by Samantha Ball
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
🚩 Design a beach flag.
🚩 Join the beach flags together into bunting and hang up in the room.
🎵 Play sound recordings of the sea. Count the beats of the waves and move in time with them.
🖍️ Practice drawing wavy lines to mimic the movement of the sea.
🖍️ Use chalks/pastels/charcoal to make wave drawings.
🎵 Play sound recordings of sea creatures – try to guess which animal is making which noise.
🐙 Discuss favourite sea creatures.
🐙 Make sea creature mobiles, e.g., octopus mobile using handprints.
🏖️ Talk about different types of beaches (sand/stone/shingle). Fill trays with each, compare by sight and feel.
🏖️ Add water to each of the beach trays to see what happens when they get wet.
🏖️ Go beach combing and try to find different items in the sand – or bury them in beach trays.
🏖️ Use a metal detector to look for hidden items in the sand – at the beach or in the trays.
🖍️ Find a pebble at the beach, or elsewhere, and decorate it.
