What activities are available for a school outing in the Hauts-de-France region?

If you are looking for memorable places that will amaze your children, combining culture and the chance to explore nature, here are the outings that will stimulate and entertain your class.

Nausicaá, located in Boulogne-sur-Mer, is a unique marine environment discovery centre!

For over 30 years, this partner of the French Ministry of Education has hosted schools, with educational activities tailored to each academic level.

With 3 tour routes to explore, your pupils will embark on a unique journey through one of Europe's largest aquariums. The centre is dedicated to exploring, raising awareness of and protecting the marine environment, but is first and foremost an educational centre.

To maximise adaptation to your class of children and their needs, Nausicaá, which has been designated a “Centre of Excellence” by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, has 3 discovery packages for you to choose from.
1-    The self-guided tour, supplemented by educational fact sheets, lets you develop your own approach, to build and adapt your journey to the depths of the sea more flexibly and in accordance with your requirements.

2-    The self-guided tour is completed by the amusing and interactive educational activity, which is supervised by a scientific mediator. It is tailored to the academic level of your pupils. The opportunity to delve deeper into a topic of your choice among the 3 courses proposed:

Dynamic Ocean Course covering the water cycle, climate, energy, pollution, currents, etc.

Ocean Culture Course, which focuses on managing marine resources, responsible consumption, sustainable development, citizenship, professions, etc.

Living Ocean Course, which focuses on biodiversity, the concept of living things, classification, reproduction, adaptation, food webs, etc.

This educational event will take place in a venue specially designed for young people, experimentation and scientific discovery: the Blue Academy. A collection of different areas, suitable for children aged 3 to over 18, covering an area of 800 m², offers a chance to discover the world of the ocean through edutainment workshops: storytelling, experiments, observation and creation. The ocean is explored through a fun and exciting approach.

3-    The one-hour interactive e-class by videoconference with a scientific mediator on the “climate” theme, which complements the site tour. You will be able to choose between two topics: “Calculating our climate footprint” and “Climate and ocean, let’s talk about it! and choose when to do it independently of the actual visit.

To make your group’s educational excursion easier, Nausicaá has thought of everything: free admission for accompanying persons and bus drivers, free parking, cloakrooms, picnic area and lunch options.

Furthermore, you will not have to wait, as there is a drop-off point and a ticket office ensure a quick start to the visit.

And for the classes in a hurry, Nausicaá offers an adapted and shorter itinerary, lasting 1 and a 1/2 hours instead of 4 hours, so that you don’t miss anything of Nausicaá’s showpiece areas!

Lastly, for groups of children with disabilities, the Centre National de la Mer offers reduced rates and specially adapted educational workshops.

The Hauts-de-France region has other exciting adventures in store for you:

• Climb aboard the boat La Florelle and explore the French Opal Coast from the port of Boulogne, France’s foremost fishing port. On board the boat, the captain will take the time to explain the different aspects of the life of sailors, fishing and port activities to your class.
• Set off to discover the history of the monuments of Boulogne-sur-Mer, for a day, by visiting the medieval crypt, with its impressive dimensions, which make it one of the largest crypts in France, and the Notre-Dame basilica.
• Lastly, explore the sea in a whole new way by offering the children in your class the joys of a fun day of sand yachting, a must-do activity, in the midst of nature on the beach at Boulogne-sur-Mer. The opportunity to explore the vast beaches of the French Opal Coast, only 500 metres from the Centre National de la Mer.