UEA Christmas lectures for children 2023

The UEA Christmas lectures for children saw another brilliant turnout in 2023! You can watch the recordings of the two lectures below, as well as all previous lecture recordings over the last few years.

Any questions? Get in touch at events@uea.ac.uk.

Happy Brains and Ancient Remains

Underwear Under Where? Packing for the afterlife in ancient Egypt

Dr Kim Ridealgh
Faculty of Arts & Humanities

You might know how to wrap a Christmas present, but do you know how to wrap a mummy? And no, we're not talking about your lovely mother! Join Dr Kim Ridealgh to learn how ancient Egyptians built and furnished tombs to prepare their dead for the afterlife.

 

Take a Pause with Santa Claus: Self-care at Christmas

Laura Read
Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences

Ever wondered what really matters to Santa? Explore the concept of meaningful activities and how they can be affected by our health and wellbeing. Join lecturer Laura Read to learn how our bodies react during activity, and how we can look after ourselves during the festive season!

UEA Christmas Lecture Recordings and Activities

You can look back at our previous Christmas lectures on our UEA Public Events YouTube channel. Click the button below to take a look!

View our previous Christmas lectures

 

Use the drop down menus below to explore our previous Christmas lectures in new ways! Click on the images to view and download the activity packs, and watch the videos to help you find out more about each topic before answering the questions in the pack.

Putting on a pageant

Putting on a Pageant - By Prof Matt Woodcock

This activity sheet has been put together by Prof Matt Woodcock from UEA’s School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing, to go with his lecture 'Putting on a Pageant' from December 2018.

Watch Matt's lecture in the video below to find out more about Queen Elizabeth I's visit to Norwich in 1578, before working through the activity sheet to plan your own right royal knees up! When you're ready, click on the image to the right to view and download the activity pack.

 

The pink pigeon's peril

The Pink Pigeon's Peril - By Camilla Ryan

This activity sheet has been put together by scientist Camilla Ryan from UEA’s School of Environmental Sciences and the Earlham Institute, to go with her lecture 'The Pink Pigeon’s Peril' from December 2019.

You can take a look at Camilla's lecture in the video below before you try your hand at these activities! When you're ready, click on the image to the left to view and download the activity worksheets and find out more about this incredible bird.

 

Victoria's Dustbin

Victoria's Dustbin - By Prof Tom Licence

This activity sheet has been put together by Professor Tom Licence from UEA’s School of History, to go with his lecture 'Victoria’s Dustbin' from December 2016.

Take a look at the video of Tom's lecture below to learn about some Victorian Christmas traditions that are still thriving today, and how items dug up from their rubbish dumps have helped historians find out more about daily life in the mid-1800s. Once you're done, click on the image on the right to head to the activity pack and continue your investigation!

 

Mud, glorious mud

Mud, Glorious Mud! - By Prof Brian Reid

This activity sheet has been put together by soil scientist Professor Brian Reid, to go with his lecture 'Mud, Glorious Mud!' from December 2018.

You can watch Brian's lecture in the video below before downloading this activity pack, to help prepare you for exploring just how important the earth beneath our feet truly is! Are you ready to become a soil scientist? Click on the image to the left to find out.