Building Cultural Capital 

 

At Dovecotes Primary School our aim is to ensure that, by the time our pupils leave us in Year 6, we have equipped them with a range of skills and essential knowledge to be successful in life. This is known as cultural capital. 

 

Cultural capital accumulates over time through many different experiences and opportunities, for example being able to perform well in school, knowing how to talk in different social groups, accessibility to higher education and being successful in work or a career. 

 

We have created a list of 120 things to do before our Dovecotes’ pupils leave us which will build cultural capital by enriching their knowledge and understanding.  

 

120 Things to do before you leave Dovecotes Primary School 

 

Early Years 

1. Make a den 

2. Use nature to create an art masterpiece 

3. Dress up as someone else 

4. Go on a treasure hunt 

5. Splash in puddles and get wet in the rain 

6. Make a tree rubbing 

7. Balance along stepping stones 

8. Spot pictures in the clouds 

9. Play in an adventure playground 

10. Visit a farm and feed a duck 

11. Take part in an obstacle course 

12. Wear a crown 

13. Do a barefoot outdoor walk 

14. Learn a song by heart 

15. Make potions using natural materials 

16. Handle creepy crawlies 

17. Observe the lifecycle of a butterfly 

18. Have a paddling pool party 

19. Try food from different cultures 

20. Learn how to cross the road 

21. Have a teddy bears’ picnic 

22. Learn 10 Nursery rhymes 

23. Make an instrument 

24. Take part in an Easter Bonnet Parade 

25. Make a mud pie 

26. Flip a pancake 

27. Visit Father Christmas in his grotto 

28. Catch a snowflake on my tongue and make a snow angel 

29. Visit an elderly people’s home 

30. Watch a chick hatch 

 

Key Stage 1 

1. Perform in a school play 

2. Take part in a fundraising activity 

3. Pond dip and find a creature 

4. Take part in a blindfold trail 

5. Complete an adventure rope course 

6. Eat a roast dinner 

7. Pet a small animal 

8. Plant a seed and watch it grow 

9. Stay away from my family overnight 

10. Visit a fire station 

11. Climb a tree 

12. Make a daisy chain and give it as a friendship bracelet 

13. Star gaze 

14. Experience a 4D cinema 

15. Observe a sea creature and sketch it 

16. Visit a library 

17. Watch a shark swim over my head. 

18. Hold a starfish 

19. Go on an insect hunt 

20. Say hello in a foreign language 

21. Make and float a boat 

22. Recite a poem 

23. Make a healthy sandwich 

24. Listen to classical music 

25. Watch a pantomime 

26. Build a bug hotel 

27. Take part in a canal walk 

28. Visit a city centre 

29. Hold a baby chick 

30. Go to a disco 

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Lower Key Stage 2 

1. Take part in an unusual sport 

2. Go on public transport 

3. Lead on a charity event 

4. Stay away from my family for a mini holiday 

5. Splash around in a swimming pool 

6. Train as a Junior Police Community Support Officer 

7. Perform in a school assembly 

8. Go orienteering in a forest and use a compass/map 

9. Mentor and teach someone else a new skill 

10. Experience a place of worship 

11. Learn to ride a bike 

12.  Take part in a debate 

13. Learn to play a stringed instrument 

14. Make an animated short film 

15. Bird watch 

16. Make paper 

17. Compose a piece of music 

18. Vote on issues relating to school 

19. Litter pick in the local community 

20. Learn sign language 

21. Plan and prepare a healthy meal 

22. Take part in a singing event as part of a choir 

23. Visit a planetarium 

24. Build a rocket at the Space Museum 

25. Take part in a drama workshop 

26. Eat marshmallows around a camp fire 

27. Visit an owl sanctuary 

28. Take part in a dance workshop 

29. Learn to play an African drum 

30. Play a board game 

 

Upper Key Stage 2 

1. Make and taste test chocolate 

2. Have a water fight 

3. Ride on a tram 

4. Visit a castle 

5. Take part in a careers morning 

6. Mentor a younger pupil 

7. ‘Cook’ a meal 

8. Skim a pebble 

9. Go crabbing 

10. Learn to swim 

11. Help to make a campfire 

12. Learn first aid and/or CPR 

13. Learn to sew 

14. Lead an assembly with a small group of others 

15. Paddle in the sea and jump a wave 

16. Create a sandcastle model 

17. Make bread 

18. Eat an ice cream without licking my lips 

19. Eat something you have grown 

20. Read to younger children 

21. Compete as part of a team in a sporting event 

22. Hold a leadership position in school 

23. Participate in a conversation in another language 

24. Experience an air raid 

25. Sit inside an RAF plane 

26. Ride on a Ferris Wheel 

27. Play games on a seaside pier 

28. Play archery 

29. Look after and care for a baby chick 

30. Shoot down a really big slide