Free summer holiday dinosaur fun

Ploddy, Norwich Cathedral's dinosaur puppet, has a whole summer of prehistoric fun planned for children visiting Norwich Cathedral! Ploddy's Prehistoric Adventures kick off on Norfolk Day - Monday July 27 - when we launch the first of a series of free children's trails through the Cathedral, enjoy a Prehistoric Picnic in the Cloisters, and open our a dinosaur-themed competition for young artists.

Ploddy will also be joined in the Hostry by a very special dinosaur friend - one of the GoGoDiscover T.rex sculptures that at some point in the future will form a trail around the city to raise funds for children's charity Break.

Norfolk Day Prehistoric Picnic

A roarsome Norfolk Day Prehistoric Picnic in the Cloisters will take place from 12pm to 3pm on Monday July 27 and everyone is invited to come dressed in their best dinosaur-themed attire. Picnickers may also be joined by some surprise dinosaur guests!

Ploddy's Prehistoric Adventures Trails

The first of the Ploddy's Prehistoric Adventures Trails will also launch on Monday July 27 and will help children learn about the different types of dinosaurs that once roamed the earth.

Children will be able to enjoy spotting dinosaurs hidden around the Cathedral and have fun doing a dinosaur quiz - and every child who completes the trail will be rewarded with a prize from the Cathedral shop!

There will be a new trail to follow every Monday during the summer holidays and more details about the rest of the trails will be revealed soon.

Families will be able to follow the trails when the Cathedral is open to general visitors - Sunday 1pm-3pm, Monday to Friday 10am-4pm, and Saturday 10am-3pm.

Ploddy's Prehistoric Art Competition

Children are also being invited to take part in a special dinosaur-themed art competition which will see the work of as many young artists as possible displayed in the Cathedral’s Hostry.

Dinosaurs in the Cathedral is the theme of the children's art competition and as many entries as possible will be displayed in the Hostry throughout the summer.

There are three age categories:

Under fives can have fun colouring in a specially created drawing of Ploddy in the Cathedral’s cloisters

Under eights are being asked to use their imaginations to design their own dinosaurs.

Under 12s are being challenged to be as creative as possible with the Dinosaurs in the Cathedral theme and can send in everything from paintings to drawings to collages.

As well as being displayed in the exhibition, the winning entry for each of the three categories will be published in the EDP and Evening News and the winners will also receive some surprise prehistoric prizes.

Children can send in their artwork for display in the Hostry throughout the summer to be displayed in the exhibition which will open in early August.

The deadline to take part in the competition is Wednesday August 26 2020.

Entries, which must have the child’s name and age written on the back along with a parent or guardian’s name, contact number and email address, should be sent to Dinosaur Art Competition, Norwich Cathedral, The Chapter Office, 65 The Close, Norwich, NR1 4DH.

Entries can also be submitted at the Hostry exhibition space.

The Cathedral's summer of dinosaur fun for children is part of the countdown to the Natural History Museum's Dippy on Tour exhibition arriving at the Cathedral in 2021.

Dippy had been scheduled to be on display in the Cathedral in Summer 2020 but due to the coronavirus pandemic the tour has been delayed and he will now be on display from 11 January 2021 until 20 March 2021.

Dippy on Tour: A Natural History Adventure is being brought to Norwich Cathedral and visitors across the UK by the Natural History Museum in partnership with the Garfield Weston Foundation, and supported by Dell EMC and Williams & Hill.

For Dippy’s 2021 visit, the summer 2020 programme of dinosaur activities, and all general visits to the Cathedral, safety is the number one priority.

The Dean of Norwich said: “At this challenging time for everyone, health and safety continues to be paramount and is the single most important factor in our planning for all events at Norwich Cathedral.

Great care is being taken by the whole Cathedral team to ensure that people can enjoy their visits to Norwich Cathedral in the safest possible way.

We have been awarded Visit Britain’s We’re Good to Go industry standard and consumer mark as recognition that the Cathedral is following Government and public health guidance with regard Covid-19 and has taken all the necessary steps to help ensure people’s safety."