Learn about traditional customs through discussion, demonstration, observation and creative exploration. Discover the tradition of butter making and how to make your own butter in this hands-on workshop.
Join museum educator Fiona Deacy as she discusses the origins of butter making in Ireland and explores the science, history, and cultural significance of dairy production. Students will get the chance to churn cream into butter using traditional methods and also gain insight into the processes our ancestors relied on.
Activity at a Glance
| Level | Primary - All Levels |
| Group Size | Classroom Size |
| Location | Courtyard Education Room at Turlough Park |
| Set Up | 30 Minutes: Introduction to the Museum and Exhibitions 40 Minutes: Churn and make butter as part of the workshop 10 Minutes: Discussion and conclusion |
| Availability | November – February, Dates upon request |
| Times | 10am to 11.20am |
| Booking | Booking required |
| Accessibility | Q&A |
Bookings and Information:
Please complete an online enquiry form and we will be in touch soon.
Alternatively, you can email the Bookings Office at BookingsCountryLife@museum.ie or telephone (094) 90 31751.
| Strand | Class Level | Learning Outcome | Workshop Activity / Discussion |
| STEM Education | |||
| Living things | Junior & Senior Infants | Explore, observe and discuss the cause and effect of changes to everyday materials | The students will learn where cream comes from and that it can be turned into butter |
| Living things | 1st & 2nd Classes | Identify and discuss the basic needs of humans to grow and thrive, including the importance of food for energy and growth | We will discuss the requirement of babies and the young of other mammals to drink milk as infants before eating solid food |
| Living things | 1st & 2nd Classes | Develop an awareness of how an animal grows and changes over its life cycle | We will discuss the life cycles of animals that are farmed for milk in Ireland |
| Living things | 3rd & 4th Classes | Classify groups of animals according to a range of criteria | We will be discussing the terms ‘mammals’, ‘herbivores’ and discussing domesticated (farm) animals vs wild animals |
| Living things | 5th & 6th Classes | Develop an understanding of the nutritional value of everyday foods and the importance of good nutrition on the human body | We will discuss what nutrients that can be sourced from milk |
| Materials | Junior & Senior Infants | Explore, observe and discuss the cause and effect of changes to everyday materials | The students will use a churn to make butter from cream |
| Materials | 1st & 2nd Classes | Distinguish between natural and synthetic materials. Discuss the main properties of these materials and investigate how the properties compare and contrast. Ask testable questions to determine and evaluate what materials are most suitable for different circumstances | We will look at the museum artifacts which were used for milking and buttermaking and discuss the materials they were made from |
| Materials | 3rd & 4th Classes | Classify materials according to their properties, state (solids, liquids and gases) | The students will change the milk from a liquid (cream) to a solid (butter) |
| Materials | 5th & 6th Classes | Explore and classify materials which are natural and manufactured | We will look at the museum artifacts which were used for milking and buttermaking and discuss the materials they were made from and the desirable properties of those materials |
| Social and Environmental Education | |||
| My locality | 3rd & 4th Classes | Identity and Heritage - History: Identify specific patterns of change or continuity in how different generations in the locality live and work. People and Places - Geography: Examine the common economic activities of people in the locality, such as food and farming, forestry, fishing, industry, services, tourism, recreation, etc., exploring how these have changed over time |
Discussing life on a farm in rural Ireland in the past, how food was produced both for the household and to sell for income and making comparisons with the present day |
| My locality | 5th & 6th Classes | Identity and Heritage - History: Identify and discuss the similarities and differences in the lives of people in their locality, both past and present | Discussing life on a farm in rural Ireland in the past and making comparisons with the present day |
| The island of Ireland | Junior & Senior Infants & 1st & 2nd Classes | Identity and Heritage: Listen and respond to stories, myths and legends |
The students will hear about traditional practices which people believed would protect the home and the farm |
| The island of Ireland | Junior & Senior Infants & 1st & 2nd Classes | Environment and Sustainable Living: Observe and record the influences weather conditions and seasonal changes have on people, animals and plants | The students will learn how farming activities through the year varied as the seasons changed |
| The island of Ireland | 3rd & 4th Classes | People and Places - History: Investigate the lifestyles of people from a particular period(s) of time in Ireland’s past exploring aspects such as food, clothing, communications, work, education, etc. |
Making butter was considered women’s work and selling the excess butter was an important source of income for a woman to run a household |
Learning Outcomes
- Identify the structure and the aims of the workshop and understand what we do at the Museum
- Discuss the Hearth & Home in general and all the tasks involved; identify the reasons why people made butter
- Hear the stories & folklore associated with butter making
- Learn how to make butter and receive appropriate guidance leading to a completed process
- See the characteristics of materials and how the cream changes to butter
- Get a chance to roll/ shape the butter
- Quick re-cap on the tradition and on the processes then review the content of the workshop
To keep up to date on our Schools Programming, why not sign up to our newsletter HERE