Air pollution catcher workshop

20th September 2026

We're excited to share a brand new resource for schools: our air pollution catcher workshop - a fun, hands-on science experiment that lets pupils see air pollution for themselves.

Using simple materials (paper plates, a bit of Vaseline and some colouring pens), children design and hang their own "pollution catchers" around the school site.

A few weeks later, they collect them in - and the results can be pretty striking. Suddenly, air pollution isn't an abstract idea; it's something they can see with their own eyes, in their own playground.

It's a brilliant introduction to air pollution for Key Stage 1 or 2 pupils, whether run with a whole class or a smaller group like an Eco Council or travel ambassadors. Beyond the science, it opens up a bigger conversation: what's making the air dirty around our school, and what can we do about it? Pupils will leave with their own ideas for action - from designing flyers for parents and carers at the school gate to petitioning for a School Street.

Air pollution catcher made by a pupil at Granton Primary School, Lambeth

Download our free workshop

If you’d like to try it at your own school, you can download the full workshop - including instructions, discussion prompts and a worksheet - below. You’ll also find it on our Resources page with our school assemblies.

Get in touch if you’re in Lambeth or Southwark and you’d like our Schools Lead Anna to come and do a workshop or assembly at your school!

Anna running an air pollution catcher workshop at Bonneville Primary School, Lambeth