Air pollution catcher workshop

20th September 2026

We're excited to share a brand new resource for schools: the 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 or from our Resources page.

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