Make & colour · Kids’ activities

Take the Roman fort explorer challenge

A printable looking, drawing and questioning sheet to use at a fort or with a site plan at home.

Ages 6+ with an adult · 20-40 minutes

Print your activity

Download the A4 PDF (1 page)

Free for home and classroom use. Print single-sided in black and white. Use A4 paper.

Take the Roman fort explorer challenge printable preview
A4 activity preview.

You will need

The A4 explorer sheet, a pencil and a clipboard or book to lean on. Use a fort plan or photographs if you are at home.

Get started

  1. Choose your fort

    Use the sheet at a Roman fort with an adult, or open a site plan and photographs at home. Add the site name and date.

  2. Look for clues

    Look for an entrance, a tower, a road and a building outline. Tick what you find. Write “not seen” when you cannot identify something.

  3. Draw one detail

    Choose a feature and sketch it in the box. Label something you can actually see, then write a question about it.

  4. Compare and ask

    Share your drawing. What is evidence, and what is your idea? Use a site guide or display to investigate your question.

Look a little closer

You do not need to find every feature. Remains differ from site to site. On a visit, stay with your adult, use marked paths and leave stones and objects where they are.

Explore more

English Heritage: Housesteads site plan

Start with Housesteads

Romans in Britain · Learning resources