The Great Fire of London

Step into London, 1666 – and watch a city change forever

The Great Fire of London – For Kids is an iPad app that tells the story of the fire through immersive scenes, simple explanations, and powerful visuals that help children understand what happened, why it happened, and how London was rebuilt.

Perfect for KS1 & KS2 history, classroom use, and home learning.

Download app on the appstore
The great fire of london resources school
The great fire of london resources school

What children will discover

  • 🌆 London before the fire
    Explore the crowded wooden streets, houses, and markets of 1666.
  • 🔥 How the fire started
    Step inside Pudding Lane, follow the spark, and see how quickly the fire spread.
  • 💨 Why the fire spread so fast
    Wind, wooden houses, narrow streets – clear visual explanations children can understand.
  • 🚒 Fighting the fire
    Buckets, fire-hooks, gunpowder – discover the tools and tactics used to stop the blaze.
  • 🧱 Rebuilding London
    Understand how the fire changed building rules, streets, churches, and everyday life.
  • 🧠 Key facts made simple
    Short, child-friendly text on every screen, ideal for independent reading or whole-class teaching.

Key features of the app

  • Beautiful, story-like scenes to project on an interactive whiteboard or use on iPads
  • Simple language suitable for KS1 and lower KS2
  • Clear, chronological timeline of events from 2 to 6 September 1666
  • Ideal support for topics like “The Great Fire of London”, “London through time”, or “Significant events beyond living memory”
  • No ads, no in-app purchases, no data collection – a safe, premium learning tool

For teachers: built for the KS1 & KS2 classroom

Use the app to:

  • Introduce the topic with high-impact visuals on a big screen
  • Support guided reading, discussion, and writing tasks
  • Reinforce key concepts: cause & consequence, change over time, historical evidence
  • Differentiate: some pupils explore independently, others work with the teacher on key scenes

Supports:

  • KS1 History – Events beyond living memory that are significant nationally
  • KS2 History – Local history study, changes in an aspect of social history

Free lesson plan bundle (included with the app)

With every download of The Great Fire of London – For Kids, teachers receive a complimentary lesson pack to save hours of preparation time.

Included in the free bundle:

  • 📘 Complete lesson plans (PDF)
    3–5 ready-to-teach lessons with clear objectives, warm-ups, main activities and plenaries.
  • ✏️ Printable pupil activities
    • Sequencing & timeline cards
    • Comprehension questions
    • Writing frames (diary entry, eyewitness account, newspaper report)
    • Spot-the-cause & consequence activity
  • 🎭 Speaking & drama ideas
    Short role-plays and hot-seating prompts (baker, mayor, child in 1666, builder rebuilding London).
  • 🧩 Assessment & vocabulary sheets
    Key vocabulary lists and simple checklists to track understanding.
👉 Download the free lesson pack here


Use the app + pack together for a complete mini-scheme of work around the Great Fire of London.

Ideal as a quick visual reminder for the whole class.

50% off for schools via Apple School Manager

For schools using Apple School Manager / Apps & Books:

  • The app is available with a 50% discount when purchasing 20+ licences.
  • Perfect for class sets, year group roll-out, or multi-class usage.

This makes The Great Fire of London – For Kids an affordable, premium resource for:

  • Primary schools
  • Multi-academy trusts
  • International schools teaching the British curriculum