Young Explorers

Early Years and Years 1-2

This free-flow workshop allows children to explore a range of activities at their own pace. Activities include developing early computing skills with our ‘BeeBots’, building bridges for the Billy Goats Gruff, and playing with our sensory bottles. Each activity supports the development of specific scientific skills such as sorting, testing, grouping and observing while allowing children to make choices and spend time investigating what interests them.

Water Explorers (April to October only)

Early Years and Years 1-2

Discover the wonderful world of water in a workshop that includes a carousel of creative activities and investigations. Children will be able to use our outdoor Water Lab exhibit to create dams, change the flow of water and turn waterwheels. They can build boats, investigate objects that sink and float, and use equipment to measure and move quantities of liquids.

Topple, Bump and Roll

Years 2-6

This workshop is designed to develop children’s creative and problem solving skills as they apply their understanding of forces to a Design and Technology challenge. Children will work in pairs to build and test their own chain reaction (or Rube Goldberg Machine) using simple materials. Teachers may video their results as evidence of what they have achieved, and as inspiration for back in the classroom or at home.

Circuit Detectives

Years 3-4

This workshop is designed to consolidate children’s understanding of electrical concepts, as they work like electricians to identify different faults in a set of circuits and apply their problem solving skills to fix them. The children will work in pairs in a way that suits them and will record their findings as they progress through the challenges.

Changing Materials

Years 3-5

This workshop is designed to develop children’s understanding of states of matter and changes of state, alongside their ability to make careful observations and use them to answer questions and consider ideas. They will learn how to use simple equipment to safely heat different materials with a small flame and will manage their own experiments and focused recording.

Puzzle Challenge

Years 3-6

This workshop provides children with a series of intriguing maths games and puzzles which will challenge them to think logically and experiment with numbers, patterns, shapes and angles. Children will be able to access the challenges at their own level and in a free-flow format. All of the activities can be replicated back at school so that children can investigate the ideas further.

Think the Link

Years 3–6
In this workshop, children will be challenged to spot patterns and similarities between a variety of rocks and materials, and to design a recipe for the ‘best’ snow. This session uses innovative ways to enable children to discuss, observe and think carefully about a range of curriculum-linked science topics, and will provide teachers with new techniques to use across the primary science curriculum.

Pond Dipping Workshops

Years 3–4; Years 5–6
For more information on our pond dipping workshops for different age groups, see the outdoors section for full details.

Data Logger Discovery

Years 5-6

This workshop is designed to enable children to design and complete an investigation, linked to light, using a data logger. Children will work in pairs and use data loggers to record their findings and interpret their results. For schools with no data loggers, there is an opportunity to borrow data loggers post-visit, as part of our kit loan programme.

Exploring Evolution

Years 5-6

This workshop is designed to develop children’s understanding of variation, natural selection (‘survival of the fittest’) and the evolution of populations over time. Different interactive games and simulations will allow children to deepen their understanding of these key ideas and how they relate to each other.