British Science Week – back with a bang!

With British Science Week (BSW) just around the corner, we’re excited to be engaging with so many schools and families. British Science Week is a ten-day national celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths that will take place between 11-20 March 2022. This year, the theme is ‘Growth’, which is apt as our BSW programme has ‘grown’ busier than ever!

Our outreach team is planning to visit schools all over Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire to perform our fun, interactive shows and hands-on workshops and our inflatable Planetarium ‘Out in Space’ show! We’ll certainly be busy, with 17 schools booked in, so hundreds of children will get to see a show or take part in a workshop over the week.

We’re also welcoming 5 local schools over the week to the Science Oxford Centre and Exploration Zone, theatre shows including Science Surprises and Light Fantastic, workshops and guided walks in our 15 acres of woodland. We’re also delighted that one children’s centre visit has been made possible by the support of the Edina Trust.

For our Education Outreach Officer, Ian, March may be the busiest month of the year but it’s also the most fun. He says “I love seeing how excited the children are when they see us setting up in their hall or classroom; they can’t wait for their turn!”. Alice, our STEM Projects Officer, adds “It’s great to see what other things schools have planned as well.  Some teachers are so creative!”.

To support those creative teachers, we’re loaning 20+ science, engineering and tech kits that can be used across British Science Week and beyond. Our kits are carefully designed to enhance the curriculum while providing hands-on experiences for the children using them. They can be used by a variety of age groups and we make sure to include plenty of extras, meaning that just one of our kits could be used by every child in a school! Popular this year are K’Nex, Marble Mazes, Bubbles and Slime! Which looks like a lot of fun….

We’re also keen to involve families in the British Science Week fun, with Family Days at the Science Oxford Centre every Saturday, as well as our popular Saturday clubs which take place every month. To celebrate the start of British Science Week, we’ll be running a special computing club on Saturday, ‘Grow Your Game‘ where young people age 9-12 and their families will create their own games, building and growing their virtual worlds.

For teachers and families who are short on time but keen to add some British Science Week magic for their children, check out our Science Oxford Resources. With intriguing discussion starters, fascinating hands-on activities and our favourite resources from around the web, there’s bound to be something you can use to engage, inspire and captivate. Our resources are completely free to use and are regularly updated, so do check back. There are also links to a range of activities for various ages with the British Science Association for the week.

If you’re looking for even more ideas, we think that rockets are always a big hit with everyone in spring-time! Check out our rocket-themed workshops for schools, or build your own spacecraft with NASA – and, did you know you can fly your name around the moon in a real rocket?

Whatever the inspiration, we’re sure your British Science Week will go off with a bang!

By Sophie Batin, Education Outreach Manager