Our interactive science shows bring learning to life with fun and interactive demonstrations that will excite and inspire audiences of all ages.
Suitable for all ages.
Witness some of science's greatest hits as we delve into the WhoWhatWhereWhenWhy of STEM in this fun, interactive show with plenty of volunteering opportunities. Together, we will explore scientific discoveries that have shaped the world around us and learn about the people who made them. Through a series of demonstrations, we delve into inventions like the wheel, gyroscopes and wings and explain the science of spinning, air pressure and probability. Audience participation is a must as we put established STEM concepts to the test.
Suitable for key stage 1 and key stage 2
It’s ‘all systems go’ in your school with this new show from W5. If you thought that spaceports are only found in sci-fi movies or that launching telescopes the size of tennis courts into space was impossible, keep an eye on the sky and find out how space could become the holiday destination of the future.
Suitable for key stage 2
W5 is proud to present 'Our World From Space,' an interactive show designed to inspire and captivate Key Stage 2 pupils, fostering curiosity about our role in space. The program aims to empower a society that recognises the importance of space science in everyday life and our planet's sustainable future. W5 can visit your school and delve into fascinating topics of sustainability and space exploration. Witness Belfast from space, explore temperature investigations with infrared cameras, and collaboratively discover the wonders of the world around us.
Suitable for key stage 1 and key stage 2 (Key Stage 3 version also available upon request)
In this new outreach show, we talk about how electroreceptive sharks, star-nosed moles and eels with a gulping gape, have mastered the art of finding food; while other animals deftly dodge death by playing possum, morphing into their surroundings or making a slimy escape. Join us as we examine how animals survive life in the wild and learn some of the astounding ways they manage to find – or avoid becoming – the next meal! In this interactive show, you choose which animal you want to see and we delve into how they have adapted to life under pretty extreme conditions, with lots of fun – often-silly – science demos and opportunities for the audience to get involved.
If you’re looking for an engaging group activity, one of our K’nex group challenges could be just the ticket. Our K’nex challenges can be highly competitive and lots of fun but they also promote team working, problem solving and communication skills. K’nex group challenges are 50 minutes and can accommodate up to 60 children per session although it does work best with fewer children per session. Group challenges are suitable for key stage 2.
Watch as pupils reach new heights in this tall task! Pupils experiment with making 2D and 3D shapes and learn about which shapes work best when building strong structures. Pupils will then work in groups to each build a model of a skyscraper tower. The towers will be put to the test at the end of the challenge to see if they can survive a nail-biting, simulated earthquake!
Suitable for KS2 and KS3 only.
Get ready for a fan-tastic engineering adventure in W5! In this hands-on workshop, pupils unleash their creativity and problem-solving skills as they explore forces, motion, and aerodynamics. They’ll experiment with 2D and 3D structures, then put their engineering knowledge to the test by designing and building wind-powered cars.
Working in teams, they’ll craft and mount their own paper sails before racing their creations in an exciting series of wind-powered heats! Who will harness the wind best and go the farthest?
A thrilling mix of STEM learning, teamwork, and competition—perfect for inspiring the engineers of tomorrow!
In this riveting challenge filled with suspense, we put our trust in pupils to build their very own bridges! Pupils experiment with making 2D and 3D shapes and learn about which shapes work best at absorbing heavy loads. Pupils will then work in groups to build a bridge that spans a certain distance. In a tense but thrilling finale, the strength of each bridge is then put to the test by hanging an increasing amount of weight off the structure to see how much it can hold before it collapses!
50 minute workshop
How did the Egyptians build the pyramids? Who was Archimedes? In this fun, fast-paced building workshop, pupils will be encouraged to consider what defines a machine and through the examples of Archimedes’ six simple machines, how they allow us to overcome some real-life problems. This will include demos that look at transformation of energy and the use of machines to multiple effort. Pupils then work in groups to design and build their very own machine out of K’nex, with the ultimate goal of using their creation to transport or propel an object across a predetermined space. The workshop will culminate in a race to the finish, to complete their very own Rube Goldberg-style machine
90 minute workshop
Catastrophe! A city is plunged into darkness in the aftermath of an environmental disaster! Under a state of emergency, can Spike Prime deliver the power needed to meet the demand in time? In this workshop, pupils will learn about how we rely on energy to live and the importance of moving away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy resources.
Pupils will be introduced to the Lego Robot Spike Prime and – with some initial guidance – discover it’s impressive functionality, enabled through coding. Pupils will first learn how to set up and calibrate their robots and then how to provide coding instructions for movement. The workshop culminates with a timed group task, where two working groups – each with their own programmed robot – must work together to move four ‘energy packets’ from a starting position, across a gaming mat, to predefined target areas in under two minutes.
Due to the relative difficulty of this workshop, it is recommended for years 6 and 7 only.
50 minute workshop
Why do we breathe? Where does your food go? Which bones are the largest and smallest? In this hearty workshop, pupils leave no organ unturned in our pin-the-tail type anatomy game, find out whether their skeleton know-how stands up to scrutiny and carry out investigations to discover more about their heart and sense of balance. Pumped full of fun facts, anatomical activities and puzzles, they’ll leave with a body of knowledge
90 minute challenge
In this engaging and thought-provoking workshop, pupils are introduced to the concept of climate change with an interactive discussion that looks at how the climate crisis is affecting our environment (e.g. global temperature rises and extreme weather events, glacial retreat, biodiversity loss, ocean acidification and changes to ocean circulation) and the importance of protecting it.
With the aim of increasing awareness, pupils will then apply aspects of engineering and design process, to develop ideas – with accompanying illustrations – for a videogame, themed around climate-change. Pupils will assemble an environmentally friendly videogame controller using paper, pencils and Makey-Makey kits and finally test them by playing one of several pre-coded climate-change themed videogames currently available in Scratch. We suggest paired or small group work for this event.
90 minute challenge
When is shaky science reliable? When preparing for an imminent earthquake! This engineering challenge is an extended version of our 50-minute workshop Teetering Towers. Pupils will work in groups to design and create earthquake-resistant building structures out of K’nex. These structures will be tested in a nail-biting, simulated earthquake. Pupils will then use BBC micro:bits to create an earthquake-alert system, by working through some simple coding activities in Make Code with guidance from demonstrators. Please note that for this task, pupils will need access to one device per group. We suggest paired or small group work for this event.
90 minute challenge
Have a whirl in this electrifying workshop, where pupils learn about renewable-energy technologies in the production of electricity. Pupils learn about energy consumption, electricity distribution networks and renewable technologies and their use; fan-tastic activities include making a pinwheel, creating their own electrical circuits and constructing wind-turbine generators! Pupils do not need access to a device for this challenge.
Workshops and engineering challenges can take place in a hall or a classroom. Pupils will need tables, chairs, and access to a device - usually one per pair or small group. Some activities may also require space for building and testing, so please consider this when using a classroom.
Are you running a family fun day, an event for the public or an exhibition? W5 can provide a pop-up science stand where we continuously demonstrate some of our favourite science tricks and visitors can come and go as they please! This is a great option if you’re not looking for shows at set times. Just get in touch for more details.
Get in touch with our Learning and Engagement team to book an outreach visit.