Posts Tagged "science museum"

20 Apr
2012

Five London Museum and Attraction Sleepovers

Posted by Hannah in Attractions, Kids 2 Comments

If you’ve ever wondered what happens after dark in London’s museums and attractions, here’s your chance to find out. Family sleepovers are on the increase, and you can now spend the night at many of London’s top attractions. Kids must be accompanied by an adult at most sleepovers, so grown-ups can join in the fun too!

Natural History Museum

Discover what goes on at the Natural History Museum after staff and visitors have gone home. Monthly Dino Snores sleepovers for kids aged eight to 11 include a torch-lit trail through the famous Dinosaurs gallery, a live show about creatures that bite and sting, a fossil workshop, and a chance to sleep under a diplodocus skeleton. The fun continues in the morning with breakfast and a session with Animal Man Nick Spellman.

Science Museum

Fancy spending the night among the Science Museum’s exciting models, machines and exhibits? Once a month, the museum holds Science Nights for children aged eight to 11, with hands-on workshops and a 3D film screening in the impressive IMAX cinema. At the end of the evening you’ll snuggle down for a night in the museum, before enjoying a tasty breakfast in the morning.

ZSL London Zoo

Don’t be surprised if you hear rustling in the night at ZSL London Zoo’s BedBUGS sleepover. Kids aged eight to 11 are invited to spend the night in BUGS! with the spiders, beetles and tamarins. (Don’t worry, they are all safely behind glass!) Activities include animal talks, games, storytelling and a torch-lit tour around the zoo, where you can find out what animals get up to during the night.

Golden Hinde

Experience life as a member of Sir Francis Drake’s crew on the Golden Hinde’s Family Overnight Living History Tour for kids aged six to 11. On arrival you’ll be dressed in Tudor costumes as an officer, barber surgeon or gunner. After an evening of activities and a Tudor dinner, you’ll spend the night among the cannons on the gun deck. Continental breakfast in the morning signals your return to the 21st century.

Chelsea Football Club

Perfect for young football fans, Chelsea FC sleepovers offer the chance to stay overnight at Stamford Bridge. Kids aged five to 10 can take part in an evening of fun-filled activities including a game of five-a-side football, a look around the home dressing room and a walk through the players’ tunnel. Plus they’ll get to meet Chelsea mascot Stamford the Lion before settling down for a night in the Chelsea FC Museum.

2 Dec
2011

London Video of the Week: Robotville at the Science Museum

Posted by Zoe Craig in Attractions No Comments

Wow. Robotville at the Science Museum this weekend looks fantastic!

Their Robotville Festival is being attended by more than 20 robots from across Europe and the UK. We hope they’re all nice and friendly towards each other! The festival celebrates European robotics culture and advances in robotics design and technology.

Robotville is a free event, open until Sunday 4 December. Visit www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/robotville to find out more.

22 Jul
2011

Summer Holiday Activities for Kids in London

Posted by Hannah in Attractions, Kids No Comments

How will you entertain your kids in London over the school summer holidays? Luckily, London’s attractions are on hand to help with a host of fun activities…

The Science Museum is inviting families to spend their summer in space. Pick up a passport and make your way through the Solar System. Gaze at satellites, explore the Apollo 10 Command Module and see a telescope made from baked bean cans. There are lots of out-of-this world activities too.

Madame Tussauds is declaring a Marvel-ous summer in celebration of new film Captain America: The First Avenger. You can have your photo taken with the “star” of the movie, check out some authentic props, and step behind the superhero’s indestructible shield. Plus, the first 20 kids dressed as a superhero get in free on Mondays between 25 July and 22 August!

Ahoy there! The National Maritime Museum has a seaside theme this summer, with loads of events exploring what the sea means to young visitors. You can find out how people have interacted with the sea through the ages, have a go in a specially designed play area, and take part in hands-on nautical workshops.

Crafty kids can make everything from Japanese slippers to butterfly mobiles, koi-shaped biscuits and garden gnomes at the Geffrye Museum this summer. The brilliant creative workshops are themed around English and Japanese homes and gardens, to coincide with the current At Home in Japan exhibition.

When the sun comes out, head to the beach! There’s a 70m urban beach outside London’s Southbank Centre over the summer as part of the Festival of Britain celebrations. You’ll also find a row of colourful beach huts containing art exhibitions and installations, a pop-up Indian eatery, Dishoom Chowpatty Beach, and some great free events.

Have you spotted any other fun summer holiday events in London? Let us know in the comments below.

27 Jun
2011

Stitched Science at the Science Museum

Posted by Lettice in Attractions No Comments

London’s Science Museum was full of woolly monsters at the weekend as Stitch London took up residence to explore science through craft.

Stitched Science included an exhibition of scientific objects made by knitting, crochet and sewing, from embroidered cells to a rather charming knitted Professor Brian Cox. The highlight was the incredibly beautiful Orion Nebula pictured above, which was knitted by Lisa Bentman.

Craft workshops took place under a large knitted solar system. The workshops included pompom planets, knitting Mars monsters, recycling plastic bags into yarn and cross stitch classes. In case you’re wondering how scientific this actually was, I joined the Knit a Neuron workshop and while we knitted, PhD students explained enthusiastically how neurons work and their role in the brain. The Woolly Thoughts workshop explored maths and the science behind altered perspectives.

If you’re sad you missed the opportunity to make a Martian at Stitched Science this weekend, the Science Museum will be holding a Real-Life Gaming Festival at the end of September where you can enjoy being chased round the museum by aliens and rope other visitors into playing games you’ve invented.

www.sciencemuseum.org.uk Free entry. Real-Life Gaming Festival 28 September – 2 October 2011.

13 Aug
2010

Summer Holiday Ideas for Families in London

Posted by Angie Greaves in London 2 Comments

I’m in the process of getting not my but my daughters’ social diaries up to scratch for the “wonderful” six to seven week school summer holiday.

So far, we’ve done a little swimming and are going to see both Shrek 4 and Toy Story 3. My daughters are assisting me in my training for the Palace to Palace bike ride even though that isn’t until 26 September.

I’ve always loved London for the parks and theatres but not everyone wants to venture into the City for entertainment, so after appealing on air to my Magic 105.4 listeners for a number for suggestions, the following came through:

Science Museum: “A fantastic free day out for children of all ages – so much to do and it’s educational!” Pete, Kingston
In the Night Garden at The 02: “It looks fantastic so I’ve booked tickets to take my two year old. A real holiday treat for fans of Igglepiggle or Upsy Daisy”. Anna, Walthamstow
Westfield London: “Lots of activities for kids over the summer – we’ll be going to the face painting and storytelling. And a cinema, loads of restaurants and a chance to do some shopping”. Zoe, Cricklewood.
London Zoo: “You really can’t go wrong with a day out at the zoo. It’s the perfect outing for my five and eight year olds who love seeing all the different animals. There are also loads of daily activities – penguin feeding time is a big hit”. Nicola, Clapham
Ceramics Cafés: “There are many in and around the outskirts of London where you can paint your own pots, plaits and cups”. Sam, Hackney.

I’ll definitely be updating the list as the weeks of the holiday go by, so do remember to check in regularly with www.magic.co.uk

25 Jun
2010

Science Museum: London Cab Drivers and The Knowledge

Posted by Science Museum in Attractions No Comments

On the eve of the new Who Am I? galleries opening at the Science Museum, Jenny Wong, Content Developer of the gallery, explores how London cab drivers learn The Knowledge.

“Everyone recognises the black cab as a London icon, but have you ever wondered what makes London cabbies different from the rest of us?

Science Museum staff caught up with seasoned cab driver Al Fresco and a novice taxi driver in action for the Who Am I? gallery to bring the story of London taxi drivers’ brains to life.

In order to become a cabbie, you have to remember “the Knowledge” – 320 routes and all notable landmarks in the six-mile radius around Charing Cross Station. After achieving this feat of memory and surviving a gruelling face-to-exam at the Public Carriage Office, wannabe cab drivers gain their licence to start taking fares.

So what does this process do to you? Scientist Eleanor Maguire scanned London taxi drivers brains to find out. Using a technique known as MRI scanning, she investigated an area of the brain called the hippocampus which supports spatial navigation and memory. The back of this small, seahorse shaped area of the brain was bigger as a result of the learning each taxi driver had been through.

Something to think about next time you’re in the back of a black cab…”

The new Who Am I? gallery is open from 26 June 2010. Visit www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/whoami for more information

24 Jun
2010

Who Am I? Gallery Launches at the Science Museum

Posted by Hannah in Attractions No Comments

Who am I? What makes me unique? A new gallery at the Science Museum addresses these questions and more, with exhibits ranging from a cat with seven toes, to a chimpanzee’s brain, and models of the average UK man and woman.

I took a look around the Science Museum’s new Who Am I? gallery this morning and it was fascinating stuff.

I learnt how DNA profiling has allowed people track their ancestry with surprising results; how the latest scientific techniques can help repair people’s bodies; and that the human brain might be the most complex structure in the known universe!

The new gallery also looks at sleeping and dreaming, memory, intelligence, phobias, gender identity and ageing.

And on 30 June, there’s a chance to visit the Science Museum after hours, at a free evening event entitled The Science of You, where you can listen to expert speakers, dance to a silent disco, and play with hands-on exhibits normally reserved for kids.

Who Am I? opens at the Science Museum on 26 June 2010. Entry is free

10 Jun
2010

Photo of the Week: Science Museum Model of the Thames Barrier

Posted by Lettice in Attractions No Comments

The Science Museum have decided to share the secrets of their collections online. This amazing little working model of the Thames Barrier is so cool!

You can find out more about the history of science and the objects the Science Museum has collected on their blog, Stories From The Stores.

Are you documenting London online? Share your photos with the Visit London Flickr pool and leave a comment to tell us about your project! (You don’t have to be a major museum, just a person with a passion!)

30 May
2010

Climate Science Gallery to Open at Science Museum in November

Posted by Hannah in Attractions No Comments

The Science Museum has announced it will open a new climate science gallery in November. Atmosphere: exploring climate science will feature hands-on exhibits and displays explaining how the climate system works.

The gallery is one of many exciting new developments at the Science Museum this year. Look out for the museum’s new Who Am I? gallery, due to open later this month.

11 Mar
2010

National Science and Engineering Week 2010 in London

Posted by Lettice in Attractions, Special Events No Comments

Calling all boffins! National Science and Engineering Week starts tomorrow. The week includes all sorts of cool science events for adults, children, students, engineers and scientists in London.

Here are a few of our top picks:

1. Striking Your Own Chord: Journeys into Musical Plagiarism
Why do people plagiarise music? George Harrison was once found guilty of “unconscious plagiarism” in a law suit which cost him a million dollars. In this free lecture for adults, neuroscientists and musicologists explain why plagiarism is pretty likely to happen and give you the chance to try out karaoke pods to find out how unique your music writing skills are.
7-9pm, 17 March at the Science Museum. Free

2. Subterranean Tours
Paying £5 to crawl down an abandoned tunnel might not be your idea of fun, but it will be worth it when you get to the other end and find yourself in the former Grand Entrance Hall of the Brunel Museum. This subterranean amphitheatre has been inaccessible for 140 years and is now open for you to explore.
Afternoons 13-21 March, don’t wear your favourite trousers.

3. Behind the Scenes Tour – Kew’s Herbarium, Library, Art and Archives
This is a real treat – take a sneaky peak at the secrets of The Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew! Kew have collected 7 million herbarium specimens and 200,000 artworks during their 250 years and the collections are usually only available to view by horticulturalists and historians. Tours are free but you need to book in advance.
16 March www.kew.org

4. Geek C’est Chic: Fashion in Science and Science in Fashion
Forget leggings, jeggings and treggings, the hottest garment you could possibly be seen in during National Science and Engineering Week is your lab coat. At Geek C’est Chic, London fashion designers will be redesigning the lab coat for the modern scientist. This simple protective garment will be transformed, not just in fashion terms, but using the latest nanotechnology and “smart” materials.
7.30pm on the 19 March at the Bethnal Green Men’s Working Club. Free.

5. Geek Pop presents … The Science Sessions
One of the best nerdy parties in London, the Geek Pop science night promises science songs from Helen Arney, Spirit of Play singing about quantum physics, and rock god Dr Stu and the Neutron Stars.
7.30pm on 18 March at The Miller. Tickets just £2 from www.geekpop.co.uk

National Science and Engineering Week runs from 12 to 21 March 2010. Find out more information about the events mentioned and check out everything else going on in London at www.britishscienceassociation.org