No pedalling, no party! That’s the mantra being repeated at The Science and Industry Museum in Manchester this October Half Term with the launch of a People Powered Party that relies on the enthusiasm and energy of cyclists to get the music pumping and lights flashing.
As part of over 30 activities, workshops and shows announced to take place over the two-week school break, families will power their own disco to explore the key principles of eating, energy and exercise.
Six dynamo bikes, suitable for kids, parents and carers of all ages to saddle up on and get spinning, provide the spark that starts the party as the Museum’s centrepiece activity brings nutrition and good health to the fore. As well as the electrifying bikes and disco dancing, the People Powered Party (Wednesday 23 October – Wednesday 30 October) also includes nutrition-based guessing games, trampette energy-burn competitions and healthy plate-building activities to inform and inspire.
Winners of the 2019 Josh Award, presented for the most outstanding, innovative communicators of ideas in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), juggling duo, Ben and Fred a.k.a. Frederike Gerstner and Ben Nicholson also visit during the holidays. A completely FREE, drop-in performance, The Juggling Of Science (Sunday 27 October – Thursday 31 October, 13.00) sees the pair use their ball skills to explain how atomic particles, covalent bonds and even hydrogen fuel cells work, while making young and old giggle and watch in wonder as science is unravelled before their eyes.
While a portion of the museum is under wraps with multi-million-pound renovation works taking place around the much-loved Power Hall, there is still plenty on offer across the rest of the site with activities spanning all age ranges.
For children aged 8+, more technical workshops include getting under the skin of artist, Olafur Eliasson’s revolutionary, solar-powered Sun Lamp (Monday 28 October – Sunday 3 November) which aims to stir and enhance technical knowledge. Under-5s are invited to daily Mini Movers activities (11.00 and 14.30), where energy and the human body are explained in fun and friendly ways.
The Museum’s current major exhibition, The Sun (until Sunday 5 January 2020), looks at Earth’s nearest star in detail, encompassing the earliest efforts by humans to record its trajectory and distance and revealing how scientists and designers have both attempted to repel and harness its power. From an archive of sunglasses (which you can try on for size) to some of the earliest, Victorian examples of solar-powered devices, there are unexpected perspectives on the life-giving ball of fire in the sky. Play on the indoor beach, immerse yourself in a solar storm, and refract light together. Kids go free.
Sally Macdonald, Director at The Science and Industry Museum said: “in a year that marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the original North Western Museum of Science and Industry on Grosvenor Street, we can’t wait to welcome young visitors and their grown-ups to this half-term full of discovery and play. As we embark on a multi-million pound restoration and transformation of the Power Hall and other spaces at the Museum to inspire future generations, our ongoing programme of special events, experiences and exhibitions will continue to provide wonder. From our major exhibition The Sun to Science Showdowns, juggling like you have never seen before, dynamo-bikes, engineering activities and the chance to meet and experiment with real-life scientists working on the discoveries that are about to change our lives, there’s something different to do every day this school holiday
The full range of events for children, young people and families at The Science and Industry Museum during Half Term can be explored at https://www.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk with booking details provided where applicable
