Families across Manchester are being invited to experience a world of wonder this winter holiday, as one of the city’s major cultural attractions celebrates the anniversary of a significant scientific tool.
The Science and Industry Museum is wishing the periodic table a happy 150th birthday by delivering a special programme of free family shows and workshops on everything from slime to the Sun. The events will run from Saturday 21 December to Sunday 5 January.
From aluminium to zirconium, the chemical elements are the building blocks of life, the universe and everything in it. The activities will help young people to discover more and aim to ignite their interest in science through a range of interactive events.
Families can create their own gloop, design a brand-new element to put on the museum’s version of the periodic table and find out how stars like the Sun rely on the chemical reactions taking place at their cores to keep shining.
Plus, families can soak up the rays whatever the weather outside with a visit to the museum’s major exhibition, The Sun (where kids go for free), experience thunderous working textile machines in our daily demonstrations of historic working machinery, discover how early computing took off right here in Manchester with the Manchester Baby and take a trip to the oldest surviving passenger railway station in the world.
Listings:
THE SUN
Until 29 March 2020
Discover the incredible story of the Sun in our blockbuster exhibition.
Feel the heat at the museum’s indoor beach, save the world from a solar storm and watch the sun rise over Antarctica as the science behind the Sun is brought to life.
From an ancient Scandinavian sun horse to Jimmy Carter’s solar panels from the White House, The Sun tells the story of our ever-changing relationship with our closest star.
Tickets £8 adults/£6 concessions. Children under 16 go free with a paying adult.
SCIENCE SHOWDOWN: THE SUN
Three facts about one big star, but which one is best? To help you decide, volunteer to be trapped in a bubble and find out how the Sun powers life on Earth in this fast and funny science show.
SLIME FACTORY
Age: 5 and older
Come and join the gloop gang! Mix your own sticky, yucky stuff in the Science and Industry Museum’s Slime Factory workshops.
ELEMENT INVENTORS
Age: 5 and older
Make and model your very own imaginary element to help build the Science and Industry Museum’s brand-new periodic table and become a creative chemist. It could be as dangerous as Kryptonite or as beautiful as gold!
A STAR IS BORN
Age: 0–4 years
Hear about the birth of a star in this relaxed story telling session for under 4s.
