Summer of STEM 2023
As schools start finishing up for the summer term, we’ve put together a list of some of the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities and events available during the summer holidays for you and your family to get involved in.
The vast number of events available is impressive, so if you don’t see exactly what you’re looking for, there are hundreds more activities and classes available all over the UK!
Read on to find out more!
Reach for the stars!
One of our top recommendations is the inspiring Peter Harrison Planetarium in Greenwich, London. Run by Royal Museums Greenwich, the planetarium provides a huge range of events that can spark the imagination not only of kids, but adults too!
Throughout the summer, the planetarium will be offering shows on everything from the birth and death of stars, to Chinese astronomy and the possibilities of a moon base. The planetarium also occasionally offers shows in languages other than English, with the next being in Cantonese on the 19th August (so get your tickets quick!).
With special shows for under 7’s, the planetarium caters to all ages, from the smallest space-scientist to the eldest extra-galactic explorer! To book any of these thrilling shows, visit the Planetarium and Astronomy page at the Royal Museums Greenwich.
Enter a world of wonder!
Our next recommendation allows kids to explore a variety of different science based experiences at the Wonderlab: The Equinor Gallery.
A new space at the Science Museum in South Kensington, Central London, the Wonderlab allows kids ignite their curiosity and fuel their imagination across 7 unique zones!
With zones like the matter zone (where kids can watch ferrofluids behaving like nothing they will have ever seen), to practical examples of friction (slides they can fly down) in the forces zone, kids will have an absolutely amazing time seeing the world around them in new and interesting ways.
The Wonderlab also offers live science demonstrations at the chemistry bar, where children can get a hands on, first-hand experience of science to inspire them. With day passes being only £9 and a recommended age of 7-14, this is a summer of STEM must-see!
Engineer the perfect summer!
Interested in something more technical, engineering or coding-based that’s a summer camp to get kids thinking while engaging in educational, science-based classes? Techcamp has you covered!
With three locations in London, Abingdon and Winchester, Techcamp offers incredible 5-day experiences for kids aged 9-17 years old. All the equipment your kids will need to enjoy every activity from drone racing to 3D printing, and Python AI to 3D game design is provided (a VR headset isn’t necessary but is highly recommended for the VR designer camp).
All of Techcamp’s courses involve exciting take-home projects, meaning kids will be able to have a permanent souvenir of their STEM summer, allowing them to stay invested in courses they find particularly interesting! A few of us at PCS are particularly jealous of the Robogames course, where kids will build and program autonomous and remote-control robots to complete a variety of tasks including playing robot football, competing in capture-the-flag, and a final robot-wars style battle!
Techcamp courses are all designed by professionals and delivered by experts, but are suited for beginners and experienced students alike, while small class sizes offer highly personalised learning experiences for young learners. For full prices, times and locations head over to Techcamp’s website and start your child’s engineering adventure today!
Science at home!
Finally, there are a whole host of science experiments you and your kids can get involved in at home completely for free!
Fun Learning for Kids has a huge variety of smaller experiments you can complete with your kids at home or while you’re out and about, including classics like the baking soda volcano for little volcanologists, and bottle rockets for future space-engineers, all the way to homemade ice-cream and making your own sun dial!
With resources like Fun Learning for Kids, and free online exhibitions and lectures on every scientific topic imaginable, you can fill your child’s summer with STEM activities to keep their brain’s ticking over until school starts again.
Whatever your family and friends get up to, we hope you have a safe and fun-filled summer of STEM