Get Stuck in with British Science Week
British Science Week 2026 runs from 6 to 15 March. This annual, ten-day celebration of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) is an opportunity to focus some enjoyment and attention on events, activities and resources with science at their heart. We are passionate about all things STEM and would love to share some ideas you could make, do or visit as a family.
Heading out of the home? There are some fantastic Science Days Out around Surrey & London
Science Museum – South Kensington
Perfect for: All Prep and Pre-Prep ages
Highlights: Wonderlab (interactive experiments), Space Gallery, Flight simulators and Pattern Pod (great for younger children)
Natural History Museum
Brilliant for: Evolution, Earth science, dinosaurs
Look out for: Earthquake simulator, Volcanoes and rocks gallery, Human evolution section
RHS Garden Wisley
Science links: Plant biology, Pollination, Climate adaptation, Ecosystems
What to do: Admire the beautiful grounds, sketch plant adaptations, look for pollinators, compare leaf and petal shapes
Royal Observatory Greenwich
Science links: Time zones, Earth’s rotation, astronomy, navigation
What to do: Stand on the Prime Meridian, find out why we need time zones and how sailors navigated before GPS
ZSL London Zoo
Biology focus: Adaptation, habitats. Classification, conservation
What to do: An experience day or challenge to find 3 adaptations for some animals and discuss if any other animal has these
Brooklands Museum
STEM focus: Engineering, aviation, motorsport, industrial design – has excellent link to forces and materials.
If you would like some quality time together at home in British Science Week, why not try some of these ideas?
Kitchen Chemistry: Invisible Ink Messages
What to do: Write secret messages using lemon juice and a cotton bud. Let dry, then gently heat over a radiator or under adult supervision near a light bulb.
Science behind it: The lemon juice oxidises and turns brown when heated. A chemical reaction has taken place!
Engineering Challenge: The Tallest Tower
What to use: Spaghetti, marshmallows, tape.
Challenge: Build the tallest free-standing tower that holds a marshmallow at the top. Or – build a stable structure using spaghetti with marshmallows as joining blocks. This is great as it addresses structures, stability, forces and design
Biology at Home: Pulse & Exercise
What to do: Measure resting pulse for 30 seconds (in wrist or under jaw on neck – count the beats you feel for 30 seconds). Do 1 minute of star jumps, hopping, running on the spot or similar activity. Now measure your pulse again. Sit quietly and measure again in 3 or 4 minutes. What do you notice?
Science links: Circulatory system, oxygen transport, exercise and fitness. Things to discuss together – Why does your heartbeat faster? How long did it take for the beats to return to resting pulse? (the quicker the more fit you are!)
Physics Fun: Paper Helicopters and aeroplanes
What to do: Make simple paper spinners and aeroplanes and either drop them from a height or throw them to see how far they fly and take to land.
Science links and things to discuss: Air resistance, gravity, forces. Does wing length affect speed and distance? Is paper thickness important?
Chemistry Colour: Red Cabbage pH Indicator
You’ll need: Red cabbage, hot water, clear cups, household liquids (vinegar, milk, baking soda solution, lemonade).
What to do: Blend or soak chopped red cabbage in hot water. Strain. Pour purple liquid into cups and add different substances.
What happens: Acids turn it pink/red. Alkalis turn it blue/green. Demonstrates acids and alkalis, chemical indicators, neutralisation (you can mix some of each cup together and see the colours change.
Magic Milk Fireworks
You’ll need: Milk, food colouring, washing-up liquid.
What to do: Add drops of food colouring to milk, then touch with a cotton bud dipped in washing-up liquid.
Science behind it: Soap breaks surface tension and reacts with fats in the milk. Demonstrates surface tension, molecules reacting and chemical interactions
Chemistry Crystals: Growing Sugar or Salt Crystals
Dissolve lots of sugar or salt in hot water. Pour into a jar. Suspend string or a stick. Leave for some time (a few days). You can add a little food colour to this too if you would like.
Science links: Solutions, saturation, crystal formation
Eco-Science: Make a Water Filter
What to do: Layer gravel, sand, cotton wool in a bottle. Pour muddy water through. You will see it come out at the bottom much clearer! Discuss the need to further clean it if we needed to drink it – what else could be in the water we cannot see (bacteria, protozoa) that we need to kill/remove before it was safe to drink and how we would need to do this (boiling, UV filtration, chlorine treatments etc)
Concepts: Filtration, particle size, clean water access – great opportunity to discuss global implications of water availability.
Cool Concept: Ice Melt Investigation
What to do: Place ice cubes on different surfaces (metal tray, wood, fabric) and see which melt fastest or hold their shape longest
Concepts: Conductors and insulators, heat transfer
A Smashing Time (or preventing one!): Egg Drop Challenge
What to do: Design and make a structure to protect an egg from a drop.
Skills developed: Planning and testing, re-design and resilience
