16th Bright Sparks
ONLINE TICKET SALES ARE NOW CLOSED. TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE DOOR – Avoid lunchtime to be sure of immediate entry.
A weekend of science fun for kids aged 7-14 and their parents. The one day every year when parents and their children can share the best science demonstrations and hands-on activities. The presenters meet the challenge of each new year with dynamic new attractions to add to the popular old friends. Bottle gardens, bubble engineering, elite athleticism, rainbow science and giant drawing machines are amongst the activities on Saturday and Sunday. Check listings for differences between the days. Under 7′s also welcome.
Saturday 16th February
10am-5pm Hove Park Upper School, Nevill Road, Hove, BN3 7BN
Tickets £4 for 7-14, £6 for 15+, £16 for family ticket ( 2 adults, 2 children) online or on the door. FREE for under 7′s. Advanced booking recommended. Compass and Carers Card holders are FREE (presentation of card required)
ONLINE TICKET SALES ARE NOW CLOSED. TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE DOOR – Avoid lunchtime to be sure of immediate entry.
Drusilla’s Bugs
Do you think creepy crawlies are cuties? Want to give a cockroach a cuddle? Meet a selection of bugs from Druscilla’s Zoo including a loveable, huggable Madagascan hissing cockroach.
The (Stuff is Made of STUFF) Materials Show
Brad Gross the original Science Punk presents his new show…Stuff is made of stuff. That stuff is made of different stuff. Which is all the same stuff. Right? It probably will make more sense if you come to the show.
Science Poetry Slam
Are these skilled 7-11 year-olds poetic scientists or scientific poets? You decide. Stunning performance poetry brought to you by the poetry posses of Hertford and Somerhill Junior Schools.
BrightWAMS
Explore your body and its organs with hands-on activities from Brighton and Sussex medical students. Find out what lurks inside on an exciting journey into your own body.
Don’t be Sheepish
Get up close and personal with last year’s petting lambs and find out why sheep are so important for the survival of our rare chalk downland landscape and the incredible array of wildlife it supports.
Dig It
South Downs National Park come with a range of hands-on activities for all ages – from a mock archaeological dig to identifying mysterious objects by feel alone.
Veolia
Don’t throw rubbish away, see what Veolia can do with it to make our lives less wasteful using magnetism, fishing rods, levitation, shopping trolleys, wormeries and water. Get involved, get challenged, get RECYCLING.
Lessons From Africa: Bottle Gardens
Discover many uses of old plastic bottles to attract wildlife, look after plants, control pests and take cuttings, among many other garden tasks. The bottle gardens are based on ideas from Africa where the Send a Cow charity works on reducing poverty through gardening and agriculture.
Making Plaster Decorations
Simple mould making workshop with plaster of Paris. Let the Regency Town House experts show you how, using the skills they employ restoring the property in Brunswick Square to its 19th century glory.
Lifting the Lid on Every Day Technology
What actually happens inside your computer? Take a look with this interactive demonstration, then try your hand at some software programming of your own.
K’NEX Racing
Are you a girl or boy racer? Do you feel the need for speed? Use construction toy K’NEX to build a battery powered racing car and compete in a wild rally. Can you build the fastest?
POP: the Sound of Bubbles
The National Physical Laboratory brings the science of bubbles to life in an astonishing exhibit fresh from the Royal Society Summer Exhibition. Create sound using bubbles, create bubbles using sound and use the sound of bubbles in medicine.
Ed the Bear
In his bear-size submersible, Ed the eco bear has been traveling the world’s oceans. Discover why oceans are important, the damage we are doing to them, and how we can all help.
Flywheels
Take on Ricardo’s Kinergy Flywheel Challenge. See how much energy you can store in the hybrid drive flywheel and explore the future of low carbon transport, engineering and clean energy.
Pole Lathes
Before electricity, man-powered lathes were used to make everyday items. Modern pole-lathe turners demonstrate their skills with a mix of old and new technology.
Jumping Beans workshop
45 minute workshops making Jumping Beans and using them to do experiments to explore friction, gravity and momentum. With Sue Brumpton – the Making Place.
Toy Shop
Herstmonceux Science Centre’s games, models and machines, some simple, some sophisticated.
Reptiles and Amphibians
The East Sussex Reptile and Amphibian Society have a passion for keeping corn snake, royal pythons, boa constrictors, monitor lizards, etc. The enthusiasts share their knowledge and experiences of these fascinating creatures with you fascinated humans.
Science Takeaway
Simple Chemistry for Parents and Kids, capture your imagination using materials you can find around your kitchen.
Arctic Turn
Meet the RSPB and investigate the impact of climate change on UK native species and rising sea levels on the Sussex coast.
Faster, Higher Stronger
Our 2012 Olympic and Paralympic athletes succeeded with a little help from science. Find out more as you test your speed, power and agility and see how you compare to the medal-winning elite.
Sealife
Here come the underwater creatures of Sea Life Brighton’s mobile rockpool experience. Shake hands with starfish and crabs, and learn about their habitats, and the importance of marine conservation.
Giant Drawing Machines
You can create a minature self portrait on a postcard or create massive spirograph patterns using a bicycle … if it’s Nick Sayers’ specially doctored cyber-bicycle.
Cracking Ideas
From rocket launching to deep space design, the Cracking Ideas space competition needs your ideas.
Genome Sweet Genome
Experts from Hove Park School show how geneticists extract DNA from strawberries. You can make your own DNA strand from sweets and cocktail sticks – enjoy the science and eat the result.
Bugs, Beasties and Landscapes from Our Biosphere
The exhibition shows creatures from our city’s green spaces and the landscapes that make our biosphere so special. Talk to Brighton & Hove Rangers, and have your say on our biosphere proposals. From Brighton & Hove Wildlife Forum.
DNA Damage Repair
The Medical Research council teach you what goes on inside your body, and explain with lots of activities how DNA works and can be damaged..find out how DNA can be mis-repaired and how scientists interfere with this to improve radiotherapy.
Spaceball
Test yourself under some serious G-Force on the stomach-churning gyroscope ride.
Separate charge.
Wireworld TV
Have your say on camera, then watch yourself on TV as the Vox Pops are edited together and played as an interactive exhibit, stimulating debate and allowing everyone to see their contributions.
Play with DNA
Learn how to be a geneticist, extract DNA from strawberries, and make your own DNA strand from sweets and cocktail sticks – enjoy the science and eat the result!
City Books
Full range of popular science books for young and old.
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