Science and STEM Workshops for school groups

Teaching science is a significant task for any year group, but primary KS2 you are often introducing big concepts that many children will struggle to understand.  Sometimes bringing in a science workshop into your classroom can really help WOW the children and help them make sense of the topics.  Workshop providers often have access to materials and equipment that is beyond the reach of many school budgets.  In this article we are going to look at the range and types of science workshops currently available to schools, and what they can add to your existing science lessons.  

Activity types and learning formats

Experiential Learning - Usually an active hands on approach where children learn by actively engaging in experiences rather than just listening to a teacher.  Your class are given new information then asked to use it to solve problems or make projects, during or after the workshop.  These science workshops are more memorable for them because the children are actively involved.

Examples include:
- Interacting with a variety of animals from small mammals, reptiles and invertebrates, in a safe environment under the supervision of experienced animal rangers
- Hands-on circuit building using LEDs, bulbs, buzzers, switches, motors and other common electronic components. Pupils experiment with different configurations to see what works and why.
- States of Matter workshop melting, evaporating, sublimation, pourable clouds - use real lab equipment to carry out experiments, explore chemical reactions and be scientists

Workshops and Demonstrations   - Engaging and designed to captivate KS2 children to better their understanding of what can be complicated scientific concepts. These workshops involve live presentations, with lots of storytelling and guided activities.  Children are given a mixture of opportunities to observe demonstrations and ask questions.  While a demonstration could be in the format of a whole school assembly, they are often for small groups to make the experience more engaging.

Examples include:
- An exciting display of scientific demonstrations, LASERs, drones, magnetic robots and lots of other interesting props.
- Learn about the north star, observable planets, moon phases, space missions and the structure of the solar system, as well as seasons on our world.

Interactive Games and Problem Solving   - these are valuable tools for a school science workshop in that they make learning both fun and memorable. They help children work with scientific concepts, develop their critical thinking, and work together with their classmates.

Examples include:
- Your pupils will be working in teams to crack the codes and challenges to work out how to get into the box.
- The students will evaluate the lab results of a forensics lab from a replica crime scene and will then identify whodunnit!

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Search our STEM workshop above by topic and key stage.  We have everything from fossils to living creatures and habitats, astronomy and lego robotics, to chemistry and forensic science experiences.  If you need any more information or just want to talk to us about science workshops for your school, please give us a call or drop us an email.
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Explosive Reactions and Slimy Surprises | Our Year 4 Science Workshop Experience

This term, our Year 4 class was treated to a brilliant science workshop that came to our school, and it's safe to say it's been the highlight of our topic so far. As a teacher, there's nothing better than seeing your class completely captivated by a topic and this workshop absolutely delivered on that front.

We are currently learning about states of matter as part of our KS2 science curriculum and I wanted to find something that would bring the topic to life in a way that felt exciting but still had a strong learning message behind it. I came across the workshop through PlanMySchoolTrip, and the whole thing was really easy to organise. An email and a quick phone call later, we had a date booked and all the risk assessments sorted.

A Real Buzz in the Classroom
On the day of the workshop, from the moment the children saw the workshop leader surrounded by mystery boxes and bags, the children were buzzing. We ran the session in our school hall, and with a bit of help from our wonderful teaching assistant. The workshop leader introduced herself enthusiastically and made sure to learn a few of the children's names early on, which I thought was a lovely touch. She set the tone straight away - this was going to be hands on and messy, but still very much about learning. Exactly what I was hoping for!

Learning by Doing
The workshop started with a quick chat about solids, liquids and gases, reinforcing what we had been learning in class. The children werre asked what they already knew before the workshop began building on the theme. It didn't feel like a lecture, more like a conversation. There were loads of opportunities for the children to join in, shout out their own ideas, and get involved right from the start. Then came what the children have since told me was obviously the best part - the practical experiments. In small groups they got to explore different materials and see real examples of changes in state. We looked at melting chocolate (sorry to the cleaning staff!), freezing water, and there were many wide eyes as the workshop leader used dry ice to show how solids can turn into gases. There were squeals of delight and a few gasps when she poured warm water over the dry ice and it started to bubble and fog all over the table like a magic trick.

Completely Tied to the KS2 Curriculum
What I appreciated most as a teacher was how well the whole workshop linked back to our science objectives. We talked about evaporation, condensation, and even touched on the water cycle without it feeling like a science lesson in disguise. The children used the correct terminology. Not because they were told to, but because they wanted to. It was also lovely to see some of my quieter children keen to get involved and have their say during the activities. Working in groups gave everyone a role and a chance to participate in a meaningful way. Even the ones who usually sit back were measuring, pouring, and explaining what they thought was happening. Our workshop leader was fantastic with the children, the activities were safe, exciting, and well structured, and best of all everything was well linked to the KS2 science curriculum. It was the kind of experience that the children will remember long after they have forgotten what they wrote down in their books.

Back in the classroom we used the workshop as a springboard for the rest of the topic and it definitely helped more than a few of them link what they were being told on paper with what they had seen in action. They got it. We like to get a science workshop in each year because they make tricky topics much easier to understand. The children wrote recounts of their favourite experiment in English and created bar charts in maths to show which state changes they had observed. It turned into a brilliant cross-curricular project which gave the topic even more depth.

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If you are a teacher looking for an engaging, affordable alternative to a school trip, we recommend researching some of the science workshops above. They can save you all the stress of coaches, packed lunches, and permission slips, and bring the same level of excitement into your classroom.