Kids in London - Science Museum

Interaction is what it's all about at the Science Museum these days. No need to keep little fingers from fiddling because it is positively encouraged.

You start at the main hall - which focuses on energy with lots of steam engines and other big bits of machinery. We still spent ages watching the big circular electronic display sign suspended from the ceiling through which the lights seem to chase each other around. In the space area we were entranced with the films showing just how many satellites there are circling the earth all the time - it looks just like a swarm of very tidy bees.

We paid £4 for an adult and £3 for a child to go into SimEX simulator on the ground floor to see the Sponge Bob Square Pants ride where we were shaken and blasted with air and sprayed with water along with 28 other people. An amazing experience for older children but you had to queue quite a while. (There are other simulators on other floors for younger and older children).

Near this was a nice small area for much younger children focusing on patterns (Pattern Pod). Lights in different patterns went across the floor for little hands and feet to follow to experience the walking patterns of different animals. There were lots of things to press and push and play with here - toddlers' paradise while the parents sat on the side watching.

Then we went up to the third floor (there could be better signs for lifts and staircases) to see the newly refurbished Launch Pad. We were great fans of the old one. Anyway. We were a bit disheartened that we had to queue for this - we were told 25 minutes. Yet the time passed quickly as they gave out lots of things for us to play with like periscopes, gyroscopes and metal puzzles. Even the adults were so engrossed that they didn't notice the queue moving forward.

The new Launchpad did not disappoint. All ages of kids can find something to do. The explainers are friendly and parents and adults have as much fun joining in as the kids. We were particularly impressed with the thermal imaging wall, the iron filings in solution which you moved with magnets, building bridges out of blocks, the big grain moving machine, the photographic image wall (great for shadow sculptures), pumping the water, dry ice skating across water making smoke trails, watching ice crystals form through polarised lenses, the bubble wall and making circuits. But there was so much more to do!

We only had a short while to see some of the other wonderful things there. We enjoyed walking through a sea of red hanging strips in Plasticity which tells you about past, present and future uses of plastic. Great new concept car. Near here were dioramas of agriculture - which will remind youngsters of scenes from the recent "Night in the museum" film.

We also popped in to see the Materials display - we saw how they are now bending wood to make beautiful furniture. And a boat made out of different materials as well as a wall of labelled different materials. Good fiddling fun again. There were a few interesting dress designs too.

We didn't have time on this trip to go into the basement but the home and garden display there is a must for kids and there are different areas for different age groups.

The shop is big and well stocked with educational and sensibly priced toys. We were really delighted with some £2 a go lenses for mobile phone cameras that allow you to take star burst and wide angle photos. They also work on our other cameras. So neat!

:Omg:

My daughter said it was a really good experience for toddlers as well as older children. And it's (nearly) all free! And you might want to spend some time on the web site before you go - it has a great tool for planning how long you need for each exhibit.

End Note: Again, we experienced a shocking service on the Underground. We avoided the District Line as this had let us down so badly on a previous weekend into London. Yet we had to wait over 30 mins for a Piccadilly line train despite frequent announcements advising us that we were on one of the lines running well! Why is every weekend destroyed with engineering works! The tourists must be furious! London Transport pull your socks up - you could do much better.