A toy spinning top in motion (Image: www.sxc.hu)

A toy spinning top in motion

Toy Science student workshop (New South Wales)

Toy Science is an interactive science show with hands-on activities suitable for students from Kindergarten to Year 2, available at our centre in Sydney, Australia or at your school.

  • 7 February 2011 | Updated 21 December 2012

Description

Toy Science is an exploration into the exciting world of toys, from the simple to the complex, from the ancient to the latest in technology.

In this workshop, suitable for students from Kindergarten to Year 2, students will learn more about the science of the world around them by playing with and exploring a range of diverse toys.

The activities and demonstrations in Toy Science have been designed to develop students’ skills, understandings and behaviours.

Students will become scientists for an hour, experimenting with a range of different toys to find out more about the scientific and technological phenomena that make them work.

Some of the toys are simple, with a single scientific premise behind them. Others are more complex and can be broken down into a number of different scientific concepts.

By the end of the program, students should understand that all toys have science behind them and that they can be scientists themselves at home by playing with, thinking about and observing their own toys.

Students will complete hands-on activities to explore concepts such as:

  • sound
  • energy transfer
  • circuits
  • light
  • magnetism
  • density.

Student investigations include:

  • dissecting toys to see how they work
  • using toys in a traditional manner to understand their operating parameters
  • using toys in unusual ways to explore pertinent scientific phenomena.

Details

This program is appropriate for year levels K - 2.

Maximum of 30 students per session.

Session run time is 60 minutes.

A$8.00 per student, A$195 class minimum.

A minimum daily cost of A$450 applies for in-school visits, but not at the North Ryde centre.

We require a room with 10 tables arranged around the edges of the room with a minimum of 3 power points, and space for 30 students to sit comfortably on the floor. Chairs are not required.

Please allow for a set up time of 40 minutes and a pack up time of 40 minutes.

Find out about other programs run by the NSW Science Education Centre