Giant microbes, dinosaurs and planets – oh my!

Do you have a young aspiring scientist in your house, performing their own experiments, and making ground-breaking discoveries? From biology and chemistry to physics and earth sciences, explore unique, free, hands-on activities for kids at our annual Kids' Science Open House!

An extravaganza of hands-on science discovery for school-age kids will fill the day from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 28th. Scroll through a list of opportunities below to personalize your experience!

For the Animal Lover

  • THE INVISIBLE WORLD › STC 4008
    Learn about the microorganisms that are everywhere. Peer through microscopes and create your own banana DNA necklace! 
     
  • BONES AND BODIES › STC 4008
    Get a close look at animal skeletons and skulls. Can you identify the animal? 
     
  • VIRTUAL MASTODON › Earth Sciences Museum
    See a Mastodon come to life with augmented reality! Then travel through time and observe the fossilization and discovery of the same Mastodon ten thousand years later.

For the Adventurer

  • CHEMISTRY MAGIC SHOW › STC 1012
    At 12:00 p.m. and 3 p.m., enjoy a magical spectacle of smoke and big bangs as we show you how fun chemistry can really be!
     
  • GOLD PANNING AND FOSSIL FISH › EIT 2022
    Learn the skills of a prospector and take home your own gold or be a paleontologist and gently extract a fossil!
     
  • SCIBIZ SNAPSHOTS › STC east atrium
    Try on a Science career! Discover a wide range of careers and snap a picture to share with friends.

For Future Healthcare Leaders 

  • OPERATION: PHARMACY › STC east atrium
    Can you tell the difference between candy and medicine? Learn about medicine, germs, and more from Pharmacy students!
     
  • ALL ABOUT EYES › STC east atrium
    Optical illusions and vision fun, see how each other views the world!
     
  • GIANT CELL › STC west atrium
    Be transported to a microscopic world – on a giant scale! Take a walk around the inner workings of a cell.
     
  • EYE-OPENERS › STC basement
    You won't believe your eyes! Learn about light and vision from Optometry students and see how your glasses focus light.

For the Tech-Savvy 

  • ENGINEERING SCIENCE QUEST › STC east atrium
    Explore technology and engineering, build circuits and learn to code! 
     
  • PHUN WITH PHYSICS › STC 2nd floor
    Physics is lurking around every corner! Discover physics in the commonplace, defy gravity, and make sparks fly! 
     
  • MAGIC LIGHTS › STC 1019
    Peek into the world of the ultrafast electron imaging lab and see its amazing optical illusion (warning: strobe light). 

For Earth and Planetary Science Enthusiasts

  • THE HYDRO-LOGICAL CYCLE › EIT 1013
    What is your water footprint? What is groundwater, and how does it become contaminated? Join us for some hydrated fun! 
     
  • ASTRO-BUBBLE › STC lower atrium
    The Astro-Bubble is a portable, inflatable planetarium where you'll learn to find stars, planets and galaxies in our sky!
     
  • FROSTY MINERALS › EIT 2nd floor
    Take a look at the fantastic mineral structures of our preserved snowflakes! 
     
  • MINE TUNNEL › between EIT and ESC on the ground floor
    The greatest way to get between the EIT activities and those in STC – travel through the Cobalt Discovery Mine tunnel. It's a blast! 
     
  • EARTH SCIENCES MUSEUM › EIT 1st floor tables
    Visit our dinosaurs and ice age animals, touch real fossils, try the 3D puzzle pit, and survive an earthquake. 
     
  • GEM AND MINERAL SHOW › EIT from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
    Explore ten vendors with beautiful specimens, jewellery, fossils, and rocks for you to purchase. 

PLUS, prizes and take-home keepsakes are available throughout the day as a memorable token of your child's first day of learning at the University of Waterloo. To see parking and directions, visit the event page – see you there!