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 26th. 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! - 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. - SCIBIZ SNAPSHOTS › STC east atrium
Try on a Science career! Discover various careers and snap a picture in a vet costume with stuffies to share with friends.
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! - ADVENTURES IN CHEMISTRY › STC 4019
Our biggest lab, full of chemistry experiments for you to discover!
For Future Healthcare Leaders
- OPERATION: PHARMACY › STC mid-level landing
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
- ESQ ROBOT RACE › STC 2nd floor
Explore technology and engineering, build circuits and learn to code!
- PHUN WITH PHYSICS › STC 4009
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!