TechFest brings activities to play parks
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
North-east families will have the opportunity to explore exciting STEM based activities in parks during the October holidays, thanks to a new initiative from TechFest.
Taking place at Duthie (October 18), Hazlehead (October 19), Seaton (October 20), Aberdeen beach (October 21) and Westburn (October 22) parks, STEM in the Park aims to engage all ages in science workshops that form part of everyday life.
Sponsored by energy company TAQA’s UK business, the STEM in the Park sessions use playground equipment.
Youngsters will need to hold on tight as they investigate the concept of centrifugal force using a park roundabout and test out the force of gravity as they attempt to balance a see-saw.
Supported by an official resource pack developed by TechFest, children and adults will be tasked to complete these sets of activities, and many more, using park equipment, all of which emphasise how children can have fun learning in some of their favourite outdoor areas, while building on teamwork and creativity skills.
No booking is required to attend STEM in the Park and volunteers from TechFest and TAQA will be on hand to guide and support throughout each activity.
Sarah Chew, managing director of TechFest said: “TechFest is passionate about continuous learning, and showing not just young ones, but the whole family how we can learn about STEM through everyday activity.
“The last 18 months have been difficult, particularly for young people, and we’re thankful to TAQA for supporting this idea for families to work together to learn about science using outdoor park equipment.
“We’d encourage families to come along to the parks, work their way through our activities book and learn about science in a fun and engaging way.”
Donald Taylor, TAQA Europe’s managing director, said: “Developing STEM subjects is very important to TAQA and we know TechFest do a great job of encouraging new ways of learning for young people.
“We’re pleased to sponsor STEM in the Park during the holidays and we hope to see lots of families get involved with the programme over the next couple of weeks.”
TechFest is a north-east charity based in Aberdeen, which aims to engage young people in the four main STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and encourage them to go on to follow a career which utilises these skills by demonstrating that they are both fun and relevant in day-to-day life.
For more information on TechFest, visit www.techfest.org.uk
