Here at BSA Manchester we have tried and tested a range of engagement activities and had great fun in the process! But now it’s your turn. Whether you’re a keen novice wanting a rainy day activity or a sci-com veteran looking for something new, read on to find some of our favorites.
Sleep and circadian biology group activity: We all know at least one morning person, someone who inexplicably manages to sound chipper and look presentable before their morning coffee. This activity is designed to run with a large group of people (30+) and sheds light on their chronotypes, revealing whether they are morning larks, night owls, or flighty hummingbirds. As well as revealing participants sleep/wake spirit animal, this activity also uses a simple reaction time test to assesses how well they fit their predicted chronotype – are night owls really more alert in the evening? – Full details of this activity and worksheets can be found here.
Carrot clarinet: This simple activity is great for a rainy day ticking all the right boxes – fun, messy, noisy and educational. We recently set up a stall at the Blue Dot festival at Jodrell Bank and our clarinets were a huge hit. Following a little bit of preparation involving a drill and knife this activity is suitable for all ages. So why don’t you give it a go – A great YouTube video explaining the concepts behind this activity (but using a giant Chinese radish instead of a carrot) can be found here, you can also download a pdf of our carrot clarinet fact sheet including full instructions and equipment list here – carrot
The Glove-a-phone: This is another Blue Dot Festival favorite. How loud do you think a glove a straw and a small length of plastic pipe can be? With the right technique, the answer to this question is surprisingly loud! This is another great rainy day activity (we get a lot of these in the North West), it is also simple enough to be enjoyed by a range of ages. You can download our fact sheet, including full instructions and equipment list here – Glove.
Plastic cup speaker: Have you ever wondered how a speaker is made? Actually the science behind this invention is surprisingly simple – so simple that it’s possible to make your own rudimentary speaker from little more than a few magnets, some copper wire, a couple of crocodile clips and a plastic cup. This is a great hands-on way to learning about electromagnets and actively demonstrate how vibrations are responsible for the creation of sound. For full instructions and an equipment list you can download our fact sheet here – plasticcupspeaker2
The Science Hive: Manchester 