Review Life Science Centre Newcastle Review

IMG_7158

As readers of the blog know, Doc is our resident scientist/geek/genius rolled into one.  Wherever we can we love to try to showcase days out which are fun, different and educational too.  On our recent visit to Newcastle we were looking for family friendly activities and discovered the Life Science Centre.  I looked into the attraction, and it ticked all our boxes and more so I couldn’t wait to go and check out the centre with the little adventurers.  Below is my Review Life Science, Newcastle.

What is the Life Science Centre

IMG_7171

Unlike other science museums we have visited, the Life Science is part of a science village which is home to researchers, doctors and nurses as well as people from education, public engagement and business professions.  At the very heart of the heart of the science village is the Life Science Centre, which attracts visitors, exhibitions and special events, and is also home to an education team which deliver the biggest schools’ science workshop programme in any European museum or science centre.  It looks and sounds very impressive and some of the exhibits like the current, Animal Inside out look amazing and really interesting for older children.

What we thought

Located in the centre of Newcastle is the Life Science Centre, I don’t know what I expected but the centre is huge and literally in the very heart of the city.  The building looked amazing and we were really excited to see what there was on offer inside.  The centre is split into different sections, with each section offering something different for the children.  We visited when the Centre had just launched their brain section so we were one of the very first to try out this area.

The Brain area

Doc is always enthralled about anything linked to the brain and was really keen to explore the area.  The area was jam-packed with lots curiosities of how the brain and works and would be perfect for those in ks2.  There are lots of things to read and I think the older children would gain much more out of this section.  They have lots of hands on activities and I can see my nephews being totally blown away by how amazing the brain and mind is.

The curiosity zone

IMG_7187
We loved this area and found there to be so many cool things to try to play with.  I loved how this area offered something for everyone, as those as young as Zayn were captivated with the wheel spinning, making a tower with the magnets, making a tower for the wind to blow over; whilst for older children, understanding the science behind each activity and the chance to take things to the next level would be really appealing.  We spent ages in this area and Zayn was really in his element!

IMG_7190

Experiment Zone

IMG_7175

IMG_7178

 

 

My little adventurers adored this section, from the dressing up to the experiments.  This area s aimed at children 7+ and you can tell from the amount of information the children need to read, and instructions to follow.  The staff on hand are fabulous and very accommodating and this area is definitely a highlight and ample time can be spent in this area alone!

IMG_7174

We visited with little adventurers aged 7,5 and 3 years old.  The centre is ideally aimed for children aged 6 years and over.  What I really loved about the centre was that it is one of the most hands on and engaging for older children.  Normally museums aimed at older children tend to filled more with information but the centre offers something very unique with older children being able to take part in experiments, make lots of different things and get hands on like you would expect for younger children at normal science museums.

Going with children buyclomidovulation.com under 5

IMG_7220

children under 5 can enter for free and when we have been to other attractions like this where children are free, often there is very little for children in this age group.  We had Zayn with us so I was very conscious about the things we could do with him.  Maya was really keen on dressing up and doing the testing and experiments in the lab, and as normal Zayn wanted to get involved.  I was really impressed with the staff and they quickly put together some coloured liquid, two pippettes and containers for Zayn to get involved and try doing experiments too.

On the top floor there is a huge floor dedicated to children under 7, called the young explorers zone and there is a huge variety of things for them to try.  There is a soft play, a fantastic little shop, which has a working till which the children are able to scan items, which show on the screens like a real shop and all the little adventurers loved https://www.glenerinpharmacy.com/buy-xanax-alprazolam-online-1-mg/ doing this.  Something so simple yet so effective in occupying children, getting them used to finding items and mastering the skills of how to scan!  In addition, there was dressing up, some crafts, some games and a great triangular mirror the children could stand inside and see themselves in all the mirrors.  The whole floor is ideal for younger children so there is more than enough for them to be occupied.

IMG_7221

The planetarium also had a the monsters in the sky and I loved the show.  It was perfect for younger children without being too long and still fun and educational.  I love being in a planetarium and I think it is a great way to get younger children to love science, the sky and understand the world around them.

IMG_7167

Things to note

  • There is no car park on site but there is big multi storey car parks nearby.
  • When you arrive make sure you get a full list of the times of the shows and events so you dont miss out on anything.  whilst we were at the centre they had a chocolate making workshop which we had to sign up for.  So i highly recommend that you select all the things you definitely want to do and make a note of them and check if you need to sign up for anything.
  • They have an interactive ride which is only for children over 1.3m and again is only on at certain times during the day.  We just missed the showing we wanted to go and the next show wasn’t on till later that day so, make sure you do better planning then we did.
  • If you have children of different ages it could be quite difficult if you were on your own.  Luckily I had Doc with me so he was able to watch the older children whilst I had Zayn but I think it could be quite stressful if you were on your own with small children who wanted to play upstairs whilst older ones wanted to explore downstairs.
  • Free entry for those under 5, should not put ou off taking younger children, there is lots for them to enjoy and you can easily spend several hours with them taking in all the different areas.

We had a wonderful day and would wholeheartedly recommend the centre for families looking for a fun and slightly different da out.  For xchildren over the age of 6 years old, all the activities are suitable and they can really get to have a hand on, science fuelled afternoon 🙂  They centre always has amazing exhibits touring in the centre and the one of “Animal Inside out” over half term sounds amazing.

Nisbah

I am a traveller, mother and blogger. We love to go on adventures (big and small, near and far) and strive to show our children how amazing and beautiful the world is! I caught the travel bug many moons ago and despite having three little adventurers, I still suffer from "itchy" feet. We love the great outdoors and one another. Come and join the fun :)

You may also like...

2 Responses

  1. Oh we’re off to the Inside Out launch on Saturday – can’t wait. Life always has such fantastic exhibitions. They even have adults only events too – Steve and I went to a ‘Science behind Game of Thrones’ event last year which was a lovely alternative night out.

  2. Even though I live in Newcastle I have not visited the Life for years, we visited last weekend for Animals Inside out and my 13 & 3 year olds had a fantastic time. The little explorers floor is amazing and such fun for younger children x

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.