Space for kids at Sunday’s Open Day
This Sunday’s ESTEC Open Day is an occasion for families. Children are encouraged along – and there will be plenty for them to do, including robot racing, interactive learning games and a set of bouncy castles.
The main ‘space for kids’ on the day will be in the Escape Main Hall. Children coming here can take part in art activities, learning games and practical workshops.
Younger kids will also be able to bounce themselves around on space-themed bouncy castles – or try to navigate an inflatable obstacle course to see if they can train like an astronaut.
Competitive remote-controlled racing of inflatable robots will be another attraction, while a team from Amsterdam’s hugely popular NEMO Science Center will let children build their own model rockets – and then launch them.
A pair of inflatable planetariums will take children through the basics of the night sky, and on a spectacular trip through the galaxy, courtesy of NOVA, the Netherlands Research School for Astronomy.
Kids will also be able to participate in an interactive and practical Rosetta-themed workshop to teach them all about comets, the deep-frozen time capsules of our Solar System.
Aimed at 9 to 12 year olds, the workshop will be an opportunity to perform simple experiments and demonstrations. It will take place in the Escape dance room (besides the Escape restaurant). A limited number of entry cards will be available for the different workshop sessions at ESA’s education stand, found at the Escape Main Hall.
Both parents and students might also be interested in visiting the stand to field questions to ESA’s education specialists about their various projects from primary to university level. For the younger kids there will be an area to colour and cut space-themed sheets which they can take home as souvenirs.
The Tennis Hall next door will be the setting for various talks about space by various experts and veteran astronauts – the speech by Dutch ESA astronaut and children’s author André Kuipers (also celebrating his birthday that day) should be particularly kid-friendly.
The main building's Wintergarden will be occupied by ESA's Space Science team, who will give kids a chance to cook up their own mini-comets by mixing together dirt, dry ice, water, and chocolate sauce in a messy-but-authentic analogue of cometary chemistry.
Further along, the ESTEC Main Corridor will be hosting the Dutch Youth Association for Space and Astronomy, offering guidance to any young people seeking to get into astronomy as a hobby.
Families will also be able to enter Space Expo direct from the ESTEC grounds, to take a free sneak peek at its exhibition, or take a full tour at a 50% discount on the standard admission charge.
Popular University of Leiden astronomer Vincent Icke will be among the expert speakers hosted at the visitor centre, while Space Expo’s shop will offer space toys and souvenirs, complementing ESTEC’s own Space Shop.
Visitors can register here.
Because we are obliged to limit the total number of visitors, to ensure a great experience for all who do attend, we advise you to book early to avoid waiting until next year!
