In summary

  • Swinburne is offering online programs to help parents looking to entertain their children at home during the school holidays
  • The programs include a fun science game and workshops as well as videos with handstand and juggling tips

As the COVID-19 restrictions continue in Victoria, Swinburne is offering online programs to help parents looking to entertain their children at home during the upcoming school holidays.

Science island

An educational STEM-focused game for kids, Science Island, has been developed by students and scientists from across the globe, including Swinburne’s, James Marshall. A beta version is currently available to play online at no charge.

PrimeSCI science outreach workshops

The PrimeSCI! science outreach team is providing live-streamed Zoom workshops for the Spring School Holidays. The workshops are for primary school-aged children and will run from Monday 21 September to Friday 2 October.

They include exciting demonstrations, hands-on activities to follow at home, interactive polls, and the opportunity to ask science questions to be answered by our PrimeSCI! presenters.

Lisa Horsley from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Research (OzGrav) based at Swinburne will take you on a trip into the virtual Universe to learn about planets, stars and gravitational waves.

Other exciting topics include the science behind light and sound energy, the chemistry of mixing and un-mixing solutions, and the physics of heat energy.

The virtual sessions will be run as Zoom Webinars and are safe and secure for young children. All presenters and moderators have current Working With Children checks.

The cost is $10.50 per family per session. Find out more and register.

NICA short courses

Over at the National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA), experienced trainers and industry professionals have been running online fitness and circus classes and have published recordings of the classes that are suitable for all ages, including juggling, object balancing and handstand tips and tricks for beginners. 

Make sure to watch the safety video before you begin.  

The free series includes videos on how to make your own rainbow pasta necklace and make your own juggling balls.