Team Challenge visit
This is proving to be a very popular package with both students & adults – we aim to put the fun back into science! The challenges are intended for a range of abilities to encourage team work & communication, and are cross curricular. Before your departure, when all challenges are completed, a small prize is awarded to the members of the winning team.
The cost is £5.95 per student with accompanying adults free of charge. (1 accompanying adult is required per team). Students are encouraged to work together in teams throughout the visit, and are under the supervision of their group leader at all times.
The visit will usually include:
- A 30 / 40 minute telescope tour. If weather conditions are favourable on the day, students may have the opportunity to view through the ‘Solar Telescope’ and possibly use the ‘Sun Spotter’
- Time to explore the 100+ hands-on exhibits (indoors & outside)
- Lunch break and time to visit the shop " or 3 Team Challenges (dependent on time)
The challenges are mostly physical and are set against the clock. Some are our own creation, whilst others will be a twist on a more familiar format. We will be updating and adding extra challenges this year, but at the moment the following are available:
- Bridge Building – fastest time wins with the construction of this large wooden truss bridge
- Laser Maze – we set the route for each team member to follow – just don’t set off the alarms!
- Tower of Hanoi – our own version of this amazing logical maths puzzle
- Launch Pad – a favourite straw & paperclip construction activity
- Locks – break the code to open the padlocks
- Tower Construction – tallest tower wins using our shaped foam blocks– we expect at least 2 ½ metres!
- Lost in Space – reassemble the planets in their correct order – but don’t fall off your gravity blocks or you will be Lost in Space.
These challenges can be mixed & matched in any number of ways. For example, Bridge Building, Tower Construction and The Launch Pad would be a suitable combination of physical challenges with an emphasis on construction, whilst Locks & Tower of Hanoi would be ‘table based’ and suitable for more logical brains.
If requested, we can also incorporate Questions and Quiz Sheets relating to some of our hands-on exhibits, together with 1 or 2 challenges depending on time.
Downloadable Risk Assessment is not yet available on website - email schools@the-observatory.org for details
