Hands-on learning at Techniquest: Celebrate 40 years of Cardiff’s science centre this summer

Paid collaboration with Techniquest Cardiff

We had an absolutely brilliant day at Techniquest today. The hands-on science centre in Cardiff Bay turns 40 this year and is celebrating with 10 new exhibits, with classics The Mirror Maze and Head on a Plate having a glow-up, plus some brilliant new music-themed exhibits.

My children are teens and tweens now and have been visiting since they were babies – in fact, I remember visiting as a child myself – and what I love most is that you can enjoy Techniquest at any age. It really grows with you. My children have gone from randomly pressing buttons and enjoying the effects to understanding complicated scientific theories and relating what they are learning at school to what they see at Techniquest and real life.

Techniquest had a huge extension a couple of years ago and the added spaces means there are now an impressive 130 hands-on exhibits over three floors. Some of our favourites including the giant keyboard, hot air balloon and hurricane simulator, plus the brilliant slide which is the best way to get from upstairs to downstairs.

There’s also a new Create & Shape Zone which encourages visitors to get creative, whether that’s making something for the Lego wall or an intricate design with a spirograph or a wire face. It’s a good space if you want somewhere a little calmer away from the main floor. There’s a play zone for under 7s, and a rooftop sensory garden overlooking the Bay, perfect for a moment of calm.

For us, no visit to Techniquest is complete without watching the live science show, and this summer’s offering, The Battle of the Bangs, is a must this summer. The show sees some of the best explosions from the last 40 years going head to head, with visitors asked to vote for their favourite. The show is free subject to availability or you can guarantee entry for £1 per person.

Paid extras include a brilliantly fun slime workshop for £5 extra per person and the Planetarium shows, which give you a chance to see learn more about stars, planets and constellations, with shows for under 7s and over 7s, costing £2 additional per person.

We had lunch at the onsite Coffee Mania, but there’s also a picnic area, or your wrist bands mean you can go for lunch in the Bay and come back later on.

A family ticket costs from less than £50 thanks to the Great British Summer Savings scheme until 1 September, with Techniquest open until 2 September, perfect for those start-of-term inset days.

We were there for five hours and had so much fun. And if you’re reading this thinking ‘but I don’t have children’ then they run adult-only evenings too because as my teenager says, “everyone’s a big kid at heart and no one is too old for cool science experiments’.

When the new school term starts, you can also book for Toddler Days (Fridays 11 September and 9 October with more dates to be announced), which is especially for pre-schoolers and their grown ups with lots of additional activities; plus home educator days which offers reduced admission for home-learning families (Wednesdays 12 September, 21 October).

Techniquest, Stuart Street, Cardiff Bay, CF10 5BW. Open 10am-5pm daily over the summer holidays until Wednesday 2 September.
You can take advantage of the Great British Summer Savings until Tuesday 1 September, with tickets for children from £11.93, adults from £13.52, under 3s free, family (2+3) from £46.13
Battle of the Bangs, is suitable for ages 5+. The live science show is free or you can guarantee a space for £1. Planetarium shows are an additional £2 per person, slime lab is an additional £5 per child
See the Techniquest website for more information.