Explore It, Make It!

4 minUTE read

We crafted an engaging and educational digital resource for the Science Museum Group, focusing on science capital for young learners. The project, Explore It, Make It!, was developed to support the Science Museum Group’s strategic ambition of growing science capital in individuals and society. This initiative encourages children aged 7-12 and their families to engage with science in a fun and accessible way.

There was a challenge in applying creativity to real-world artefacts, ensuring facts are not misrepresented and being sensitive to both background and history.

What is Science Capital?

Science capital relates to an individual’s science-related knowledge, attitudes, experiences, and connections. It influences how people engage with and value science in their everyday lives, playing a key role in fostering a lasting interest in science.

Wonderlab+

Explore It, Make It! is part of Wonderlab+, the online companion to the Science Museum Group’s Wonderlab gallery. Wonderlab aims to ignite curiosity and fuel imagination through live science shows, demonstrations, and science Explainers, revealing the beauty of science and maths in our everyday lives.

Postcard Maker and Object Gallery

Explore It, Make It! features two main activities: the and the Object Gallery. Users can browse one hundred objects from the Science Museum Group’s Object Gallery, navigating through topic categories to discover detailed information about each artefact. The Postcard Maker allows users to creatively combine selected objects in response to prompts, generating personalised postcards that can be shared with friends and displayed in a communal feed.

Explore It! Make it! includes 100 interactive artefacts to explore.

Target Audience

Designed for primary school children and their families, Explore It, Make It! aims to engage those with medium to low science knowledge. It appeals to Engaged Community Drivers, who enjoy spontaneous science-related activities, and Entertainment Seekers, who prefer mainstream entertainment but might find new scientific concepts intimidating.

Engaged Community Drivers are individuals who enjoy fun science-related activities. They appreciate opportunities to explore and learn about science in an interactive and informal way, making them a key audience for educational experiences.

The Postcard Maker allows users to creatively combine selected objects in response to prompts

Collaboration

Creating a balance between fun and educational content is a specialty of fish in a bottle, with over twenty years of experience. This challenge is especially significant when applying creativity to real-world artefacts, ensuring facts are not misrepresented and being sensitive to both background and history.

Interactive experiences for primary school audiences need simple mechanics but must also appeal to adults and accommodate varying levels of computer experience. We addressed these challenges through extensive brainstorming and close collaboration with users and experts from the Science Museum Group.

Personalised postcards that can be shared with friends and displayed in a communal feed

Technology

We utilised PixiJS forvisual rendering and Three.js for the 3D aspects. Incorporating HTML elements ensured the experience met WCAG accessibility standards, making the interactive features accessible to all users.

Conclusion

Explore It, Make It! is an educational and interactive digital experience that resonates with young audiences with an interest in science. It highlights our innovative approach and commitment to delivering high-quality, accessible educational content.

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