On Tuesday and Wednesday, Year 5 swapped the classroom for the Moon (almost) at the City of Codes and Light STEAM Festival at Middleton Hall. They came back buzzing, and we were not surprised!

The children learnt all about the tools and technology needed for moon exploration, then stepped onto the Moon on an Earth simulator to find out what it might feel like to explore the lunar surface. Could humans really live beyond Earth? Year 5 were certainly ready to investigate!

The festival was packed with hands-on activities across science, technology, engineering, arts and maths. The children:

• Held a real rock from the Moon (yes, really!)
• Dressed up in space suit costumes
• Played a space game full of brain-teasing questions about the cosmos
• Explored the Lunar Materials Exhibition
• Stepped inside the immersive Science Dome
• Took the Moon Colony Challenge
• Listened to a NASA scientist speaking live from San Francisco

Not many children can say they’ve heard from NASA and held a piece of the Moon in the same week!

A huge well done to Year 5 for their curiosity, brilliant questions and enthusiasm. Who knows? We may have just met a future astronaut, engineer or space scientist.