The DNA double-helix connects the worlds of biology and medicine: It is a structure that stands for our current understanding of ourselves, the evolution and health of our physical bodies. But it is also a symbol for harmony, balance and life, which are important elements of our mental health. Brush up your anatomy by placing bones and organs on a ‘body’, see how our heart and lungs work, learn life-saving skills or watch muscles ‘in action’. You can also learn about evolutionary processes with the help of coloured chocolate beans (M&Ms, Smarties – to be eaten afterwards!), make DNA origami, or extract real DNA from a strawberry. To understand the relation between health and sleeping, design your own bedroom with us and join in a fun duvet challenge. (Biology, Medicine)
Activities
Simulating Evolution! This activity that demonstrates evolutionary processes using colored chocolate beans such as M&Ms or Smarties. The chocolate beans can be eaten during after the activity by the participants. We also have an interactive game to evolve DNA using dices and a computer simulation that can be shown on a larger screen.
Sleep Well: Child Health and Wellbeing! Our activity focuses on promoting healthy sleep habits for children and their caregivers. Participants will have the opportunity to design their own bedroom, take part in a sleep hygiene quiz, engage in a fun duvet challenge, guess sleep recommendations, and learn about the impact of sugar and caffeine in foods before bed. This interactive session is designed to be both educational and engaging for all ages.
How the Heart Works! Our hearts are the centre of our circulatory system and vital to our health and functioning. Learn about how our hearts function by exploring ECGs, machines that measure how our heart beats, and looking at heart cells on a microscope.
Save a Life – Learn CPR and BLS! Learn vital, life-saving skills at this stand, where you will learn about CPR and other Basic Life Support and practice on a mannequin.
Prosthetic Joints! Medicine is constantly innovating, and prostheses are a key area of development. People of all ages can learn about how damaged joints are treated and the technology behind prosthetic joints. Kids will have the opportunity to see how prosthetics are fitted and the pros and cons of each of them.
Demonstrating Dynamic Lung Function! You probably know that our lungs help us breathe, but you might not know how complicated that action is! Doctors need to monitor and understand many factors of lung function. At this stand, kids can experience their dynamic lung function and learn how doctors use a tool called an ‘endoscope’ to find objects in the lungs.
Treating Tonsilitis – What would you choose? Explore options for treating tonsilitis, namely antibiotics or tonsillectomy, and talk to a leading medical researcher about how you approach medical decisions.
How Can We Test Our Lungs? There are simple ways and complicated ways. Most use devices to test how fast we can breathe out, to what limits, and can also look at the shape of our breaths on a graph paper to give us clues about how are lungs are working. Sometimes, it helps to look inside the lungs. We can do this with a small camera linked to a long tube that enters the lungs and through which we can look around. You can try out these different devices, just like the experts use in real life!
DNA: the Discovery that Changed Medicine? DNA is the ‘code’ that makes us who we are. Kids can learn how the discovery of DNA changed how we understand and treat medical conditions alongside fun hands-on activities. Kids can make DNA origami, colour cells and organelles, and even extract real DNA from a strawberry!
Where do those bones and organs go? Brush up on your anatomy and learn where those bones and organs go! Kids can play an interactive game, placing bones and organs on a ‘body’. Older kids can explore these body parts further and learn about their structures and functions.
Balancing Work and Life – Children’s version Modern parents and their kids have busy lives and full schedules. How individuals experience their ‘work’ and ‘nonwork’ domains, defined as ‘work-life balance’, can greatly vary, according to career type, family status, and individual preferences. We will explore the meaning of work-life balance in a kid-friendly way through drawings and photos. Visual aids help children express their understanding of ‘work’ or ‘nonwork’ and highlight differences in perception across kids of different ages and between adults and their children.
