• Dozens of stalls, workshops, talks and performances for families with children up to the age of 11 take over the University of Warwick on Saturday 14 September
• Join a Mission to Mars with CBeebies presenter Maddie Moate
• Full programme online at www.warwick.ac.uk/familydays
• Discover dinosaurs, explore space, experiment with robots, and more as the University of Warwick throws open its doors to families from Coventry, Warwickshire and beyond for a jam-packed day of exciting activities.

The University hosts its annual Family Day on Saturday 14 September and this year the programme is filled with dozens of stalls, workshops, talks and performances that will transform the campus into a range of worlds of discovery – all free to attend!

The day is aimed at families from Coventry and Warwickshire and has been designed especially for children up to the age of 11 around the themes of: All about me, Make it, Play it, Dinosaurs, Cities of the future, Our planet, Ancient Worlds and Move it.

Highlights this year include intergalactic storytelling from The Space Shed, learning the maths to figure out how magic tricks work, programming your own robot, and coming face-to-face with wild and dangerous dinosaurs, both real and imagined!

Visitors can also join Maddie Moate’s Astronaut Academy for a one-of-a-kind Mission to Mars. The BBC presenter, known to little ones for her CBeebies series Do You Know?, will be answering questions such as how rockets work, how space suits are made and what space smells like! Pre-sale tickets for Maddie’s show are now sold out but there will be a limited number of tickets available from the box office on the day.

There will also be the ever-popular Food Market, with local companies serving freshly cooked tasty treats. The Family Day is delivered in association with Jaguar Land Rover and you can view the full programme of activities online at www.warwick.ac.uk/familydays.

Jane Furze, Director of Public Engagement at the University of Warwick, said: “We are looking forward to welcoming our friends and neighbours in the city and region to an exciting day of exploring, discovering and experimenting with our exceptional staff and partners. Building on the popularity of our existing Family Days, this year we have created a special day that brings the British Science Festival to a suitable close with a diverse array of activities that celebrate the amazing work done on campus that will appeal to both children and parents alike.

“We would also like to thank our partner Jaguar Land Rover who have supported us in making this an even bigger event this year, with over 70 activities.

“The Family Day is just one of a wide programme of festivals and events that we are hosting for our local community to enjoy and learn about the contribution that the University makes to the region and beyond.”

For those with older children, the evening will see Challenge+ held in the University’s Oculus building with a unique programme for 11-16 year olds designed by a team of students from Finham Park 2 School. From 7pm – 9pm, kids can get involved in drone racing, e-sports, indoor stargazing and a pyrotechnics show, with free food and drink provided. For parents dropping off kids, the campus bar will be open all evening. Places for the Challenge+ event are limited and need to be booked at www.warwick.ac.uk/challengeplus.

It follows the British Science Festival, held in partnership with the University of Warwick, which will transform Coventry and Warwickshire into a celebration of science and culture from Tuesday 10 – Friday 13 September. Events have been curated to highlight the region’s strength in digital technologies, smart cities and the future of energy and healthcare. Check out the programme of 100+ events here.

The University of Warwick Family Day takes place on Saturday 14 September on the University campus, postcode CV4 7AL. The full programme is available online at www.warwick.ac.uk/familydays. All events are free to attend but some events require booking. Booking in advance is encouraged, however tickets will be available at the box office on the day for all events. While parking will be available for a small charge, visitors are encouraged to use environmentally friendly methods to travel.

Ends

20 August 2019

For further information contact:

Peter Thorley
Media Relations Manager (Warwick Medical School and Department of Physics)

Email: peter.thorley@warwick.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0)24 761 50868

Mob: +44 (0) 7824 540863