Situated beside Elgin Library, our Discovery Centre is a welcoming, hands-on space where children can explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics through interactive exhibits, creative play and practical workshops.
Early years and primary-aged children, accompanied by their educators or group leaders.
Elgin Library, with future sites opening in Buckie and Forres
Time to explore the Discovery Zone and a practical workshop in the Curiosity Lab.
Visits must be arranged in advance with the STEM Starts team. This can be done by clicking the “Contact Us” button at the top of the page.
/
Explore hands-on exhibits inspired by life and work in Moray. Investigate nature, experiment with energy, discover local industries and enjoy creative and sensory play.
The Discovery Zone encourages children to follow their curiosity, test ideas and learn through active exploration.
Step inside and discover the hands-on zones, interactive displays and creative play spaces that make learning fun and meaningful for children in their early and primary years.
A visit to the STEM Starts Discovery Centre can include a practical, interactive workshop delivered in our dedicated classroom space, the Curiosity Lab.
Our workshops encourage children to investigate, experiment, design and solve problems through activities linked to the Curriculum for Excellence. Options are available for different ages, stages and areas of STEM.
Animation
Stage: P4–P7
Supplied by: Smart STEMs
Discover how animation creates the illusion of movement before planning and producing a short stop-motion film using craft materials and iPads.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Defending Our Coasts
Stage: P1–P4
Supplied by: Glasgow Science Centre
Investigate coastal erosion and flooding before designing, building and testing structures that can protect a model shoreline from waves.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Energy Explorers
Stage: N–P2
Supplied by: TechFest
A lively, hands-on introduction to energy, electricity and renewable power through storytelling, demonstrations, experiments and creative challenges.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Food Manufacturing
Stage: P1–P4
Supplied by: Glasgow Science Centre
Explore how everyday foods are produced through practical activities involving weighing, measuring, mixing, sorting and food-label design.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Glorious Germs
Stage: P1–P7
Supplied by: TechFest
Enter the fascinating world of germs through experiments, creative activities and stories exploring infection, immunity, hygiene and vaccination.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
How We Use Electricity in Our Homes
Stage: N–P1
Supplied by: UHI
Identify familiar electrical items found around the home and explore how electricity can be used safely in everyday life.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Balloon Rocket Challenge — Early Years
Stage: N–P1
Supplied by: Smart STEMs
Explore how moving air creates motion by building and launching a balloon rocket. Children investigate what makes their rocket travel faster or further while making connections to real rockets and aeroplanes.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Building a Games Controller
Stage: P5–P7
Supplied by: UHI
Design a simple computer game before using conductive materials to build and test a working games controller.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Building Our Community
Stage: P1–P4
Supplied by: Glasgow Science Centre
Explore simple machines and construction through practical demonstrations, imaginative play and collaborative building challenges.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Introduction to Series Circuits
Stage: P2–P4
Supplied by: UHI
Discover how electrical components work together before constructing and testing a simple series circuit.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Materials — First Level (Indoor or outdoor lesson)
Stage: P2–P4
Supplied by: Wild Things!
Investigate the properties and uses of natural and human-made materials through sorting, testing and practical building challenges. Children select suitable materials to construct a raft, den or miniature shelter.
Register interest (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Renewable Energy Play Mat
Stage: N–P4
Supplied by: UHI
Explore renewable energy and sustainable living through interactive, age-appropriate play and meaningful group discussion.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Terrific Teeth
Stage: P1–P7
Supplied by: TechFest
Explore the history and science of dental care before creating and testing a homemade toothpaste against a shop-bought product.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Botley: Introduction to Computational Thinking
Stage: N–P1
Supplied by: UHI
Develop early computational thinking by creating sequences of instructions to guide a screen-free Botley robot through practical challenges.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Creature Feature
Stage: P5–P7
Supplied by: UHI
Explore how marine animals are adapted to their environments before using that knowledge to design an original sea creature.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Design a Helicopter — Early Years
Stage: N–P1
Supplied by: Smart STEMs
Design, build and test a paper helicopter while exploring how spinning blades help helicopters fly. Children can change their designs and compare how each helicopter moves.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Electromagnetism
Stage: P3–P5
Supplied by: TechFest
Investigate magnets, magnetic fields and electricity through practical activities exploring how movement can be used to generate electrical energy.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Energy Sources and Sustainability
Stage: P5–P7
Supplied by: UHI
Research different renewable-energy sources and communicate how they can support a more sustainable future.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Exploring Our Senses: First Level
Stage: P2–P4
Supplied by: UHI
Investigate sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch through practical activities using familiar everyday materials.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Introduction to Circuit Building
Stage: P5–P7
Supplied by: UHI
Build and test electrical circuits while investigating components, resistors and the differences between series and parallel circuits.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Conductors and Insulators
Stage: P5–P7
Supplied by: UHI
Pupils using a circuit to test electrical conductors and insulators
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Design a Working Water Wheel (First Level)
Stage: P2–P4
Supplied by: Smart STEMs
Design, build and test a working water wheel while exploring how moving water powered early factories and continues to generate renewable electricity today.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Ecosystem Jenga
Stage: P5–P7
Supplied by: UHI
Use a hands-on tower activity to investigate marine food webs and discover how changes to one species can affect an entire ecosystem.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Exploring Our Senses: Second Level
Stage: P5–P7
Supplied by: UHI
Investigate how our sensory organs detect information and explore how the brain helps us interpret and respond to different stimuli.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Introduction to Sphero and Computer Programming
Stage: P5–P7
Supplied by: UHI
Programme Sphero robots while exploring algorithms, movement, angles, speed, distance and time through practical challenges.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
KAPLA Construction and Design: Early Level
Stage: N–P1
Supplied by: UHI
Build, test and improve imaginative structures with KAPLA planks while developing early engineering, shape and problem-solving skills.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Advanced Sphero: Loops and Variables
Stage: P5–P7
Supplied by: UHI
Develop more advanced Sphero programs using variables, repeat loops and conditional repetition to solve robotics challenges.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Building a Battery
Stage: P5–P7
Supplied by: UHI
Explore how chemical cells produce electricity before constructing and testing a working battery from simple materials.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
KAPLA Construction and Design: First Level
Stage: P2–P4
Supplied by: UHI
Design and improve 2D and 3D KAPLA constructions through creative challenges, practical problem-solving and trial and error.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Pollution Tank
Stage: P5–P7
Supplied by: UHI
Use a model marine environment to investigate how pollution enters the ocean and affects habitats, wildlife and water quality.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Senses — Early Level (Outdoor lesson)
Stage: N–P1
Supplied by: Wild Things!
Use sight, sound, smell, touch and taste to investigate the outdoors through sensory games, natural materials and creative play. Children discover how their senses help them understand and respond to the world.
Register interest (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Carnivorous Plants
Stage: P2–P4
Supplied by: UHI
Discover how carnivorous plants are adapted to capture insects and obtain the nutrients they need to grow.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
KAPLA Construction and Design: Second Level
Stage: P5–P7
Supplied by: UHI
Tackle advanced construction challenges by designing, testing and improving stable 2D and 3D structures with KAPLA planks.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Sound — Early Level (Indoor or outdoor lesson)
Stage: N-P1
Supplied by: Wild Things!
Explore how sounds are made through listening games, outdoor investigations and musical play. Children discover vibration, experiment with different materials and create sounds of their own.
Register interest (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
The Senses — First Level (Outdoor lesson)
Stage: P2–P4
Supplied by: Wild Things!
Explore how our senses collect information and keep us safe through an adjective scavenger hunt, tactile challenges and outdoor tracking. Children test what happens when sight or hearing is limited and consider the reliability of sensory information.
Register interest (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Water — First Level (Outdoor lesson)
Stage: P2–P4
Supplied by: Wild Things!
Follow water on its continuous journey through evaporation, condensation, precipitation and collection. Children conduct practical experiments to investigate changes of state, temperature and the importance of clean water.
Register interest (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Life Cycles — First Level (Outdoor lesson – Spring, Summer and Autumn)
Stage: P2–P4
Supplied by: Wild Things!
Explore how animals, plants and humans change as they grow. Children arrange life-cycle stages, act out the transformation from frogspawn to adult frog and investigate what living things need to develop.
Register interest (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Materials — Early Level (Indoor or outdoor lesson)
Stage: N–P1
Supplied by: Wild Things!
Explore wood, metal, plastic, stone and fabric through scavenger hunts, sorting challenges, construction and natural art. Children investigate the properties of different materials and decide which ones are best suited to different purposes.
Register interest (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Plant Uses
Stage: P5–P7
Supplied by: UHI
Investigate the many ways plants provide food, materials, medicines and other products that benefit people and society.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Sound — First Level (Outdoor lesson)
Stage: P2–P4
Supplied by: Wild Things!
Investigate how sound is created and how it travels through practical experiments, outdoor listening and instrument making. Children explore vibration, pitch and the physical properties that change the sounds we hear.
Register interest (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Sound — Second Level (Outdoor lesson – Spring, Summer and Autumn)
Stage: P5–P7
Supplied by: Wild Things!
Investigate how sound travels and how the shape and position of ears affect hearing. Learners study animal adaptations, build cone-shaped ear trumpets and test their designs over different distances.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Design a Working Water Wheel (Early Level)
Stage: N-P1
Supplied by: STEM Starts
Explore how moving water can create power by designing and building a simple working water wheel. Children investigate how water pushes the wheel and discover how this idea is used to generate renewable energy.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Materials — Second Level (Indoor or outdoor lesson)
Stage: P5–P7
Supplied by: Wild Things!
Investigate the rocks, soils and minerals beneath our feet. Learners collect, examine and test samples before using their findings to create an outdoor rock museum.
Register interest (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Pollination
Stage: P5–P7
Supplied by: UHI
Investigate how pollination works, explore different types of pollinators and discover why they are vital for plants, food production and ecosystems.
Enquire (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Senses — Second Level (Indoor or outdoor lesson)
Stage: P5–P7
Supplied by: Wild Things!
Explore how our senses help us understand our surroundings, recognise danger and respond to problems. Learners investigate animal and human senses before using observation and teamwork to solve outdoor first-aid scenarios.
Register interest (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Biodiversity and Interdependence — Early Level (Outdoor lesson – Spring, Summer and Autumn)
Stage: N-P1
Supplied by: Wild Things!
Explore the natural world through bug hunting, sorting activities and creative outdoor play. Children discover what makes something living and how plants, animals and minibeasts depend on one another.
Register interest (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Water — Early Level (Outdoor lesson)
Stage: N-P1
Supplied by: Wild Things!
Explore water in its different forms through practical experiments and outdoor play. Children investigate ice, liquid water and steam while learning about melting, freezing and boiling.
Register interest (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Life Cycles — Early Level (Outdoor lesson – Spring and Summer)
Stage: N–P1
Supplied by: Wild Things!
Explore how plants and animals grow and change through role play, nature investigations and creative challenges. Children discover what living things need to grow, survive and complete their life cycles.
Register interest (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Biodiversity and Interdependence — First Level (Outdoor lesson – Spring, Summer and Autumn)
Stage: P2–P4
Supplied by: Wild Things!
Investigate living, non-living and once-living things before exploring how plants and animals are connected through food chains and food webs. Children discover why biodiversity matters and how they can help protect it.
Register interest (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Plants — First Level (Outdoor lesson – Summer and Autumn)
Stage: P2–P4
Supplied by: Wild Things!
Investigate what plants need to grow through outdoor exploration and a practical growing experiment. Children identify different plants, examine woodland layers and predict what will happen when essential growing conditions are changed.
Register interest (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Weather — First Level (Outdoor lesson – Spring and Summer)
Stage: P2–P4
Supplied by: Wild Things!
Become a weather watcher by building simple measuring instruments and recording rainfall, temperature, cloud cover, wind speed and direction. Children compare their observations with weather forecasts and explore how weather affects living things.
Register interest (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Biodiversity and Interdependence — Second Level (Outdoor lesson – Spring, Summer and Autumn)
Stage: P5–P7
Supplied by: Wild Things!
Investigate biodiversity by classifying animals, using identification keys and surveying local habitats. Children explore adaptations, interdependence and the importance of protecting species and ecosystems.
Register interest (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Plants – A — Second Level (Outdoor lesson – Spring and Summer)
Stage: P5–P7
Supplied by: Wild Things!
Explore the vital role of plants by creating a living food web and following the flow of energy through an ecosystem. Children investigate interdependence and discover what happens when plants disappear.
Register interest (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Plants – B — Second Level (Outdoor lesson – Spring and Summer)
Stage: P5–P7
Supplied by: Wild Things!
Discover how plants benefit society through natural dyes, fibres, food, medicine, fuel and construction. Children take part in practical activities while exploring sustainable harvesting and woodland management.
Register interest (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Water — Second Level (Outdoor lesson)
Stage: P5–P7
Supplied by: Wild Things!
Investigate the water cycle, drought, wildfires and global access to clean water. Children work together to transport a limited supply of water and consider how this essential resource can be protected.
Register interest (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Weather — Second Level (Indoor or outdoor lesson)
Stage: P5–P7
Supplied by: Wild Things!
Explore the difference between weather and climate and investigate how climate affects people, wildlife and society. Learners identify contrasting climate zones and create models using natural materials.
Register interest (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Life Cycles & Inheritance — Second Level (Outdoor lesson – Spring and Summer)
Stage: P5–P7
Supplied by: Wild Things!
Investigate how plants and animals grow, reproduce and pass on characteristics. Learners compare life cycles, dissect flowers and explore pollination, fertilisation and seed dispersal.
Register interest (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Plants — Early Level (Outdoor lesson – Spring and Summer)
Stage: N–P1
Supplied by: Wild Things!
Explore what plants need to live and grow through practical outdoor activities, including identifying plant parts, planting seeds and creating nature-inspired artwork.
Register interest (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Weather — Early Level (Outdoor lesson – Spring and Summer)
Stage: N–P1
Supplied by: Wild Things!
Explore different types of weather through movement, den-building, weather instruments and imaginative outdoor play.
Register interest (opens Microsoft Forms in a new tab)
Form not loading? Contact us another way.
Tell us about your group, preferred dates and workshop interests, and our team will help you arrange your visit to the STEM Starts Discovery Centre.
