If you’re after something to do with the kids this month that isn’t another trip to the trampoline park, National Science Week has you covered. Running from Saturday 15 to Sunday 23 August, it’s one of the country’s biggest festivals, with roughly 3 million Aussies turning up to more than 2,500 events last year alone.

And this year’s lineup is genuinely wild. There’s a giant roaming dinosaur puppet, balloon vegetables trying to convince toddlers that broccoli is fun, and a porcupinefish walking a red carpet. Here’s what’s on in each state, so you can find something close to home.

New South Wales

Sydney’s getting four separate family science days across two weekends. Sydney Science Trail at the Australian Museum on Saturday 15 August brings out the museum’s resident dinosaur Winny, liquid nitrogen science shows and hands-on activities hosted by The Surfing Scientist.

On Sunday 16 August, Science in the Swamp at Centennial Park turns the park into an outdoor science playground with more than 50 stalls and a life-sized roaming dinosaur named Ginger.

On Saturday 22 August, Sydney Science Trail at Mount Annan offers behind-the-scenes tours of the National Herbarium and PlantBank, plus frog and bug experts. Then on Sunday 23 August, Science in the Scrub at Lizard Log in Western Sydney brings back Ginger the dinosaur alongside a First Nations Science Village and a pop-up Ocean Lab.

If you’re closer to Redfern, the Indigenous Science Experience on Saturday 22 August covers native bees, seaweed and Indigenous technology developed over thousands of years, alongside yarning with Elders.

And Sydney Zoo is running Growing Conservation Through Innovation from Saturday 15 to Sunday 23 August, where kids can help save turtles and frogs using smartphone apps and meet twelve threatened species on a Discovery Trail.

Australian Capital Territory

For the younger kids, Foodie Fun Play! in Canberra uses balloon fruits and veggies (don’t eat them) to sneak some nutrition science into the fun, aimed at ages 3 to 8, across multiple dates throughout Science Week.

Meanwhile, shopping centres across Canberra, including Canberra Centre, Westfield Belconnen and Westfield Woden, are hosting pop-up science activity centres on the weekends of 15–16 and 22–23 August, covering everything from native plants to space.

Northern Territory

In Darwin, Waverider is a family-friendly physical theatre show performed on a giant inflatable surf wave, exploring marine life and ocean conservation. It kicks off Friday 14 August, and the wave becomes a play zone once the show wraps.

Queensland

At the Ekka in Brisbane, the Agriculture Hall runs from Saturday 8 to Sunday 16 August, with a kids’ passport trail covering everything from where your strawberries come from to VR farm flyovers.

South Australia

Science Alive! at the Adelaide Showground runs Saturday 8 to Sunday 9 August, with robot wars, flying drone displays, VR experiences and a wildlife show.

In North Adelaide, catch the red-carpet premiere of two new animated shorts, including one following a porcupinefish named Porci, on Saturday 22 August.

And if you’re near Naracoorte, The Ammonites, an all-female dinosaur-loving musical trio, are taking their palaeo show to the Limestone Coast caves from Friday 14 to Sunday 16 August.

Victoria

Melbourne Museum is opening up its behind-the-scenes world for Science on Show on Saturday 22 August, with rare specimens, live quizzes, storytime and a gardening workshop where kids can plant a native seedling to take home.

Tasmania

Hobart’s waterfront hosts the Festival of Bright Ideas on Saturday 15 August, packed with quirky science songs, drone displays, an augmented reality sandbox and a chance to become an eco-detective investigating feral cats and invasive species. There’s also a dedicated Schools Day on Friday 14 August.

Over in the state’s north west, Hive Tasmania runs a three-week program from Saturday 8 to Wednesday 26 August, covering astronomy, ceramics and even slime mould photography.

Western Australia

At Kings Park in Perth, The Hidden Life of Seeds runs Saturday 15 to Friday 21 August. It’s a self-guided family tour through the Botanic Garden, complete with a journey passport that scores kids a collectible flora pin if they complete it.

From the couch

If you can’t make it to an event in person, ABC Science is running an online vote to crown Australia’s most amazing wildflower, open now until Friday 21 August, with the winner announced live on Radio National.

However you spend it, National Science Week is a genuinely easy way to get the kids outside, curious and away from a screen for a day, without needing to plan much beyond picking a date and turning up.

Event details, dates and times are subject to change. Check individual event listings at ScienceWeek.net.au before heading out.

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