Xplore! Science Discovery Centre School Trip Wales

Xplore! Science Discovery Centre is Where Science Lives in North Wales and beyond. Our exhibition floor is home to over 80 interactive exhibits that will engage and enthrall our visitors. Time in this space is the basis of every visit and your host will help you make the most of this time.

Our education programme offers a range of curriculum linked activities catering from Early Years to KS4 designed to support and enhance classroom-based learning. With more than 30 different sessions we cover a range of STEM topics at each level.

All our activities are led by a trained science communicator who will bring the subject to life with amazing demonstrations, volunteer led experiments and hands-on workshops.

Our community and public programmes have a range of shows, workshops, and events suitable for a variety of groups across many themes. These are ideal for those looking for a more flexible option or to tie in with a specific goal, such as scouting/guiding badges.

Alternatively, we can visit you at your venue. Most of our activities can travel, and our communicators can deliver in a variety of settings bringing the wonder of science to life in your very own backyard! This includes our amazing inflatable planetarium which can take you on a trip across the stars!

Xplore! is completely experiential with every single element of a visit involving participation from learners. Our science communicators will support and engage your learners throughout your visit assisting with the exploration of our exhibits and presenting workshops or shows.

Located on the border between England and Wales we are easily accessible to both North Wales and Northwest England and support both the English and Welsh curriculum. We are proud offer our sessions in English, Welsh or Bilingually, supporting our visitors’ preferences.

We are able to tailor every aspect of a visit to or from Xplore! from the length of the visit to the activity, or the language to the topic. Our team are happy to help you create the perfect package for your needs.

We have a LOtC Quality badge as well as a Visit Wales Gold Award. The full list of accreditations is available on our website.

Every visit to Xplore! includes access to over 80 interactive exhibits, as well as a dedicated area for lunch. Your visit at Xplore! includes a science communicator who will make sure your learners get the most from the day. We are home to North Wales’ only science shop, stocked with a range of experiments, models and puzzles as well as pocket money items.

Additionally, we can offer your choice of over 30 exciting activities covering topics ranging from biology through to coding, astrophysics to construction.

Booking a visit from Xplore! to your school allows us to run up to 6 sessions a day. Most of our sessions can take place in a range of spaces including classrooms up to the school hall, however activities that involve our inflatable planetarium need to be in a large hall space.

All our sessions are designed for an average class size of 30 learners, but we can adapt our live science shows for larger groups where needed. We can comfortably accommodate up to 120 – 150 learners in our centre, dependent on the number of activities chosen and length of your visit. During a visit to your setting, we can offer sessions for each class/group or larger groups where space allows.

All materials required for all our activities are provided.

There are no photography restrictions we just ask that schools are aware of other visitors and avoid taking photos of others.

The centre and all our activities are fully risk assessed and regularly reviewed. We can provide risk assessments on request, and we also offer free teacher pre-visits to those looking to make a booking.

Our education team consists of 2 Education Co-ordinators, one who manages our educational offers for schools and one who manages our educational offer for our public visitors. We have a pool of around 20 Science Communicators who develop and deliver the interactive sessions.

A visit to the centre starts at £6.50 per learner including one activity from our education programme (Welsh Government subsidies are available for schools based in Wales) and a visit to your venue starts at £295 for half day. Visits for public visitors, community groups and individuals are dependent on the activity, length of visit, etc and can be discussed during your initial enquiry.

No. If any activity does have specific clothing needs i.e. for outdoor activities, this will be raised at the time of booking.

We have first aiders on site at all times.

Science Shop, Café, Lunch Room, Toilets, Accessible Changing Places facilities, Theatre, Workshops, Hearing Loop

We are committed to being as accessible as possible. Xplore! has level access using both main entrance doors and a hearing loop around our entrance and reception areas. The exhibition area, here at Xplore!, has exhibits of varying heights and actions, please ask a member of staff if you need any assistance. We have male and female toilets as well as two gender neutral disabled access toilets and baby changing facilities. We also have a fully accessible changing facility complete with a changing bench, hoist and moveable sink. We welcome assistance dogs. Xplore! recognises the sunflower lanyard scheme and many of our staff have received additional training to support visitors with dementia, ASD, hearing loss and other additional needs.

We are Monday to Thursday 09:30 – 16:30 for school bookings. We are, however, able to take evening and weekend bookings in centre and visits to your venue 7 days a week. Our team are happy to discuss your preferences.

“This was the most organised trip we have been on and the children were fully engaged in all activities. It was so helpful having timetabled slots in different areas as it enabled all of the children to explore everything Xplore! has to offer. Staff kept us really informed and were available to answer any questions that we had. Thank you very much to everyone involved. We look forward to our next visit.” Teacher KS2/3

“There were lots of “Wows!” from the children, it was great to see.” Teacher KS2

“The children were engaged throughout the trip and didn’t want to leave.” Teacher KS2