The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) work with great brands to engineer a better world and inspire the next generation of talented individuals. Here at The National Museum of Computing, we want to give young people and their families the chance to experience the world of engineering and technology first-hand and to get an insight into the reality of the exciting and diverse careers on offer in this field. We are delighted to showcase the important, creative and exciting roles that engineers play behind the scenes at some of the UK's most celebrated and innovative engineering and technology-related organisations.
You will have access to the whole museum for the day and be able to take part in talks and demonstrations from our expert engineers and volunteers.
You are invited to explore our unique collection of historic computing machines and see expert demonstrations.
Why not attempt one of our new immersive learning experiences in the form of our Museum Trails?
KIDS COME FREE!
Robot Rescue! - George the Robot is playing hide and seek with his friends but has forgotten how to walk. Explore the museum and find all our mini-bots before their batteries run out and they’re lost forever! [recommended for KS1 and younger KS2 learners]
Dingbat Trail - There are treasure boxes filled with secret clues hidden around the museum... Start with any box, find them all and solve the puzzles to identify computing-related words. Get all of the answers correct and solve the anagram to receive a special prize in our shop![recommended for KS3]
Mission: STEM - We need your help to discover Professor Proton's secret identity. Explore the museum and interact with exhibits to solve puzzles and save George the Robot! [recommended for KS3] - there are additional costs for supporting workbook here
Women in Computing - Discover the inspirational achievements of past and present Women in Computing and explore their impact on the industry in this interactive museum exploration. - a device is needed to participate
Codename: Cipher - The year is 1940 and you have been invited to Bletchley Park to assist in the war effort. Explore the museum and learn more about Encryption to end WWII in this immersive experience. - a device is needed to participate, additional cost for custom ENIGMATIX Codewheel.
Programming languages - From 5-hole punch tape to Python! Explore how programming languages have progressed over the decades and solve puzzles using them to choose your favourite. - a device is needed to participate
In addition, and in honour of the IET Open House Day, entry includes free access to specialised workshops:
NEW: Turing Tumble - Build an understanding of the internal machinations of computers by building your own marble-powered binary calculator! This hands-on session explores computer engineering and binary calculations. [10:30-12:00hrs in the BBC Classroom, age 8yrs +]
First Tech UK Robotics - Interested in robotics? Challenge yourself by EITHER building OR programming one of our fully customisable mini-bots. You won't have time to do both but depending on your interest, we can facilitate either. [13:00-14:30hrs in the Meeting Room, age 14yrs +]
KIDS COME FREE!
As you may already know, it is well documented that the UK faces a nationwide skills shortage – in fact it’s estimated that we need to find nearly 2 million new engineers over the next decade. By highlighting the important role that engineers play in everyday life, and the creativity and diversity of work in this sector, Engineering Open House Day connects directly with children to inspire and motivate them towards exploring careers in engineering and technology. It also equips and encourages parents to support their kids in fostering such ambitions. Recent research from the IET found that the majority (93%) of parents claim to know what an engineer is yet when pressed further, less than a quarter feel very confident in describing what an engineer actually does (23%). In contrast, parents felt very comfortable with describing what a teacher (64%), nurse (62%) and police officer (60%) does as a profession.
