Creative Chemistry

Creative Chemistry is coming to The Studio at The Harris on Saturday 28 November, run in partnership with the Royal Society of Chemistry. It's a series of free chemistry workshops for families, so if you've got kids and a spare Saturday afternoon, it's a good shout.

The whole thing is built around hands-on experiments, and they've picked three that are easy to get your head around. There's chromatography, where you use felt pens on kitchen roll to see how different colours separate; rates of reaction, which they're demonstrating with glow sticks; and polymers, which you'll make into paper chains. Each one takes a basic chemistry concept and turns it into something you can actually see and touch, rather than just reading about in a textbook. If you're taking children, it's the kind of thing that works because they're doing the experiments themselves, not just watching someone else do them.

Beyond the experiments, there's a bit of career talk mixed in, so if anyone in the family is curious about what a career in chemistry actually looks like, that's your chance to find out. It's aimed at families, so it's as much for the adults as it is for the kids.

Logistically, it's not just one big session. There are five separate slots throughout the afternoon: 1pm, 1.30pm, 2pm, 2.30pm and 3pm. You pick the one that fits your day, and since they're half an hour apart, you've got a bit of flexibility. Entry is free, but you'll need a ticket to get in, so it's worth booking your spot in advance. You'll find it at The Studio inside The Harris, Market Square, Preston PR1 2PP.