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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Science festival? Book festival? Fun treat/outing we might all like . . .

15 replies

Sadik · 29/09/2015 21:43

Just wondering if anyone has any good suggestions of fun festivals/conventions etc that might be good for a whole family outing. Thinking either half term treat in October, or planning ahead for next year (DD/DH xmas presents, maybe).

We all like science, books, reading - annoyingly I only found out about the YA lit festival at the london Comic con after we had other plans, but that would have suited us all. I saw an ad for the Manchester Science festival which inspired this whole thought, but the programme didn't actually look that inspiring and worth travelling for. (We're in Wales, so Cardiff/Bristol/London are easy, other places not so much.)

Vague, I know, but I'm sure there are lots of somewhat geeky families with teenagers on MN who know what I'm looking for

OP posts:
TheSecondOfHerName · 29/09/2015 21:50

Ooooh, marking place.

OccamsLadyshaveToo · 29/09/2015 22:01

We have really enjoyed this: Big Bang Science Fair

I have been with kids aged 8-19. It's better for the younger ones, but the older ones have always found something to keep them entertained too.

ArcheryAnnie · 29/09/2015 22:16

Marking place - I am a nerd and I have a geeky teenager, and there's a ton of stuff to do that I can recommend! But I need to go to bed, so tomorrow.

Sadik · 29/09/2015 22:17

Look forwards to your recommendatinos, ArcheryAnnie! Sleep well :)

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ArcheryAnnie · 30/09/2015 10:32

cracks knuckles

Before we start, how old are your kids, OP?

Sadik · 30/09/2015 16:20

Just the one, and she's 13 (going on 14). On the whole she's more into science than computing - she enjoyed the CERN exhibition at the Science museum a while back, for example - coding camps etc not so much her thing.

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BestIsWest · 30/09/2015 18:39

ComicCon is on at the Motorpoint in Cardiff on Oct 23rd/24th. It's not as big as Londonderry or Birmingham but DCs have been and enjoyed.

BestIsWest · 30/09/2015 18:40

Londonderry??

Sadik · 30/09/2015 19:16

That looks like an interesting one - anything in Cardiff is great Grin All other suggestions welcome . . .

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ArcheryAnnie · 30/09/2015 19:25

Oooh! I have one the same age! (But a boy.)

Most of the stuff I know is London-based, but some of the info is transferable.

For instance: I'm taking him to Brian and Robin's Christmas Compendium in December at the Apollo in Hammersmith - hosted by Brian Cox and Robin Ince, it's a nerd xmas show, a sort of science cabaret with a ton of acts. I've taken him every year for the last two years, and it's quite expensive, but worth it. They have rather surprising guests - last year the musical turn was, er, the Cure, and the year before it was Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield. Most top-price tickets are gone but it's a huge venue so still some cheaper tickets left: www.eventimapollo.com/events/detail/brian-and-robins-christmas-compendium-of-reason-2

There's Ada Lovelace Day coming up, a "celebration of women and girls in science" - there's another science cabaret in London on the 13th Oct as part of this, one with all women on the stage, but it's a schoolnight I imagine, so no good for you. However, there's also lots of local events celebrating women and girls in STEM, so there might be one you fancy on their map here: findingada.com/worldwide-events/
(This map is zoomable so you can go in and see if there's anything you fancy. I can't see anything in Wales at the mo, but there's stuff being added all the time so check back.)

Still on the subject of shows, there's an act called "Festival of the Spoken Nerd" (@FOTSN) who are very funny - their shows are 14 and over (an occasional swear, I think, plus tinies wouldn't find it interesting) but as soon as DS hits 14 I am taking him. They are doing a tour, here, inc shows in Cardiff, Aberystwyth and Bath: festivalofthespokennerd.com/buy-tickets/

I don't know if you are on twitter, but if you are, and you follow things like @FOTSN, then you will get to find out other accounts that list nerdy fun science things. There are all kinds of smaller shows (smaller than FOTSN, I mean) and events all over the place, many of them free or very reasonably-priced.

Also, see if Cardiff or Bristol Universities have public engagement programmes - Imperial College here, which is obviously one of the top engineering/sci places, has all kinds of festivals and events over the course of the year, including weekend-long ones which have all kinds of child and teen-friendly (and free) activities - we've had some fantastic times there. It's possible other universities have the same, if only you can get on their mailing lists. Follow @ImperialSpark on twitter.

There's more - will come back here as I think of stuff but that's it for the moment.

ArcheryAnnie · 30/09/2015 19:28

Oooh, and Bletchley Park is really good for a day out, if you can get to it.

Sadik · 30/09/2015 19:44

Fantastic suggestions, thanks :) We're a good 3 hours from Cardiff, so to be honest London isn't much 'worse' IYKWIM as we need to make a weekend of it for whatever we do.

I'll definiely check out the public engagement programmes, that's a great idea. DD went on a great day event through school at the Cardiff uni chemical engineering department, hadn't thought about the fact that they might do open to the public things.

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BestIsWest · 05/10/2015 07:33

Cardiff also has the Dr Who experience and Techniquest in the Bay, although at 13 your DD may be too old for Techniquest, it's a while since I've been. You're never too old for Doctor Who.

Sadik · 05/10/2015 11:59

She's been to both - Dr Who three times, I think, last time as a school treat.

But good suggestions otherwise! In fact she fancies Comicon Cardiff on the grounds that there's likely to be lots of Dr Who fans :)

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BestIsWest · 05/10/2015 12:45

[Smile] I don't know where in Wales you are but If it's easier for you to get to Birmingham, my DC's said the Comicon there was better than the Cardiff one but I think that's in March.

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