On Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th March, LMB scientists, led by Simon Bullock and Isabel Torres, provided fun, hands-on activities at the Cambridge Science Festival encouraging children to learn about cells and microscopy.
Children visiting the ‘See Your Cells!’ stand in the Biology Zone donned lab coats and used a microscope to see their own cheek cells. They also tested their detective skills in an interactive game, which involved scrutinising various plants and insects using a stereomicroscope.
Few children have access to microscopes until sixth form but the ‘See Your Cells!’ activities aim to use microscopes to spark children’s curiosity and fuel their enthusiasm for science.
‘See Your Cells!’ was inspired by the LMB’s Microscopes4Schools outreach programme, open to schools across Cambridgeshire. The programme has been a great success in introducing primary school children to cell biology and in inspiring teachers to perform similar science activities in the classroom.