FunLab Trafford Centre Takeover
Explore our activites…
Due to the crisis in the Middle East, the activity lead, palaeontologist Prof. Phil Manning and the Gorgosaurus
are no longer able to participate in FunLab. We apologise for any disappointment.
Eco-design: Smart & sustainable living
Could you help build a greener future?
Take part in hands-on activities to design an eco-friendly home or create your own environmentally conscious body wash.
- Suitable for ages 7+
Flight simulator experience
Step into the cockpit and become a pilot for the day!
In our hands‑on flight simulator, children aged 7 and above can take control and experience the thrill of landing an aircraft. With easy‑to‑use controls and a realistic pilot’s‑eye view, this activity is perfect for curious young explorers and future aviators.
- Suitable for ages 7+
Join the great neutrino hunt
Join us for The Great Neutrino Hunt, where the whole venue becomes your science‑sleuth playground!
Kids and families get their very own “detector card” and set off to track down roaming “neutrinos”—friendly volunteers dressed with quirky clues like sunglasses, Mohawks, or donut‑shaped halos.
- Suitable for ages 7+
Just roll with it
Play your way into the world of numbers!
In this hands‑on statistics activity, kids get to roll big, colourful dice and watch their results turn into real bar charts they build themselves.
- Suitable for all ages
Make art and music with light
Discover Light Labs, where families can play, experiment, and explore!
Budding scientists can create beautiful cyanotype prints using light‑sensitive cards and watch their artwork appear with sunshine and water.
- Suitable for all ages
Navigate the maze with Sphero robots!
Take control of a Sphero robot and guide it through a tricky maze!
Use the app to steer or try block coding for an extra challenge. Can you find the fastest route?
- Suitable for all ages
Robots up close: Explore AI & robotics with ROBOSOC
Discover the fascinating world of robots and AI in a fun, family-friendly environment!
Meet static robots up close, ask questions, and learn about how robotics shapes our future.
- Suitable for all ages
Science vs your senses
Put your senses to the test with our Wonky Weights challenge!
First, guess which of our dolls is heaviest just by looking… then pick them up and see if your hunch holds.
- Suitable for all ages
See a robot dog in action
Come and meet our incredible robot dog!
Watch as it walks, responds to commands, and shows off its advanced technology.
- Suitable for all ages
The SKA observatory
Did you know scientists and engineers from The University of Manchester are helping to build the world’s largest radio astronomy telescope arrays?
Meet astronomers, hear about galaxies, stars and the Universe, and make your own colourful paper radio telescope dish to take home.
- Suitable for all ages
Very small particles for very small scientists
Discover physics for toddlers, children and their grown-ups.
Here little scientists can dive into a colourful sensory tray filled with oversized plush “particle zoo” characters and chunky fidget toys.
- Suitable for all ages
Visiting ancient worlds
Get ready for a hands on adventure into the world of ancient life!
Kids can touch real fossils, compare their own bones to a giraffe’s leg, and explore Megalodon teeth, mammoth remains, and plant fossils from Manchester’s deep past.
- Suitable for ages 4+
Water wizards
Get hands‑on with the science behind clean water!
Dive into Water Wizards and try separating oil from water with real membrane filters, watch microalgae magically clump together with special “eco‑powders,” and explore fizzy, colourful catalyst reactions.
- Suitable for ages 4+