Combining mess, miracles and education, is it any wonder kids love science? Edinburgh Science Festival has been engaging little brains with STEM subjects for 36 years now and is gearing up for another fortnight of space talks, forensic investigations and animal mayhem to inspire the next generation of botanists, geologists, coders and more. 

This year the theme is Spaceship Earth, bringing together ideas of sustainability, space travel and technology, with the aim of creating a world fit to last into the future. The space thread is understandably strong, one of the flagship events being the Walk Like An Astronaut talk from NASA astronaut Kathy Sullivan, the first American woman to walk in space.

For kids who prefer something a bit more hands-on, Mission Bake: From Bake Off To Blast Off sees Great British Bake Off finalist Josh Smalley celebrate the marvels of space through macarons and cake. There’s also The Rocket Show where ‘backyard’ science meets rocket science in an attempt to build a space-ready vessel. 

Little grey cells can be put to work in Solving A Crime, Brick By Brick, where a LEGO crime scene sets the stage for an exploration of forensic science. And away from the city centre, both Edinburgh Zoo and the Royal Botanic Garden have their own festival programmes for wildlife warriors and budding botanists respectively. Check out Planet Botanics to explore how to regenerate the earth from scratch, or Creatures Of The Planet to get up close with some of the zoo’s star residents. 

Edinburgh Science Festival runs from Saturday 5–Sunday 20 April.