How to Make the Most of the Science Museum’s Home Educators Day
Next date: 3 September 2026 Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London Free entry (some activities charged) The Science Museum’s dedicated Home Educators Days are one of the highlights of the home ed calendar — a chance to enjoy workshops, live shows, hands-on galleries and IMAX films alongside other home educating families, without the usual restriction of sticking to a single National Curriculum key stage group. If you’ve visited the Science Museum on a regular weekday as part of a group booking, you’ll already know what a fantastic resource it is. But Home Educators Days take the experience to a different level. The museum relaxes its usual age-group rules, meaning older and younger siblings can attend sessions together — something that makes an enormous practical difference to families with children spanning a wide age range. A special day of activities catering to a wider range of age groups than usual school events, allowing the inclusion of the whole family. What Makes These Days Different? On standard group visit days, the Science Museum’s schools programme runs alongside visiting school parties, and sessions are restricted to children of particular ages or key stages. Home Educators Days flip that dynamic. While the curriculum content of each session remains targeted at a specific key stage, the events are filled entirely with home educating families — creating a much more relaxed and social atmosphere. It also means you’re not trying to fit neatly into a box. A family with a seven-year-old and a twelve-year-old can attend sessions together rather than splitting up, which is one of those practical freedoms that home educators genuinely value. The museum is also explicit that these days are a great opportunity for socialising and networking with other home educating families — something that’s easy to overlook when you’re focused on booking workshops, but worth factoring into your day. Upcoming Dates There are currently two confirmed Home Educators Days: 3 September 2026 6 January 2027 New dates are added throughout the year, so it’s worth signing up to the Science Museum’s Education Newsletter to be notified when they go live. What’s On: Activities at a Glance You pick and choose from the available sessions to build your own itinerary for the day. Here’s an overview of what’s typically on offer, based on the current programme: Free Activities Bubble Explorers: The Science and Maths of Bubbles — ages 7 and under, multiple slots from 11.00 Wonderlab — ages 7–15, slots every 15 minutes (60 mins) Pattern Pod — ages 5–7, every 30 minutes from 10.30 (30 mins) The Garden — ages 4–6, at 12.30, 13.30 and 14.30 (45 mins) Paid Activities Interactive workshop (Feel the Force on 3 Sept 2026 / It Takes Guts on 6 Jan 2027) — ages 7–11, £5 per child Wonder Show (live science show) — ages 7–11, £2.50 per child Power Up — ages 7+, £5.50 per person IMAX film — ages 7+, £5.50 per person. Films vary by date (options include Under the Sea 3D, A Beautiful Planet 3D and Antarctica 3D) Note that prices apply to all children attending paid sessions, including older and younger siblings, unless they will be sitting on an adult’s lap. Beyond the Booked Sessions The Science Museum’s permanent galleries are free and well worth weaving into your day. The museum has produced several self-guided trails that work especially well for home educators, covering topics like forces, space, medicine and the stories of real-life technicians. These are available to download from the Science Museum Group Learning site ahead of your visit. Curriculum links for the Home Educators Days include forces and motion, living things and space, spanning KS1 and KS2 — though many sessions will engage older learners too. How to Book Register via the Science Museum group booking portal, then call 033 0058 0058 (option 1, then option 3) to have a team member place your booking. Payment for any charged activities must be made by credit or debit card at the time of booking — invoices are not available, even for larger groups or network organisations. Important Things to Know Before You Book Bookings close the day before the event — you cannot book on the day itself. The museum prefers a maximum 1:1 adult-to-child ratio. For group bookings, at least one adult is required per eight children. Changes to your booking are possible up to 28 days before your visit. After that point, you can increase numbers (subject to availability) but cannot reduce them, transfer to another date, or obtain a refund in any circumstances. If you’re bringing children outside the recommended age for a session, bear in mind the content may not engage them — museum staff are happy to suggest alternatives. Read the full group booking terms and conditions before booking. Tips for Making the Most of Your Visit Plan your session times before you book — popular slots like Wonderlab fill up fast, especially morning times. Have two or three options in mind before you call. Download the gallery trails from the Science Museum Group Learning site in advance so children can explore independently between sessions. Budget time for the free galleries. The Making the Modern World gallery alone can occupy curious children for a long time and needs no booking. If you have children spanning a wide age range, check session descriptions carefully — content is targeted at specific key stages even on Home Educators Days, and a KS1 session may not hold a teenager’s attention. Sign up to the museum’s Education Newsletter to be notified when new Home Educators Days are added, and to receive free home learning resources throughout the year. South Kensington puts you within walking distance of the Natural History Museum and the V&A — well worth combining visits if you’re travelling from further afield. Getting There The Science Museum is on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London SW7 2DD. The nearest Tube station is South Kensington (Circle, District and Piccadilly lines), about five minutes’ walk. The museum is open daily from
