• The region’s largest science festival will host visitors at a new location of Mushrif Central Park
• Exciting new additions to the festival programme include ‘Lego Sports Stars’ and ‘Space Station’
• Pre-booking is encouraged for all ADSF activities due to popular demand

Abu Dhabi, 15 November 2015 – The Abu Dhabi Science Festival (ADSF), the largest celebration of science in the region, is set to entertain UAE families with an amazing variety of fun, scientific activities. Taking place from 12-22 November 2015, ADSF features engaging and educational experiences for children of all ages including fun workshops, interactive exhibits and spectacular shows. Attended by nearly half a million visitors since its inception, ADSF was founded to inspire the interest of the UAE’s youth in the world of science and technology and is now in its fifth edition. 

This year, ADSF brings best-in-class informal science experiences to UAE children through a programming partnership with the Edinburgh International Science Festival (EISF) - the first and one of the largest science festivals in the world. As well as popular returning activities, ADSF 2015 will feature new additions to the festival programme that enable children to delve into the exciting areas of robotics, coding and space among many others.  Among the new workshops, are two iconic ones; the Lego Sports Star which is brought by Tawazun, ADSF’s presenting sponsor, and the Space Station, which is brought by the UAE Space Agency as part of efforts to inspire the nation’s youth through enriching their science experience.

Lego Sports Stars
The ultimate experience for young Lego and football fans, this activity gives children the opportunity to build and program their own robot. During this session they’ll learn about robots and coding as they use a Lego ‘WeDo’ kit to build their own goalkeeper and program him to play. Participants can then test their skills in the Robot World Cup penalty shoot-out.

A short introductory talk will explain the principles of robotics, real life applications and why robots will only ever do what they are programmed to do. During the interactive session, participants will follow instructions to build simple brick models and use computer software to program their robot to perform simple tasks. They will also troubleshoot problems using the computer program. Lego Sports Stars is suitable for children aged 5+.
The workshop will run during weekends from 14:30 to 15:15.

Space Station
This interactive workshop takes children on a trip into the future where astronauts living on Mars are looking for new recruits to help them on a very special mission. Participants get the chance to become a space cadet as they learn how to control ‘Mars Rovers’, the spacecraft that collects information about the planet’s surface. In a series of challenges, they will gather soil and rock samples from various sites, avoiding obstacles on the way. The workshop concludes with an analysis of the samples in the science lab at the Mars Space Habitation, finding out what they can teach us about the secrets of the planet and Martian life.

Introducing participants to astrobiology and the wonders of space, Space Station explores geology and the techniques used to study rock and soil samples. Learning will also cover the engineering and technology behind science exploration and the Mars Rovers craft as well as the diverse backgrounds and qualifications of the real-life astronauts who could one day launch a mission to Mars. Suitable for children aged 9 and over, Space Station.

Bursting with educational science content, ADSF 2015 will be running at full capacity from day one of the festival. Due to popular demand, parents are encouraged to check the programme and book tickets early via the official ADSF website: http://www.abudhabisciencefestival.ae . Follow the latest news and updates on ADSF’s social media platforms on Instagram and Twitter: @adsciencefest and on Facebook: Abu Dhabi Science Festival. The opening times of ADSF are as follows:

• Sun-Wed:  16.00-21.00
• Thursday:  16.00-22.00
• Fri-Sat:       14:00-22.00

The fifth edition of ADSF is organized by Abu Dhabi Education Council and the Abu Dhabi Technology Development Committee in partnership with Tawazun as “Presenting sponsor”, Dolphin Energy as “Gold Sponsor”, ADNOC and Etihad Airways as “Affiliate Sponsors”, Abu Dhabi Media Company as “Exclusive Media Partner” and the Edinburgh International Science Festival (EISF) as “Programming Partner”, with the festival produced by Flash Entertainment.