on 03/07/2026
What do you have planned for National Science Week this year?
Check out some of the great activities we've come across (we will continue to update this in the lead up to National Science Week). Let us know what you have planned to feature on our National Science Week round-up blog!
Plus don't forget to check out the National Science Week website for all upcoming events and the Teacher Resource Book from the Australian Science Teachers Association. Members can also view the most recent edition of the SASTA Journal online here, which relates to the National Science Week theme.
National Science Week Launch
When: Friday 14 August, 5.30pm - 8pm
Where: South Australia Museum's Science Centre
Kick off National Science Week 2026 (15-23 August) with an evening of discovery, creativity, and hands-on fun at the National Science Week Launch for South Australia!
This free public event provides a taste of the exciting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) experiences available during National Science Week in South Australia, with exclusive activities and shows available for one night only.
Want to see what happens behind the scenes at the South Australian Museum? Throughout the evening, guided tours of the Science Centre will provide access to laboratories, collection spaces and working research areas that are rarely open to the public. Discover how Museum scientists investigate biodiversity, evolution and extinction, and learn how specimens and collections help tell the story of life on Earth.
Find out more here.
The Dating Game at the Discovery Centre
Visit the SA Museum between 15-23 August and play The Dating Game. Step into the shoes of a museum curator as you learn about scientific techniques that will help discover vlues and determine the age of these ancient relics. This free interactive activity is open for all ages.
Find out more here.
Native Seed Box
Native Seed Box offers curriculum-aligned Australian classroom resources designed to bring biodiversity, pollination, seed germination and sustainability learning to life through hands-on environmental science. Their classroom seed bomb kits include teacher guides, lesson slides, student worksheets and curriculum mapping, making it easy for schools to explore native ecosystems and habitat creation through practical STEM learning.
Find hands-on classroom resources and Australian native seed kits for Science Week here.
Scientific Photoraphy Competition
The Adelaide Optics Chapter is hosting their annual Scientific Photography Competition. The competition is open to students of all ages and there are over $1000 in prizes to be won. Submissions to the photo competition will be on display at a free-to-attend exhibition at the Australian Space Discovery Centre (ASDC) on the 28 August.
Find out more details here.
Plants for Space - Mission to the Moon
Saturday 15 August, 2pm-3.15pm
Australian Space Discovery Centre
Plants are essential to life as we know it on Earth, and we’ll need them to survive as humans travel to the Moon and Mars.
Join the Australian Space Discovery Centre and Plants for Space for an out-of-this-world workshop this National Science Week!
In this workshop, you’ll put yourself in the shoes of plant scientists, psychologists, food chemists and more to prepare a plant-inspired solution for a space mission. You’ll hear from real researchers about how plants grow in space; with limited food, water and space onboard, you’ll need to think creatively!
Book your spot here.
Mobile Planetarium
Friday 21 August, 10am-5pm
West Torrens Library
Explore the wonders of space during National Science Week with a mobile planetarium experience from SciWorld.
Join us in the West Torrens Library Auditorium for an immersive journey through the night sky. Sessions will run throughout the day for different ages groups, including junior primary, upper primary, junior high and the general public.
Bookings are essential. Make your booking here.
Secrets of the Seed - Exploring South Australian Plant and Seed Science
Saturday 22 August, 10:30am-12:00pm
Goodman Building, Adelaide Botanic Garden
Tickets: From $10.00 per person
Step behind the scenes of South Australia's plant conservation efforts.
You will meet rare and threatened plant species, learn about the state's seed bank, and discover how our scientists and flora ecologists protect plants from extinction.
Get involved with some hands-on propagation techniques, with your own native paper daisy seed to grow and take home.
Book your ticket to this workshop, an introduction for anyone interested in learning more about plant conservation.
Booking info here.
CSIRO Robot Responders
Designed for curious minds, this year’s National Science Experiment invites young people to explore how robots move, sense the world, and solve problems – and how they can work with us to take on tasks that are too dangerous or difficult for humans to do alone.
Find out more and register your involvement here.
FREE Webinars - Join the CSIRO Research Bessel (RV) Investigator on the Greate Barrier Reff
Bring seafloor science into your classroom! Join researchers onboard the RV Investigator as they explore the seafloor of the southern Great Barrier Reef.
These webinars will be in the final week of the voyage; the perfect time to hear from the science team, learn about the expedition highlights and what it is like to live and work on a research vessel on the Great Barrier Reef.
Session times:
- Monday 17 August 10.30am - 11.30am (AEST)
- Tuesday 18 August 10.30am - 11.30am (AEST)
- Tuesday 18 August 6.30pm - 11.30am (AEST)
Find out more here.
National Science Week Premiere - Little Scientists Big Blue
When: Saturday 22 August, 10.30am - 12pm
Where: The Piccadilly, 181 O'Connell Stree, North Adelaide
Little Scientists, Big Blue - a brand-new animated short film created with Fastbreak Films especially for National Science Week 2026. Join Porci the Porcupine Fish on an imaginative underwater journey exploring kelp forests, deep-sea ecosystems, marine wildlife and the science helping protect our oceans.
Hosted by the Marine Discovery Centre with National Parks and Wildlife Service SA, this family-friendly event combines animation, marine science and hands-on discovery to inspire future ocean explorers.
Book your tickets here.
Naracoorte ROCKS - The world benearth our feet
When: Friday 14 August - Sunday 16 August
Where: Naracoorte Caves
Naracoorte Rocks is a three-day regional science festival at the Naracoorte Caves combining live performance, storytelling, and community events.
The event begins on Friday 14th August with a LIVE recording of the podcast, Palaeo Jam in The Caves Cafe.
On Saturdya, head to the The Caves Cafe for a meet and greet with singing palaeontologist Professor Flint, and for advice for anyone entering this year's Mary Anning Art Prize.
On Sunday, in the magical surrounds of Blanche cave, The Ammonites are putting on a FREE family show with science you can dance to, for the community.
Find our more and book your tickets here.
Chaos in the Kitchen - The science show
When: Saturday 1 AUgust
Where: Old Noarlunga Institute Hall
This high‑energy show starts with a simple recipe, but things don’t stay simple for long. Every ingredient—eggs, cornflour, cabbage and carrot—suddenly turns into a hands‑on science experiment.
Cooking up curiosity one experiment at a time Dr Julie asks questions, makes predictions, and shows students how to think like scientists while keeping everything fun and easy to understand. Kids get to join in and guess what will happen next.
It’s messy, it’s funny, and it turns ordinary ingredients into extraordinary science. Want to see what your kitchen can really do?
Find out more here.
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