Make science come alive with school visits to aquariums, zoos and observatories

Nearly half of young adults found school science boring, according to a poll by the charity Edge, and three-quarters said hands-on activities would have made the subject more interesting. Which makes you wonder if they ever went on any trips. For science, trips can be as simple as a walk along a local river, or as exciting as a day at the zoo.

If it's adventure, discovery and inspiration your pupils need, there's a host of trips to choose from. Science trips allow pupils to see things that aren't possible in the classroom, and can help to build a closer relationship between teacher and child. These days, most scientific attractions have education departments whose job it is to support teachers and help organise the best possible class visits. However, it's still a good idea to do some research first, visit the place beforehand if you can, and check worksheets or trails to make sure the level is appropriate. Expect to pay about £5 per child and to get one teacher place free per 10 children.

The network Ecsite-uk ( www.ecsite-uk.net) represents 80 science attractions, from aquariums and botanical gardens to observatories and planetariums. Dr Melanie Quin, the executive director, says it's the sensory aspect that's all-important on school trips, as well as the chance to meet some real-life scientists.

For many pupils, she says, the abiding memory is "not the highly advertised blockbuster exhibition but an unexpected encounter such as meeting Charles Darwin as played by a character actor at the National History Museum."

If it's a science centre you want, At-Bristol has 170 interactive experiences. In the Live Science Zone you can watch shows, join in debates and try creating and building bridges. Magna Science Adventure Centre in Rotherham advertises itself as a "coats on" experience offering workshops and, next month, a Roaming Robots celebration.

If your pupils are interested in solutions to environmental problems, the Centre for Alternative Technology in Machynlleth, Wales, has interactive displays and workshops on topics like wind power, as well as a slug and bug hunt. The Observatory Science Centre in Herstmonceux, East Sussex, has both indoor and outdoor exhibits, a hands-on corridor, telescope tours and science shows with audience participation.

The Deep, an aquarium in Hull, has educational sessions for all key stages in its new learning centre. It boasts 14 species of shark and the world's only underwater lift. At the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth, teachers can choose a visit based around one of several themes such as "Our magical seas" and "Sharks: fact or fiction?" Or how about a visit to some fish-eaters at the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick, with its telescope deck and cameras that help study of animal behaviour?

The Eden Project in Cornwall is another popular educational resource, especially useful for the study of botany. But when it comes to biology, zoos are perhaps the most popular trips, especially if pupils are studying classification. Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire is famous for its primates, and Chester Zoo for its black rhino and jaguar enclosures; its school programmes include life processes and conservation.

At Bristol Zoo, the education team can put a session together especially for you, although most teachers prefer to choose from popular topics such as the rainforest experience or animal behaviour. The education department caters for pre-school to A-level and beyond. One-hour education sessions cost £35 per class, and downloadable information sheets with suggested questions for teachers are available on the zoo's website. You can get a free teacher pre-visit to the zoo, and many teachers do this on the weekend, bringing their own families with them and doing a risk assessment in the process.

And what do children get from their visits? "What they like is the reality, that's the feedback we get. They come to visit things they can see, hear, smell and get right up close to," says Simon Garrett, head of education.

"To see a class sitting there with cupped hands holding Madagascan hissing cockroaches is something you can't get from TV." Children can stroke rats too, and for older children in restricted groups there's the chance to pat a reptile. Now who says science is boring?

Eden Project, 01726 811 913; Bristol Zoo, 0117-974 7369; Twycross Zoo, 01827 880 250; At-Bristol, 0845 345 1235; Magna Science Adventure Centre, 017909 720 002; Centre for Alternative Technology, 01654 705 983; Observatory Science Centre, 01323 832 731; Chester Zoo, 01244 380 280; The Deep, 01482 381 000; National Marine Aquarium, 01752 275 211; Scottish Sea-bird Centre, 01620 890 202