GSF YouTube Channel

See festival highlights, behind the scenes content, experiments, and the GSF music videos over on our YouTube channel.

family sitting on a sofa with laptop and dog beside them on the floor

Glasgow Science Festival Hands-on Activities

Enjoy a selection of fun activities designed for Science On The Sofa during previous festivals. Content is provided by the Glasgow Science Festival team and content partners. 

Science On The Sofa was designed as a response to COVID-19. GSF was unable to run in person during 2020, instead of cancelling altogether the GSF Director and our wonderful content partners were able to create a fully online festival instead. This proved so popular that Science On The Sofa has been an important part of every festival since, even though we are able to host in person events again. 

Illustration of an artist painting on an easel and a person holding a eco sign with wind turbines and trees in the background.

Glasgow Science Festival STEAM Packs

Each year the GSF team create an activity pack designed for use at home or in the classroom.

Shed and wheelbarrow

Shedload of Science

Experiments from our Shedload of Science project to try at home

Cartoon image of a country house with bushes in front.
Cartoon image of a country house with bushes in front.

Defending Scotland's Heritage

Wed, 31 May 2023 13:49:00 BST

Learn about the challenges affecting Scotland's historic places, Historic Environment Scotland

drawing of plant cells dividing in a root

Kitchen Scraps

Give scraps a second life, grow your own veg

Route of your Fruit 

Explore how far your food has to travel

Plastic bottle turns into a plant pot

Window Garden

Upcycle to make your own plant pot

green bicycle with basket on front

Care to Repair

Make the best bike to win!

CSI at Home

Wed, 09 Sep 2020 03:33:00 BST

Help! My elephant is missing…

Edible Cells

Wed, 09 Sep 2020 03:07:00 BST

Make edible cells

Two cartoon female scientists and three petri dishes.
Two cartoon female scientists and three petri dishes.

Exploring Outbreak Prevention

Wed, 03 May 2023 14:42:00 BST

Explore spread of disease in animals & potential future vaccine tech, University of Glasgow. Higher Biol.

Maths making waves logo with purpole text of title Slinky Science. Metal slinky.

Slinky Science

Slinky Science experiments from the Mathematics of Waves & Materials group, University of Manchester

Cartoon mathematician with equations and numbers.
Cartoon mathematician with equations and numbers.

Optimal Shapes and Patterns

Wed, 03 May 2023 14:55:00 BST

University of Glasgow share what's useful about hexagons, truncated octahedra & other shapes. Upper Sec.

A cartoon blue rainbow and a cartoon red rainbow.

Faster than the Speed of Light Waves

Seeing light in different ways, from rainbows to LEDs, PIADS

Person with watering can watering a plant in a glass jar

The Seed Race

What is germination & which seeds grow the fastest? 

brain coloured in
brain coloured in

Neuron Safari

Wed, 09 Sep 2020 03:34:00 BST

Explore your brain in Minecraft! University of Edinburgh.

Alien Passport

Wed, 09 Sep 2020 04:49:00 BST

Design an Alien Passport, University of Edinburgh

yellow box with Game On text
yellow box with Game On text

Game On!

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 12:33:00 BST

Learn how to code with Scratch with the University of Edinburgh

paper fortune teller against the sky
paper fortune teller against the sky

Fortune Teller

Wed, 09 Sep 2020 06:11:00 BST

Fortune Teller Positive Mental Health Activity, Glasgow Caledonian University

Juggling demo
Juggling demo

Learn to Juggle

Wed, 09 Sep 2020 06:02:00 BST

GSF & Aerial Edge, Ingenious Circus

Welcome to HealthyVille!

Wed, 09 Sep 2020 06:20:00 BST

Web based exploration of what makes a healthy place to live, work and visit, University of Glasgow

CeMI Serious Science

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 01:00:00 BST

Stem cells and bone regeneration activities, Centre for the Cellular Microenvironment, University of Glasgow

Enlighten Your Clock

Fri, 30 Jul 2021 17:26:00 BST

Comic book about the Science of Sleep. Age 13+

How DOUGH they do it?

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 01:00:00 BST

Raising awareness about useful microbes, SHIP team, Glasgow Caledonian University

animation of an egyptian mummy
animation of an egyptian mummy

History, Unwrapped

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 01:00:00 BST

Online game using lab techniques to analyse an ancient Egyptian mummy, University of Glasgow

Man with camera looking at person on surfboard on a wave.
Man with camera looking at person on surfboard on a wave.

Brain Wave Cruise Photo Tour

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 11:08:00 BST

Cruise the waves of real brain activity, The University of Edinburgh

Cartoon of the Glasgow River Clyde with a rainbow in the background.
Cartoon of the Glasgow River Clyde with a rainbow in the background.

Glasgow's Clyde Bridges From Your Sofa

Fri, 31 May 2024 10:49:00 BST

Virtual walk through the engineering of the River Clyde, Institution of Civil Engineers

Several cartoon people exploring near a bridge
Several cartoon people exploring near a bridge

Glasgow's Kelvin Bridges Trail

Fri, 31 May 2024 10:49:00 BST

Virtual walk through the engineering of the River Kelvin, Institution of Civil Engineers

Cartoon image of a barge with bunting and anchors.
Cartoon image of a barge with bunting and anchors.

Glasgow's Forth & Clyde Canal Trail

Fri, 31 May 2024 10:49:00 BST

Virtual walk through the engineering of the Forth & Clyde Canal, Institution of Civil Engineers

Cartoon mathematician with equations and numbers.
Cartoon mathematician with equations and numbers.

Transforming mathematics and chemistry into knitted art according to Alexander Crum Brown

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 13:24:00 BST

Scientific knitting patterns, University of Glasgow