Science isn’t always about sitting in a classroom, writing notes and memorising facts. This year, Sancta Maria College students got to experience science in a much more exciting way when the Science Roadshow 2026 came to school.
The Science Roadshow is a hands-on science experience that travels around New Zealand, bringing interactive exhibits and live demonstrations to schools. Instead of just being told how something works, students get the chance to actually try things out, test ideas and see science happening right in front of them.
This year’s Roadshow included two live shows: Am I Living? — Kei te Ora Ahau and Kitchen Chemistry — Te pūtaiao ā-kihini. Am I Living? explored what makes something living, while Kitchen Chemistry showed how science can be found in some surprisingly ordinary things we use every day.
But the live shows weren’t the only part of the experience. In between them, students got to explore a huge range of interactive exhibits. The 2026 exhibits were divided into six different themes: Astronomy, Fair Tests, Human Performance, Movement, Sight and Illusion, and Using Numbers.
There was something for everyone, whether you were interested in space, wanted to test how good your reactions were, or just wanted to figure out how some of the strange illusions worked. The activities gave students the opportunity to experiment, make predictions and sometimes discover that their first guess was completely wrong.
One of the best things about the Roadshow was that it didn’t feel like a normal lesson. Students could move around, interact with the exhibits and work things out for themselves. It showed that science isn’t just about getting the “right” answer — it’s also about asking questions, testing ideas and figuring out why something happens.
The Roadshow also connects science to everyday life while helping students develop skills such as teamwork, problem-solving, numeracy and communication. This makes the experience useful both inside and outside the classroom.
Overall, the 2026 Science Roadshow was a great reminder that science can be much more than textbooks and worksheets. With experiments, challenges, illusions and plenty of opportunities to get involved, it gave Sancta Maria College students a chance to see, touch and experience science for themselves — and maybe even discover something they didn’t expect.
Thank you to the students who assisted the Science Roadshow team in leading the students in the displays.
