Young journalists from the children's news agency Children's Express have been to a sneak preview of the Grossology exhibition at the Science Museum.
| When kids ask their parents where a burp or a fart comes from they can just bring them here. |
Going into Grossology was like taking a journey inside yourself. There was a giant model of a nose, huge chunks of scabby skin and we got to see how our insides work. It was totally kid-friendly, with loads of things you can touch and do. It was just like an adventure playground.
"When I first went in I thought it was just for little kids but once I started to understand what it was all about I thought it was fun," said Nestor Sayo, 11.
"I particularly liked the human skin climbing wall where all the grips and footholds were made of warts, boils, scabs and scars," said Nuru Jonathan Rimington-Mkali, 15.
"It was exciting and fun," agreed Jane Kendzerski, 12. "Little kids would like it most, but we learned lots of stuff too."
We had a great time trying out the 20 different displays and games. Where else could you visit a vomit centre, try out a burp machine or make a computer generated rap using noises your body makes?
"It would be really useful for parents. When kids ask them where a burp or a fart comes from they can just bring them here." said Nuru.
Nestor enjoyed the Grossology quiz, which was acted out like a TV game show. "Even though I didn't get any questions right it's a good way to learn things."
Jane reckoned she found out a lot. "It was good to learn about germs because it was something new. It's a great place for all the family," she said.
Nuru wasn't so keen on Up Your Nose, where you had to shoot ping pong balls up a giant hooter to show how bogeys form. "It was a great idea when it worked. But I kept missing which was infuriating."
"The one I really didn't like was when you had to identify the bad smell. It gets into your nose and stays with you. It was gross," said Nestor.
The Science Museum is charging £3.95 for children to visit Grossology. So is it good value for money?
It's great fun for children, but it's not really for adults," said Nestor.
"I felt the educational bits were really aimed at very young kids."
Jane agreed. "It's best for little children. For them it's something new and fun."
"I don't know if teenagers will admit they enjoy it," said Nuru, " because they just want to be cool. But that climbing wall was great fun."
About the team
This story was produced by Rimington-Mkali, 15, Jane Kendzerski, 12, and Nester Sayo, 11. It was published in the Schools news section of EducationGuardian.co.uk, part of the Guardian Unlimited website.
