W5 Belfast Northern Ireland - Things to Do in Belfast

A little bit of fun is needed in the middle of all the historical buildings and places which people will be visiting. W5 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is a place for both kids and grownups which they could go and have some fun in a different kind of way.

W5 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is a science centre that is full of discovery and wonder. There are over 250 amazing and interactive exhibits in four incredible exhibition areas which will provide a different kind of experience and fun time for all the different ages out there. Inside the W5 there are those permanent exhibits as well as those changing programs that are not there all the time which are of large and small scale temporary exhibitions and events and there is also a daily programme of live science demonstrations and shows throughout the day.

Through the experience we had in the place, we could say that there are lots of things to be done and lots of games to be played. There are six different sections in the place in which one will experience and discover something different than the other.

The first place to pass by and go through in W5 is the ground floor; the ground floor starts with meeting the Robothespian which is a life-sized, humanoid, interactive robot that kids love because it could communicate; move, speak, educate, interact, and entertain. On the same ground floor there is also the shop where there are different unusual and educational gifts that range between books, toys, and science kits.

Getting done with the first part which is the ground floor, you could then move forward to reach the second partition which is Spacebase. In this multi sensory activity zone which is for 3-11 years old, there are two different things the kids could enjoy doing: first, they could race to the top of the giant rock either through going up the launch gantry or climbing through the spider tower, and they could also enjoy becoming space explorers with the art wrist band technologies.

The third part or section in W5 is the discovery part that is dedicated for all those under 8 years old which contains 16 themed areas with over 50 interactive exhibits. There are different environments which the kid could choose from which range between the art studio, the farmyard, beach, castle and in every single one of them the kid will do something different; it might be drawing, paddling through the pool, flicking through digital storybooks, etc. There is also the Donnelly Garage Group in the discovery area where the kid will be allowed to build his/her own Formula One Car - the kids got really excited about putting those different stickers and creating a different looking car for themselves.

There are different sections which we have passed by and the fourth one out of those six found there is named Go. This part is about exploring health, hygiene, genetics, geology, electric circuits, flight and forces; it is the most scientific part of the whole place which I believe is very information when it comes to kids and children. In this part, kids could build their K'nex car and race against their friends and family on the race track, and they could also enjoy playing the pulley chair by pulling themselves up - we played this along with our kids to see who could manage to win at the end =)

Coming to the part that is just before the ending on this amazing - yet tiring - place is the climbit. Climbit is a multi storey climbing structure that is considered the first of its kind in UK and Ireland and which combines between physical fun, exploration, and art. This thing is specifically designed for climbing and is a cross between a maze and a jungle gym - good for those kids who love to always explore things, climb places, and enjoy the new different things which they might be experiencing for the first time.

The last section in W5 is the see and do where the kids will design and build structures, bring robots to life, make different patterns, and play virtual sports. The first part is the reality experience where the art projection technology will put the kid at a center of a big sceen action. In this section there is also the construction zone where the kids will get creative and use their imagination in order to build places with using natural wood blocks, bricks, logs, and shapes.

It was a really different experience because we and the kids enjoyed the place and had lots of fun with them there - the first time to come across such a place in Belfast and Ireland in general.

There are lots of things to do in Belfast (   • A Walk Around Belfast City - A gentle walk...  ) and when it comes to kids, there are other good places to head for, like the S13 (   • S13 Belfast, Boucher Road - New Hybrid Ven...  ), the Turoe Pet Farm in Galway (   • Turoe Pet Farm - Children's Outdoor Activi...  ), as well as lots of other places that suit the whole family.

The best locations around Ireland/Northern Ireland and further afield. A travel blog/vlog of the hidden treasures that are on our doorstep.