At Barcelona's public libraries, families can now register children for #EstàsON sessions run by Biblioteques de Barcelona and Barcelona Activa. The workshops explore physics and astronomy, alongside chemistry, music and engineering, through experiments and active participation.
The programme has two age groups: children from 6 to 8 and those from 9 to 12. This gives families a way to find sessions suited to each child's age and interests.
For younger children, sessions range from motion to the stars. Children aged 6 to 8 can choose "Desafiando la física" or "Experimentamos con la aerodinámica". Other sessions include "¡Exploradores del cielo, crea tu constelación!", "¡Investigadoras del mar!", "La música: de la onda al oído", "La aventura del mago Martí" and "Pintando la Historia con ciencia". The topics vary, but the approach stays the same: children learn through experiments and play.
For the older group, the programme introduces children to more advanced scientific ideas. Sessions for those aged 9 to 12 include "Descubrimos la tabla periódica", "Descubrimos las propiedades de los materiales" and "¡Dentro del universo explorando estrellas y galaxias!". The list also includes "¡Las científicas cambian el mundo!", "Simetría y reflexión, ¡experimentamos con espejos!" and "STEAM fantástico".
The subjects span chemistry, astronomy and materials, as well as symmetry, scientific role models and STEAM. Families can choose sessions focused on observation and physical principles, or on creative work and the history of scientific discovery.
Places are available through the registration system linked to each workshop, while general information is posted on the official #EstàsON page of Biblioteques de Barcelona. The organisers have integrated the sessions into the city's library network, rather than setting them up as a separate specialist programme.
The hands-on format gives parents a planned way to combine leisure with learning, without turning the sessions into ordinary classroom lessons. Children can create a constellation, investigate the sea, test aerodynamics, work with mirrors or trace how sound reaches the ear.
One session focuses on women's contributions to science. "¡Las científicas cambian el mundo!" explores that subject, while the wider programme invites children to investigate scientific questions for themselves.
Registration is open. Families need to choose a workshop for the right age group and check its individual information before enrolling. In Barcelona's libraries, #EstàsON introduces science through experiments and challenges, alongside the concepts children encounter as an abstract school subject.
