Most parents spend their lives trying to get their kids off their tech, but there's a gaming exhibition in Manchester which is attracting more families than ever this school holidays . The beauty of Power Up at the Science and Industry Museum is that it features consoles and games from the last five decades - and it's drawing in the mums and dads as well as the kids. Not only does it feature the newer games that kids enjoy, such as Fortnite and Minecraft, but there's a blast from the past for parents too, with everything from Pong to Pac-Man.
Power Up gaming exhibition at the Science and Industry Museum (Image: Manchester Family/MEN) I took my children along to the exhibition to see exactly what it has in store - and we were there for hours. In fact, once you've paid the entry fee - £8 a day or £15 for an annual pass - you can stay as long as you like. Billed as 'a hands on gaming experience' it's divided into different sections, with everything from 4 Player and New Generation, to PC Games and Arcade.
There are themes too, such as Disney, Superhero and Lego to help visitors find the games they'd most like. We spent much of our time playing Mario - the Super Mario Galaxy game was out before my kids were even born but we all found it surprisingly addictive on the Wii. The VR experiences soon pulled us into the current decade, but I quickly took us right back with a game of tennis on the old Binatone TV Master.
The floor is divided into sections (Image: Manchester Family/MEN) This one came out in 1976, before even I was born - now that's old - and was part of the first generation of games consoles that transformed people's TVs into arcade machines. Alongside it is the Atari 2600 from 1978, the most popular second-generation games console where you could buy cartridges of different games such as the alien zapping Space Invaders. Power Up is on the first floor of the museum and is recommended for ages five plus.
Kids under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Visit the website to book - you need to book a free admission ticket to the museum at the same time. There's loads more happening at the museum, which is hosting a summer of science, gaming and family fun this year.
Visitors are invited to celebrate science with a plethora of pop-up activities exploring the secrets of engineering, medicine and more. A brand-new science show is taking visitors on a journey from deep space to microscopic images of the world around us, and a special tour gives families the chance to go behind the scenes at the attraction. A blast from the past with the Binatone TV Master, left, and the Atari 2600, right (Image: Manchester Family/MEN) The special ‘Hidden Spaces’ tours give visitors the unique opportunity to go behind the scenes, providing an alternative look at the site during a time when some of its historic buildings are closed for restoration and improvement works, and include stops revealing how the museum operates day-to-day, such as the Research Centre where its archives are stored and a chance to explore the historic Lower Yard.
The excursions run every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday through summer. Free tickets can be booked on the day at the museum front desk, capacity is limited so book early to avoid disappointment. A new free exhibition has launched examining the global and local response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Injecting Hope: The race for a COVID-19 vaccine, puts 'the worldwide effort to develop vaccines at pandemic speed under the microscope, uncovering the inspiring stories of scientists and innovators around the globe who collaborated to tackle the world-wide COVID-19 challenge'. The exhibition examines the unique experiences and responses of communities in Manchester to the pandemic through objects and stories on display for the first time. Summer events run from now until September 1.
For more details visit the website here ..
