Looking for a meaningful, educational, and fun weekend activity for your children?
Engineers Nova Scotia’s Engineering Exploration Day is a free public National Engineering Month event designed to spark curiosity, creativity, and confidence in youth ages 6–16. Whether your child enjoys building, experimenting, or just likes asking “how does that work?”, this is the perfect opportunity for them to explore, imagine, and dive into the world of STEM!
From designing and launching mini-catapults in fun competitions to exploring interactive engineering stations, they will gain confidence, develop hands-on and problem-solving skills, and see science and engineering come to life. Join the catapult competition for a chance to win prizes and let your kids take home their very own mini creations to proudly show off!
Event Schedule:
10:00 am - Event Starts, Interactive Booths open
10:30 am - Registration Opens for the Catapult Workshop
11:00 am - Catapult Workshop
1:30 pm - Catapult Competition
1:45 pm - Prizes for workshop winners and SuperNOVA Summer Camp Raffle
2:00 pm - End of the event
Awards & Recognition
Exploration Card - Completion of the Exploration Card enters participants into a draw for a SuperNOVA summer camp.
Catapult Competition - The top three teams will be recognized and win the prizes! Winners will be determined by performance score, recognizing strong results and innovative design.
Event Details:
Engineering Exploration Activity (“Exploration Card”)
Discover STEM at your own pace by visiting 14 stations!
Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Registration: On-Site
How It Works
Pick up an Exploration Card when you arrive
Visit all engineering stations and participate in different activities
Collect one sticker per station
Once you have collected all 14 stickers, bring your completed card to the Engineers Nova Scotia Booth to redeem it for a prize. (This activity is open throughout the event, so please complete it at your own pace.)
Catapult Workshop & Competition
Build, launch, and compete with mini catapults! Participants are encouraged to bring 2–3 friends. (Teams of 2–3 are ideal.) You may arrive as a pre-formed team, or teams can be created on-site.
Time: 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Registration: On-site
Age Range: 6–16
To ensure the activity is age-appropriate, two build options are available:
Ages 6-10: Quick-Build Catapult
Younger participants will complete a simplified popsicle stick and spoon catapult build designed for quick success and hands-on learning. This approximately 30-minute activity helps build confidence while introducing core engineering concepts.
Supervision Requirement: Children under 10 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Ages 11-16: Design & Build Competition
Older participants will take part in a more advanced engineering challenge. Using only the materials provided (e.g. popsicle sticks, glue, straws, elastics, and more), teams will:
Design and build a self-supporting catapult
Refine and test their design during a 2-hour build window
Each team launches a standard pom-pom projectile three times
Distances will be measured and scored using the formula:
Average launch distance (metres) ÷ Catapult mass (kg)
This scoring system rewards both performance and efficient design. There is no single “correct” solution — creativity, innovation, and smart engineering are key.
Note: Some pizza will be provided for Catapult Workshop participants. Families are welcome to bring their own lunch or snacks, especially if there are dietary restrictions or specific food preferences.
Participating Organizations:
Clean Foundation
SuperNOVA
DalMAST (Dalhousie Marine Autonomous Sailboat Team)
FSAE (Formula SAE)
Engineers Without Borders
Dal Rocketry
EngiQueers
Solar Car
Dalhousie Women in Engineering
Engineers Nova Scotia