The Science Museum Group is expanding the use of its STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) badge across publishing and new interactive science products in 2025, following the launch of the badge in summer 2024.
Drawing on the Group’s role as a STEM ambassador, the badge is exclusively used to showcase interactive products, toys or games which truly reflect scientific principles and encourage learning through play.
In a new publishing partnership with children’s books publisher, Farshore, the first Science Museum Annual will be published in August 2025 as part of a three-year licensing deal. Science content and learning opportunities will be woven throughout the space-themed annual, which will feature puzzles, games and experiments, as well as eye-catching layouts to capture reader’s imaginations.
The first interactive lighting product bearing the Group’s STEM badge is the 3” Mini Plasma Ball from new partner Funtime Gifts (which launched in October 2024). The full range of products will launch in early 2025 and include STEM badge packaging which highlights the scientific principles of each product. The range includes new materials science toys, such as slime and putty, plus eight new lighting products – the Plasma Ball in five different sizes, up to a 14” design, the Fibre Optic Lamp, the Tornado Lamp, the Energy Stick, the Infinity Mirror, the Volcano Lamp, the Night Sky Projector and the Sunlight Jar.
Last year also saw the Science Museum Group launch its first ever licensed stage production, Science Museum: The Live Stage Show, with Mark Thompson Productions, which had a sold-out tour across the UK.
The Science Museum has a long history of engaging children with science through play, from the first Children’s Gallery in 1931 to today’s interactive Wonderlab galleries at the Science Museum in London, the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford and at the National Railway Museum in York. The live show brings fun, hands-on experiments and spectacular demonstrations from the museums to family audiences in theatres around the country. A second UK wide tour will take place from February to October 2025, with dates and venues to be announced.
“The Science Museum Group’s deep expertise in engagement with science through play inspired the creation of the STEM badge, providing families with a reassuring mark for toys and games that encourage children to learn about scientific principles while also having fun,” commented Amy Harbour, head of licensing and commercial partnerships at the Science Museum Group. “We are delighted to be extending that scientific learning to even more products, working with our new licensee partners, Farshore and Funtime Gifts, to produce the first Science Museum Annual and launch a new range of products.”
Emma Cairns-Smith, global licensing acquisition director at Farshore, continued: “Farshore’s aim is to inspire reading for pleasure, and we are really excited to be working with the Science Museum Group on the creation of their first ever annual, which will give children lots of fun, as well as engaging them in opportunities for science learning.”
Jack Prendergast, md at Funtime Gifts, added: “Funtime Gifts have been supplying the toy and gift trade for over 40 years. Our new partnership with the Science Museum Group extends our reach into the educational toy space, and we are looking forward to launching our full range of products in 2025.”
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