We got a train into Manchester to go along to the new exhibition at Science and Industry Museum.   It’s running until June 2024 so plenty of time to go and visit.

As soon as I saw Operation Ouch was at the museum,  I knew this would be a great day out for the summer holidays. My girls love anything which is hands-on and even better when its about their own bodies. They can relate to the information much better than other subjects and they have always been interested in how the body works.

I was blown away with how fantastic Operation Ouch was. They have put together a really in-depth exploration of the digestive system, but done in such a simple and clear way that its very accessible to children. The information boards are short and sweet and easy to read. They don’t go into loads of detail but has clear facts and big writing. They won’t overwhelm young children by having too much to read.

The hands on activities were super fun and really made our visit exciting. It got us talking about health and our bodies. I loved it when my girls asked me more questions about the subject as we walked around. This always shows they are interested and taking things in.

Each section of the digestive system has its own room. This is great as you can wander around this area finding out about just one part of the body at a time before moving along. Sections start in the mouth, moving to the stomach and small intestine. Until you get to the normally untalked about part of how your poo is made. This gives children and adults an opportunity to talk about a hidden subject. Be warned, there is a lot of poo info in the last room!

There are lots of games and tasks to do in each room. Questions that challenge you to think about what you already know and to test you on new information learnt.

We spent just under 2 hours in the exhibit, and then went to have our picnic. You could easily spend the rest of your day looking around the rest of the museum as there were plenty of other activities and exhibits.