Budding boffins will be able to hone their talents during a family event in Keighley to mark the district’s hosting of the 2011 British Science Festival.

Bradford Council’s Airedale Partnership, Leeds City College and Keighley and Ilkley Voluntary and Community Action have organised a free drop-in Family Science Festival on Tuesday.

It comes as Bradford district prepares to host the British Science Festival, from this Saturday until Thursday.

The Keighley event, which takes place at Keighley Campus Leeds City College from 3.30pm to 7pm, will give children a chance to get involved with mini-animations and make a fruit smoothie, using pedal power.

A mobile ‘Fab Lab’ – a digital fabrication laboratory equipped with machines – will allow families to take part in hands-on activities such as designing their own T-shirts.

They will also be able to access the college’s STAR centre, a science hub that allows visitors to carry out mission control simulations, drive a planetary rover in an astrobotics area and explore the universe in a cosmodome.

Councillor David Green, Bradford’s executive member for regeneration and economy, said: “A huge number of widely-respected scientists will take part in the festival, and it is important we encourage the next generation to learn from, and be inspired by, them.”

As part of the celebrations, Keighley Library will be hosting weather-related science events for children and their parents. The sessions, which will focus on kite-making, take place on Wednesday from 11am to 11.45am and on Saturday, September 17 at a time to be confirmed.

l More on the Science Festival – Page 18