Learning to speak 5-year-old

Outreach top tip: getting the balance between accuracy and simplicity is important. 

Whilst at Intech Science Centre over summer, part of my work involves presenting science shows to the public, and putting together the new shows we're going to be doing over summer. Today was my first live show and, thankfully, everyone there seemed to engage and enjoy it. When I told them to shout the answers, they shouted out "Gravity!", "Friction!", "Negative charges!" and every time I asked for a volunteer, I had 15 or 20 hands in the air out of a 30 or 40 strong audience (we only have a small seating area). The key to this was making sure that I made it simple enough for the 5 year-olds but interesting enough for the 15 year-olds and, importantly, correct and accurate, so that I didn't stop and correct myself whilst I spoke. Or get corrected by a knowledgeable parent in the front row. 

Tomorrow we don't have any shows to do as on Fridays in the school holidays we have falconry displays given by a guy from outside of the centre. Instead we're spending our time putting together the new shows we're introducing starting next week (but I'm hoping to be able to sneak off at some point to see the birds). With our Colourful Chemistry show, we've made the demonstrations as visual and exciting as we can, and even added in a little double-act skit when Laura asks me (in charge of webcamming it) for a drink of water and I pour a clear liquid into a seemingly empty glass and it turns pink! (Hint: phenylphthalein - it's always a hit). She hands it back to me, and I pour another clear liquid in (vinegar) and her drink turns clear. We then point out the indicator, and the acids and alkalis and then bring out the red cabbage indicator. This is another of our engaging science tricks - making it do-able at home.
The other shows we have yet to put together include Solids, Liquids, Gases (I'm still trying to convince our director that it's fine to pour liquid nitrogen on people, but I don't think I'm gonna push it past H&S this time - maybe we can just pour it on each other) and All About Air, in which we make marshmallows expand in the vacuum pump - fun, visual stuff. And as Laura's a zoologist by nature, we're also making a show about animal poo - we know what 5 year-olds want!

So, accuracy = important; simplicity = important; FUN = most important of all to Laura and I on caffeine - the equivalent of any 5 year-old.