Science Centre festival helps children explore robotics, creativity, and responsible AI use
As robotics and artificial intelligence become part of everyday life, helping children understand how technology works matters more than ever. RoboFest 2026 at Science Centre Singapore is designed to turn curiosity into confidence, showing young visitors that they can shape the future, not just watch it unfold.
Turning Curiosity Into Confidence
Science Centre Singapore’s inaugural RoboFest 2026: Meet Tomorrow, Today will run from April 9 to 12, offering families a new way to engage with robotics and artificial intelligence. The festival is built around the idea that children should not grow up as passive consumers of technology, but as confident creators who ask questions, experiment, and understand how innovation happens.
Learning Through Play And Interaction
According to Science Centre Board chief executive Tham Mun See, the event is meant to ignite children’s curiosity by encouraging them to ask, “How does this work?” and “What if we tried this instead?” For younger children, especially pre-schoolers, the Playground zone will feature robot boxing showdowns, robot dog fire-fighting challenges, and a comedy performance titled My Colleague Is A Robot Dog. These activities are designed to create memorable experiences that make technology feel exciting rather than distant.
Hands-On Experiences For Older Children
For primary school children and youth, the festival goes beyond spectacle by offering practical, hands-on learning. Participants can build robots and take part in AI prompt-crafting through a multi-player game, helping them better understand the mechanics behind the technology they encounter every day. Tham said these experiences help children grasp the “how” behind the “wow,” making robotics and AI more approachable.
Demystifying Technology For Families
Tham noted that robotics and AI are already deeply integrated into daily life, but many people still find them mysterious or even intimidating. She said RoboFest was created from the belief that people should not fear what they do not understand. By highlighting the human creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving behind intelligent machines, the festival shows families that technology is not magic, but a field shaped by people.
Building Responsible Future Users
The festival also carries an important message about ethics and responsibility. Beyond exposing children to emerging technologies, RoboFest aims to help them understand how to use AI tools thoughtfully and responsibly. Tham described the event as a way to plant seeds of curiosity in the youngest visitors while giving older children the tools to turn that curiosity into deeper understanding, empowerment, and future-ready skills.
RoboFest 2026 reflects a broader shift in how children should be prepared for a fast-changing world shaped by intelligent machines. For families in Singapore, it offers a timely chance to build confidence, creativity, and ethical awareness around robotics and AI. For Indonesians and Singaporeans alike, this kind of early exposure highlights how technology education can shape a generation that is better equipped to work with innovation rather than be overwhelmed by it.
Sources: Straits Times (2026) , Science Edu SG (2026)
Keywords: RoboFest 2026 Singapore, Science Centre Singapore, Children And AI, Robotics Education, AI Ethics, Family Festival Singapore
