Local students are swapping traditional textbooks for theme park thrills as a unique educational initiative brings physics and engineering to life.
For generations of Sunshine Coast families, Aussie World represents a classic day out filled with fun, fairy floss, and stomach-churning drops. Now, the iconic theme park is adding a clever educational twist to its line-up with the rollout of its new UNREAL Excursions program.
Specifically designed for students in Years 3 to 6, the program transforms the park into a huge, exciting laboratory. The curriculum-aligned program bridges the gap between complex Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM) concepts and real-world applications, proving that the best kind of learning often happens outside the classroom walls.
The Bug Ride at Aussie World
Learning that feels like an adventure
The program invites students to spend a day analysing the mechanics of their favourite attractions before testing them out firsthand. By framing education through the lens of amusement park entertainment, the initiative fosters critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills in an environment where kids are already highly engaged.
Aussie World Head of Sales and Marketing, Sebastian Hahn, said the excursions would focus on practical exploration of scientific concepts through real-world applications found throughout the theme park.
“Aussie World’s UNREAL Excursions will ignite curiosity and excitement in students by offering a hands-on adventure in learning that’s unlike anything else on the Sunshine Coast,” Sebastian explained.
“By exploring real-world science concepts through the thrills of amusement park rides, students will gain a practical understanding of forces, motion and energy that brings classroom learning to life,” he added.
Students at the Aussie World UNREAL Excursions Education program
Five ways to analyse a theme park
The program features five distinct, multidisciplinary lessons tailored to different aspects of the school curriculum. Rather than passively observing, students actively collect data, map environments, and decode the inner workings of the park.
FORCES IN ACTION: The Physics of Rides
This action-packed excursion focuses on students exploring key physics concepts including gravity, motion, circular forces, contact forces and collisions. Students will observe and investigate rides, learn how these forces affect movement and how energy and motion work in real-world situations.
DESIGN A THRILL RIDE: Engineering at Aussie World
Students can get in touch with their creative side while exploring how forces, materials, safety features and design choices work together in the engineering of theme park rides. Through observing and analysing real rides students will develop an understanding of how structures function and apply this knowledge to design their own ride using engineering thinking and problem-solving skills.
LIGHT, SHADOWS AND ILLUSIONS: Seeing is Not Believing!
Students explore how light behaves including the way it creates shadows, reflects off surfaces and can form optical illusions. This lesson will include investigating how shadows change, how mirrors work and how the brain can be tricked by what the eyes see, helping them understand how light and vision work in real-world situations.
THEME PARK DETECTIVES: Measuring, Mapping and Data
Students investigate how mathematics and science are used to collect and analyse real-world data. They will gather, record and organise information such as wait times, surveys, ride usage and locations, then use this data to create graphs, identify patterns and draw conclusions about trends in the theme park environment.
HOW THEME PARKS WORK: Systems and Sustainability
Students explore how theme parks operate as interconnected systems. Through observing rides, facilities and services they investigate energy use, materials, sustainability practices and engineering design while developing an understanding of how people, technology and resources work together to create safe and enjoyable visitor experiences.
Booklets from the Aussie World UNREAL Excursions Education program
Preparing students for a changing world
Introducing children to hands-on STEM programs from an early age builds essential foundational skills that support long-term academic growth. In today’s rapidly changing workforce, it is essential for children to learn to collaborate, adapt, and tackle complex, real-life challenges with confidence.
“With a focus on critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving, these STEM-based excursions prepare students for the future by making science, technology, engineering and maths relevant and engaging,” said Seb.
“It’s education that feels like an adventure, ensuring students come away with fun memories while learning something new!”
To ensure the day’s impact lasts well beyond the bus ride home, Aussie World provides teachers with a suite of extension resources to continue the conversations and experiments in the classroom. With up to 30 rides and attractions on-site, the park is successfully proving that high-energy fun and deep-thinking education don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
To find out how your local school can get involved with the program, head to www.aussieworld.com.au for booking details and curriculum outlines.
