The Robot Zoo review ★★★★★

How and why do chameleons change colour? How do bats see at night? How to creatures big and small move, see, climb or grab flies on the end of their tongues? The answers to all this and more can be found in the fascinating world of the Robot Zoo in the charming Horniman Museum.

Larger-than-life mechanical animals have been brought to life at the Horniman Museum this February. Using a variety of familiar machine parts and gadgets, this family-friendly exhibition unravels the mystery of the universe and explores what mechanisms animals use to get by in day to life.

All the interactive elements of the Science Museum's Wonderlab combined with the latest new exhibition on Robots, we feel that the Horseman's exhibition is a fabulous place to take children with energy to burn.

Children as young as only a few months old come to be mesmerised by the colours and sounds, older kids in need of distraction dash about pulling leavers and testing the strength of a fly's foot and more measured little ones can potter about reading short descriptions of natural history.

Kids discover how their real life counterparts see, eat, hunt and hide. Interactive exhibits also give you the chance to try jet-propelled squid racing, shoot a chameleon’s ‘tongue-gun’ and even design your own ‘mutant’ robot creature.

Robots seem to be taking over the world this February, but this one at the Horniman is special. The Robot Zoo returns to the Horniman for the first time since its highly successful UK debut in 2009.

Suitable for ages 3+