CREST activities are a fantastic opportunity for your children to be engaged in fun science-based activities at home with very few resources. Below we have highlighted some links to help parents run CREST at home.
Although some of our guidance refers to teachers and students, because typically they are our largest audience, please remember that above all else, CREST is flexible and can be used however works best for you and your child. The main thing to always keep in mind the CREST assessment criteria. Each level's criteria is linked to below in the relevant section.
For all CREST levels, take a look at these articles to get you started with CREST at home.
- At home: How do CREST Awards Work?
- At home: How to run CREST
- At home: How to choose the right Award level
- At home: How to choose a project idea
- At home: The different types of CREST project
CREST Star and SuperStar
CREST Star and SuperStar are perfect for running at home. Designed for 3 - 7 and 7 - 11 year olds respectively, these resources are equipment-light, and come with an organiser card for parents and an activity card for children. Supporting children to take part in a Star or SuperStar Award at home has been made even easier with our new
at-home packs of resources, filled with the best activities for running at home.
If you want to run an activity of your own, simply follow the Star and SuperStar
activity structure.
CREST Bronze
CREST Bronze is suited for students aged 11 and above. Children spend 10 hours on a project of their choosing, and should not require a lot of parent support.
We have lots of resources that can be completed at home. As with all levels, the way that CREST Bronze is run can be flexible and tailored to what is available including whether it is done over two 5-hour days, or in 1-hour sessions over ten days. Using the
CREST Bronze workbook will add structure to a project and allow children to reflect on work done. Adults can use the
CREST Bronze parent guide to help them
When children have completed a Bronze CREST project, an adult will need to
create a CREST account, add a sample of work and assess the project. The below articles for running CREST Bronze at home will help.
CREST Silver and Gold
CREST Silver and Gold are completed by young people aged 14+. They are our mostly student-led levels, and as such offer the most flexibility for students to complete a project on a topic that interests them. CREST Silver and Gold can be submitted by either an adult or young person, and are assessed by a BSA representative. Read more about
Silver assessment and
Gold assessment.
Silver and Gold projects in particular can provide a positive way for young people to have something to work towards, while exploring an area that interests them. We accept projects that cover an
incredibly wide range of subject areas.
Young people do not need to be limited just because they do not have access to a lab, or specialised equipment. We accept many
different types of CREST project, including projects that focus on Research or Science Communication, rather than practical work.
At this time, young people may find it particularly helpful to get a CREST mentor.
Learn more here.
You can learn more about CREST Silver and Gold using the links below.
- Silver student guide
- Gold student guide
- Silver criteria
- Gold criteria
Related Articles
At Home: How to run CREST Awards
CREST offers parents an easy-to-run system for at-home learning that is child-led, and encourages young people to take ownership of their own projects. You don't need to have much knowledge about science to run CREST at home. Sign up for a free CREST ...
At Home: How to choose a project idea
A CREST project can cover any aspect of science, depending on your child's interest: research; investigation, design or making; as well as science communication. We recognise that running CREST projects at home may provide barriers to the amount (if ...
At Home: How can I get a mentor for my CREST Award?
For Silver and Gold Awards, it can be very helpful for students to work with a mentor on their project. We encourage students to access support from a mentor who works in a STEM field related to their CREST project topic. Mentors can play an ...
At Home: The different types of CREST project
This article primarily refers to Silver and Gold levels, but is also relevant to Bronze. There are four eligible types of CREST project: Practical Investigation, Design & Make, Research, and Communication. The Research and Communication projects can ...
CREST and Children's University
The British Science Association is pleased to announce that CREST is now working with Children’s University. This means that activities done through CREST can now are now be recorded by anyone with a Children’s University Passport to Learning! ...