The countdown has begun to HackManchester Jnr which is taking place at the amazing Museum of Science & Industry.

It’s a 2 day event which right now, before the start, seems like plenty of time, but once the first day starts and the excitement and energy is turned up to 11, the time will go in a flash! So here are our top 5 tips to make sure you get the best out of the event and your activity there.

1. Keep it simple

Whatever you end up planning to make or do, don’t be too ambitious and take on something that you will struggle to finish. Of course, if you don’t finish, whatever you plan to do, it’s not the end of the world. But have a good think what sort of goal you can work towards in the two days, and remember that the nearer you get to the goal, the more rewarding it will be.

2. Make a plan and follow it

Once you’ve got your idea, make a plan of all the steps you and your team will need to take to realise it. It will help make sure you don’t miss anything important, and also give you a better chance at keeping on track.

3. Learn from and help each other

Everyone has different skills and abilities, and one of the best things about this sort of event is making the most of them. Find out early on who can do what in your team, whether that’s coding or designing or something else.

 4. Build on the work of others

You don’t have to necessarily create something from scratch. There’s a famous phrase “standing on the shoulders of giants“, which expresses the meaning of building on the work and discoveries of others. Perhaps your idea might be to build something based upon (or even just improve upon) something that already exists.

5. Scratch an itch

Great ideas and inventions sometimes come about because someone had a problem they wanted to solve – so they went ahead and came up with a solution themselves! If you’re stuck for ideas, think of something that you would like to solve for yourself, an itch you want to scratch, and go from there.

Remember, the volunteers will be on hand to help with any and all of this, so don’t worry if you’re not sure. Just ask for help!

And the most important tip of all, of course, is to have fun!