World Anatomy Day 2026

In celebration of World Anatomy Day, the University of Sunderland alongside Teesside, Durham and Newcastle universities are hosting a fun-filled anatomy event at The Fire Station, Sunderland, on 18 October 2026.

Not only will there be stands with lots of fun hands-on activities for families to take part in but there will also be stage shows for you to see how the wonderful world of anatomy works – this year our theme is movement.

The day will be split in two with limited tickets available in both sessions, please do not book on both sessions. There are stage activities running in the morning and in the afternoon sessions.

The stage activities include:

• Anatomy of a Mythical Creature – a draw-along activity where participants discuss the anatomy of their imagined mythical creature.
• Animal Olympics– who would win the different events and why.
• Learning Bods - I Like to Move It, Move It!: ​An interactive family exploring how the body moves. ​

The station activities include:

• Pin the Organ on your grown up – Guess where the organs are!
• Funny Feet – Explore how your feet move and adapt to the ground below them.
• Marvellous Muscles – Measure your own muscle strength and stretch your muscles.
• Restart a heart - Learn about the heart, CPR and how it moves blood around your body.
• Birth and Babies: Learn which powerful muscles help to deliver a baby.
• Find the Anatomical Treasure - Hunt for anatomy using a medical imaging simulator.
• The Occupational Brain: Make a Brain Hat and use sensory equipment to understand how we perceive the world around us.
• Eye Spy Muscles: Discover the 6 tiny muscles work together to move each of your eyes.
• Digestive System – Digestive System: How Your Digestive System moves Food and makes poo!
• Balance your Body –Discover how many muscles in your body help you to balance.
• Anatomy of a Smile – Explore some giant teeth and clean them.
• Indiana Bones – Examine the bones and teeth of other creatures with an archaeologist.