Using tables of data to understand and compare the properties of everyday materials is a rather boring and unintuitive way to learn about materials. Instead children learn much more quickly and intuitively if they can touch the materials they are learning about and link them directly to their properties and applications. However such an approach can be very demanding on teachers’ knowledge and attention, especially in large classes. An important challenge is therefore to engage pupils by exploiting information and communication technology to aid the learning process. If this can exploit their interest in animations and exciting graphics developed through their exposure to television and computer games, then so much the better. Further kids rarely read the instructions when playing computer games since they adopt intuitive protocols. Augmented Reality (AR) technology, is a relatively mature technology, but as yet remains largely undiscovered by schools as a means of enhancing traditional lesson delivery. The advantage of AR is the ability to overlay information on real physical objects as viewed on a LCD projector, or interactive white board. We have developed a set of educational AR software for helping children to familiarise themselves with simple physics, chemistry and materials principles. AR technology brings photographic and computer generated images into real environments, facilitating real-time 3D interactions connected to physically available objects. Our AR tools comprise four major kinds of applications each targeted towards helping school pupils learn about materials and their applications. The linkage between the hands on materials and their properties and applications are explored through a series of puzzles, games and tasks, with the AR providing intuitive guidance. For example, the pupils can try and identify the materials required to build a jet-engine or play a ‘top trumps’ game with the computer, aiming to choose an attribute for their materials which could outperform the materials chosen by the computer. The AR system also acts as a virtual microscope to provide the microstructure of a given material as it is placed under the web-cam. For younger pupils, the school can use one of our simpler AR tools to learn about the categorisation of materials (Metal, Ceramic, Polymer and Natural) with the AR recognition software rewarding correct allocations and helping students to identify mistakes. This paper outlines our development and deployment of AR and discusses the evaluations we will be carrying out with school teachers and school pupils during our exhibitions at the Farnborough Air Show, the Manchester Science Festival and through schools visits. We are sure the results of these evaluations will provide a valuable starting point for other AR developments in the education area.