Lab Rats Challenge

Lab Rats Challenge

Company type	Television program
Industry	Television entertainment
Founded	August 4, 2008 (2008-08-04)
Headquarters	Brisbane , Australia
Products	Children's game show

Lab Rats Challenge is a children's game show from Australia that first aired on 4 August 2008 at 4pm on the Nine Network, hosted by Drew Jarvis alongside Nicole Dixon. On 5 March 2012, the program transitioned to the Seven Network, featuring Aleisha Rose as Dixon’s replacement for the rebooted edition. Beginning 12 February 2013 at 10:15am, it was broadcast on ABC3 (currently known as 'ABC ME') and has also been shown on Cartoon Network.

In contrast to other Australian kids' game shows such as Sharky's Friends, A*mazing, and Go Go Stop, which are recorded on expansive stages with live audiences, Lab Rats Challenge utilizes several smaller sets designed to resemble an abandoned scientific laboratory, enhanced with visual effects added during post-production. The series is filmed at Brisbane’s Channel 9 studios located on Mount Coot-tha, Queensland.

Gameplay

Challenges presented in the show are inspired by scientific experiments, for instance, estimating how many water droplets can be placed on a twenty cent coin. Each episode culminates in The Labyrinth, where young contestants compete in a series of mental and physical tasks. The first team to complete this final stage wins a cheese-themed prize, reminiscent of maze challenges featured in 1990s children’s programs like A*mazing and Legends of the Hidden Temple.

Rounds

• Nano Challenge – Both teams tackle the task simultaneously without a time constraint. Successfully completing it awards 10 points.
• What'll Happen If – Teams privately predict the experiment’s outcome before hosts Drew and Nicole perform it. Accurate predictions earn 5 points.
• Method Madness – Teams engage in activities either at the same time or one after another. The team currently behind decides the order; if scores are tied, the Randomizer determines it. The second team faces visual obstructions (such as CGI effects) to hinder their view. Winning this round grants 15 points.
• Rat Race – A competition involving navigating obstacles and completing tasks for a total of 30 points, with intermediate checkpoints offering 20, 15, 10, and 5 points respectively. Obstacles include wire traps, cargo nets, dark rooms, slides, ball pits, mazes, and the Cheese Dump. Key tasks vary per episode and might involve filling cylinders or operating cranes. In season two, teams must locate an eyeball within the dark room to qualify for checkpoint points but may skip it to save time.

If scores are tied after either What'll Happen If or the Rat Race, a tie-breaker called the Randomizer is used: teams select between two powders to mix with water; only one triggers a chemical reaction. The team whose powder reacts earns an additional 5 points. This tie-breaker relies entirely on chance.

International broadcasts

• In the United Kingdom, Lab Rats Challenge was shown on POP and Kix until December 2012, after which it was replaced by Scaredy Squirrel in January 2013; at the same time, CBBC introduced a similar UK version titled Richard Hammond's Blast Lab.
• In Singapore, the show airs on both Okto and Channel 5.
• In Malaysia, viewers can watch it on Astro TVIQ.
• Across Southeast Asia, starting October 12, 2026, it will be broadcast daily from 12:30 pm to 1:00 pm on Lifetime, simultaneously reaching audiences in both Malaysia and Singapore.

See also

• Compilation of Australian TV series