Science in Action at The Observatory Science Centre

We were lucky enough to spend a fantastic Sunday getting hands-on with all things science at The Observatory Science Centre, Herstmonceux.

Learning Through Play

We spent the morning exploring the MANY interactive exhibits on display. The outdoor water play area was extremely popular, brilliantly combining the fun of splashing in the water and playing with rubber ducks with learning and seeing scientific principles in action. Also in the outdoor area, there was a play area filled with giant experiments where the children had the freedom to run about, explore, have fun and see science in action. It wasn’t only the science exhibits on display, as we also spotted some fascinating stripy caterpillars which the children enjoyed observing from a distance.

And inside the building the exhibits, demonstrations and experiments just kept coming. There was a brilliant light and dark area, a sound room and so much more. A popular activity was the hover chair; a wonderful display where the children could sit on a chair and use a vacuum cleaner to lift it up and down. One of the many joys of the centre is being able to use everyday, perhaps even boring, objects and use them to do extraordinary things using the power of science.

Lunchtime

We came together for lunch in 2 sittings and were catered for by the lovely Science Centre staff who served us hotdogs and vegan burgers.

While we enjoyed our lunch, families chatted with each other and made new friends or caught up with old ones. It is sometimes the time between activities which is most valuable for our families, as this is the time when they are able to both offer and seek support from those people who know best what it is they are going through. In fact one family gave this feedback: “I’m so grateful for the love and support shown here today – it means the world to us.”

A loving and supportive community is exactly what we want to grow and nurture here at CWCF and it makes our hearts burst with joy to think that we are achieving our goal!

Science Show

In the afternoon, after a bit more exploring, we had our very own private science show. It was a huge hit with the children. Our presenter was extremely engaging and did some wonderful demonstrations and experiments. We started by making our very own mini rocket and finished off seeing the amazing things an infrared camera can see, with hoverboards, shooting projectiles and a marshmallow man along the way.

Our families were then free to stay as long as they liked up until closing time to finish off another fantastic event.

Thank You

Thank you ever so much to The Observatory Science Centre for being an “interactive gem of a place” and to the staff for being so welcoming. One of our families remarked that “the staff couldn’t have been more accommodating” of their child’s needs and that is something that was noticed and appreciated by us all.

Thank you to BBC Children in Need for kindly sponsoring this event.

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