Winchester Science Centre is always bursting with fun over the summer holidays. But experiencing the wow of science doesn’t just happen in our Science Centre. Our Equity, Community Engagement and Outreach (ECO) team run a range of interactive activities, bringing science to life on the move. Discover what the team got up to on their visits to Winnall, Winchester, and Itchen Valley Country Park, Southampton.
The ECO team regularly visit Winnall Primary School during term time, delivering science and nature workshops that support the learning of each year group. Over the summer, for the very first time, the team also delivered repeat engagement in Winnall’s community spaces. Over a single week, as part of the Holidays, Activities and Food (HAFs) initiative, in conjunction with Intergr8 Dance, ECO ran three sessions exploring wildlife and their habitats. The children, aged four to twelve learned about the lives of hedgehogs, barn owls, bats, butterflies, and harvest mice through hands on games and art. Each member of the group created their very own animal mask and habitat diorama to help them visually show their understanding of the science which they could keep as a memory of their experience.
Then, it was off to Itchen Valley’s HAF event for an outdoor nature adventure. The ECO team ran a full day workshop investigating the marvellous world of minibeasts. It was a great way for families to get their hands dirty in local woodland designed to replicate a classroom. By using microscopes and mark making, the children were able see wildlife in their natural habitat up close. Families then had to work together to build their own minibeast from man-made and natural resources. The materials included paper, pipe cleaners, leaves, and twigs.
Jenny Hoppé, Equity, Community Engagement and Outreach Officer at Wonderseekers said: “I love getting to know the young people and their families, but we often wait six weeks to see them again at the next school holiday. I really enjoyed Winnall as I got the chance to know the children over the course of a week.”
Through our outreach programme, children and families in the region can have fun and learn together. Every session enables Wonderseekers to build relationships with communities and through an increase of repeat engagement, we want to make a long-term impact.
