by Susan Donachie, Senior Childcare Practitioner
Last month 9 children from our Ellon ASN Group visited Aberdeen Science Centre as part of our commitment to take the children on more trips and excursions.
With more than 65 interactive exhibits the Science Centre is one of the city’s top attractions and offers exciting days out for children of all ages.
One of the best things about the Science Centre is that it is fully wheelchair accessible with ramps, low-level counters, accessible toilets with emergency alarms. Another bonus for our ASN Groups is that there is a calm Sensory Space with dark dens, sensory toys, and ear defenders, making it ideal for the diverse range of children and young people in the Group.
The team at the Science Centre were extremely helpful providing space for PEG Feeding, arranging Sensory Demonstrations, providing extra support while we explored the exhibits, and even supporting with the entrance fee thanks to their connection to the Hugh Fraser Foundation.
For the Sensory Demonstration, the young people were asked to stand in a large tray, and then the Science Centre Team staff lifted a giant hoop around them and whoosh, they were surrounded by a huge bubble!
“How did you do that?!” – MS
The big bubble is visually captivating, it moves, shimmers, and feels magical. Standing inside gives a gentle, safe full-body sensory moment, without being overwhelming. Plus, who wouldn’t love the chance to be inside a bubble?!
Next up was slime-making, which was a massive hit with our Ellon group, they absolutely LOVE getting hands-on with mixing, smelling, and exploring textures.
“The slime was better than your slime!” – MS (maybe we’ll ask for the recipe!)
Slime making is messy, hands-on, and loads of fun, the perfect sensory activity in a relaxed, playful setting. It encourages exploration of different textures and helps young people build comfort at their own pace. Best of all, it puts them in charge: mixing, creating, and learning through curiosity.
It was especially lovely to see one of our young people, who usually isn’t keen on certain textures, getting involved and giving it a go – a really positive moment!
We also got to watch a mini volcano experiment. Watching the ingredients bubble up and overflow definitely got a few excited “WOWs!” from the group!
The volcano experiment is brilliant for capturing attention in a big, visual way. It’s loud(Ish), it’s messy, and something happens (especially those who benefit from clear cause-and-effect experiences, this is perfect. You mix A + B… and boom), all of which makes it really engaging. A brilliant way to introduce basic science.
Some of the children enjoyed exploring what the science centre had on offer too, playing with sand, exploring the solar system, and controlling a robot!
And although a few of our young people are non-verbal, it was so clear how much fun they had, the happy body language, facial expressions and joyful vocalisations said it all. We didn’t want to leave!
Thank you to The team at Aberdeen Science Centre, the Hugh Fraser Foundation and the parents / carers for your on-going support.
