Did you know that there are more sheep than people in Northern Ireland? Sunlight takes eight minutes and 20 seconds to reach earth? And human bone can be four times stronger than concrete?
These are just some of the thousands of facts that you can discover in W5, Northern Ireland’s first and only science and discovery centre.
Curious kids ask hundreds of questions every week. For parents, the constant barrage of who, what, where, when, why can be overwhelming, and with spring break, then an even longer summer on the horizon, the question count is set to skyrocket over the coming weeks and months.
But parents should not fear, asking questions and inparticular discovering the answers through interactive and fun play is the key to accelerating and enhancing little ones' learning.
Leading, Joanna Cushley says families that play together can accelerate and enhance learning.“Children learn about the world around them through play,” explains Joanna Cushley, paediatric specialist speech and language therapist at Kingsbridge Private Hospital in Belfast.
“It creates a stress-free environment where they can interact, practice speech and language skills and build their vocabulary. Play is proven to improve socio-economic, physical and cognitive development. Children learn by doing, and playing together, with adult interaction and modelling different types of play, makes it even more powerful.
With over 250 interactive exhibits and experiences covering everything from nature and climate change to optical illusions, film and TV production and how the human body works, W5 helps satisfy insatiable appetites for knowledge, helping to awaken the senses and deepen learning through hands-on play.
“Children’s minds are naturally very inquisitive. In play they can explore the world around them through their senses. With interactive hands-on play, like the activities available in W5, the senses are heightened. When adults then play with them, this heightens the modelling of language, creating a link in their brain between the action they are doing and the word that goes with that action,” adds Joanna.
According to consultant paediatric neurosurgeon, Mano Shanmuganathan, a ‘back to basics’ approach that favours hands-on practical experiences is good for brain and mental health. The well-known consultant survived being stranded on a desert island for 30 days in 2018 as part of TV show, Treasure Island, hosted by Bear Grylls.
“Technology has led to so many advances in our world, not least medical science, but there’s a lot to be said for real-life, in-person, hands-on experiences. Taking time out, moderating our screen time, and doing practical, hands-on tasks can help to reset our circadian rhythms, and improve our mental health.
“I experienced that first hand on the island. It’s how we were first designed: to do, be, build, learn and enquire. Taking time out from the haptic feedback our brains process daily via screens to do something fun, that engages all the senses, is good for you and helps achieve mental clarity.”
Have a family adventure at Belfast’s W5 and answer a world of questions, including these, and hundreds more:
Who makes your favourite TV shows and movies come alive?
What makes the Giants’ Causeway so unique?
Where does the energy come from to power your Nintendo Switch?
When do the seasons change and how has Northern Ireland’s climate changed over the years?
Why does it seem like skyscrapers defy gravity?
