Hampshire House

Through the Kaleidoscope: A Day of Discovery at Hampshire House

As part of our Reggio Emilia inspired inquiry into Kaleidoscopes, our preschool children enjoyed a wonderful incursion from “Kaleidoscope Science”. Our little scientists participated in an afternoon of hands-on experiments filled with surprising sights, sounds, colour and movement. Some of the highlights included climbing inside a giant Hoberman sphere, launching rockets, watching fizzing chemical reactions, playing with magnets, peering through kaleidoscopes and crazy lenses, and making music with ‘boom whackers’ and ‘giggle tubes”.  These exciting sensory-rich activities sparked endless curiosity and questions and lots of excited chatter, revealing just how fun science can be!

Hands-on STEM experiences are vital for preschoolers as they turn everyday curiosity into powerful learning. When children mix, build, pour or experiment, they discover cause and effect in real time. It was delightful watching the awe on the children’s faces when they saw the effects of adding water to powder, pushed buttons and changed the angle of a ramp. These moments also invite our children to make predictions, “What do you think will happen if I add air to this?”. It allows them to test their ideas, and revise their thinking, building the foundations of scientific reasoning, problem-solving and confidence. 

It is through playful exploration that our youngest children develop critical thinking, language and persistence, which supports lifelong learning, all while discovering the joy of science.

Simone Cooke 

Director Hampshire House