W5 Teams Up With Leading Clinicians To Explore The Science Of Play

07th, Apr 2023

Leading local clinicians Joanna Cushley, Paediatric SLT and Mano Shanmuganathan, Consultant Paediatric Surgeon team up with W5 to explore the science of play saying "it's that hands-on, communal play that holds the key to unlocking our world of wonder!"

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.

Northern Ireland’s leading science and discovery centre, W5, is promising to help frazzled mums and dads ‘answer a world of questions’ and ‘inspire curious minds’ this spring/summer.

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 makes learning fun. From wee ones to big kids and the young at heart, W5 helps satisfy insatiable appetites for knowledge, helping to awaken the senses and deepen learning through hands-on play.

And, according to leading local clinicians, it’s that hands-on, communal play that holds the key to unlocking our world of wonder. W5 has teamed up with leading clinicians at Kingsbridge Private Hospital to explore the science of play and hands-on family fun.

Leading paediatric specialist speech and language therapist, Joanna Cushleysays families that play together can accelerate and enhance learning.

“Children learn about the world around them through play” explains Joanna. “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.

“Children’s minds are naturally very inquisitive. In play they can explore the world around them through their senses and 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.”

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.”

Answer a World of Questions at W5

Offering thought-provoking fun for all the family, W5’s mission is to spark imaginations, through hands-on play that inspires curious minds. Over four floors, 250+ interactive exhibits and experiences engage your senses, exploring everything from animation and optical illusions to architectural feats, medical marvels, nature and the great outdoors, incredible engineering and much more.

Visit W5 and answer a world of questions, including these, and hundreds more:

• Who makes your favourite TV shows and movies come alive (and did you know some of them are from Northern Ireland)?
• What makes the Giants’ Causeway so unique?
• Where does the energy come from to power your Nintendo Switch?
• Why does it seem like skyscrapers defy gravity?
• When do the seasons change and how has Northern Ireland’s climate changed over the years?

Book your family adventure at W5online.co.uk

---