During the annual Weekend of Science, activities were organized throughout the Netherlands to introduce children to technology and science. Normally, these activities are aimed at children in primary school but in the spirit of “you're never too young to start" we opened our doors on Saturday, October 3, to children aged 0 to 6 and their parents or caregivers. And what a success it was! Nearly 200 visitors, young and old, listened, played, and above all, discovered.
A fairytale welcome
Promptly at 9:30 a.m., the first visitors were waiting at the door of our location at the Max Planck Institute. The journey of discovery could begin. Naturally, the route first led through our famous fairytale path, where fairies, gnomes, and animals welcomed the children.
Fun and games
Once inside, a variety of activities awaited children of different ages. Among other things, they could test their language skills with animal-sound bingo, practice working together, try to build the same tower as their parent or caregiver (without being able to see each other’s construction), and try out the Eyetracker. They were also read stories, had their faces painted, and enjoyed plenty of playtime in the playroom.
Activities for adults
Of course, the adults’ curiosity was sparked, too. They could attend a demonstration on measuring brain activity and, together with their little ones, listen to a short talk by Professor Paula Fikkert about language development.
See you next year!
All in all, it was a wonderful morning. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all the visitors and volunteers for joining us. We thoroughly enjoyed their curiosity and enthusiasm. Here’s to another Weekend of Science in 2027! And if you can’t wait that long, we have plenty of studies you can take part in to kill time. See you next year!
