Like “The Dad Space” which launched earlier this year, every activity, encounter, experience and program at the Early Start Discovery Space at University of Wollongong is designed to reflect evidence-based best practice. Photo: UOW.
The milestones are rolling in for the world’s first dedicated children’s museum based on a university campus.
In October 2024 the Early Start Discovery Space at University of Wollongong (UOW) had its millionth visitor and this year the institution turns 10.
Having provided interactive experiences, stimulating educational programs and learn-through-play activities for children aged birth to 10 years and their families for almost a decade, the space is garnering institutional status among parents in the Illawarra and beyond.
The idea originated with Emeritus Professor Paul Chandler, an academic in the field of education and cognitive psychology, proud Bidjigal man and advocate of inclusion and social justice.
“He came to UOW with a vision for creating an early childhood service that would be open and accessible to the community and be a hub for the resources and insights families needed,” UOW Professor Lisa Kervin AM says.
“Its focus would be around research, community and student partnership to bring about the best possible outcomes for children in terms of positive life trajectories.”
Backed by a multi-million dollar government infrastructure grant and support from the university and philanthropic individuals Chris and Barbara Abbott, a space took form on the main campus akin to a children’s museum, in which every activity and piece of equipment was underpinned by play-based pedagogy.
More than 70 researchers and 50 PhD students contributed their time, expertise and passion to the project in five key areas, collectively responding to the C.H.I.L.D model: Country context and cultures, Healthy bodies and minds, Interactions and relationships, Learning play and creativity and Development and assessment.
C.H.I.L.D researchers are focused on the child from birth to adolescence, their adults, communities and surrounding systems.
The Early Start Discovery Space is open to the public seven days and sees anywhere between 2000 to 3000 children and their families each week – 5000 during school holidays and if the weather is rainy.
On the floor are “play partners” focusing on interactions with children and their adult. Also on the floor are program partners who, armed with the research undertaken in the space, work shoulder-to-shoulder with UOW Early Start researchers to ensure each activity, encounter, experience and program is designed to reflect evidence-based best practice.
Spaces include the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) room, where researchers look at ways to use arts pedagogies to help children understand complex domains such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Experiences such as the shopping and “Emergency! Emergency!” zones provide opportunities to engage in role play.
“As we’re a play-based facility we work from the theory that children are functioning at their highest cognitive capacity when they play,” Lisa says.
“When you set up play scenarios, children get to demonstrate what they know about their world – and we get to understand how children make sense of what’s happening about them, the roles and responsibilities in life, and give them ways to extend and build those understandings.”
The Early Start Discovery Space holds a busy program of events, which are often responsive to what’s happening in the community including events like Indigenous Literacy Day, Book Week and World Environment Day, to ensure it maintains a real-world value.
The Early Start Discovery Space is open seven days.
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