Club inspires young scientists at Evelina London

Children and young people at Evelina London have been taking part in an interactive science club, run by King's College London, which bring the science lab into the hospital.

The Natural, Mathematical and Engineering Sciences outreach team at King's College London visit Evelina London Children's Hospital every month to deliver fun and engaging science sessions.

Children and young people in attendance learn about a range of scientific and engineering topics through practical activities, from balancing toys to building bridges out of newspaper.

Lyla, 11, enjoyed finding out about sound and vibration. With help from the club leaders, she built a variety of musical instruments, including a chicken noise simulator and a 'glove-a-phone'. She said:

This club has helped me understand a lot more about science. I love music and now I know how vibrations make sounds. My favourite bit was making a lot of noise!

Catherine and her son Thomas, 7, also took part in the club's music lesson. She said: "This is a really great opportunity to spend one on one time with Thomas without having to leave the hospital. Being able to enjoy fun and educational activities away from the ward is so valuable, and a great distraction for Thomas."

Peter Gallivan, outreach manager for Natural, Mathematical and Engineering Sciences, King's College London, said: "The club is designed to share the science and engineering that forms the basis of our research at King's College London with our community. We hope to bring the excitement of discovery to children and young people in hospital, at a time when it may not be easy to access these kinds of opportunities. It's wonderful to see their enthusiasm and joy as they engage with hands-on experiments and learn something new."

The science clubs are one of many educational and play activities delivered at Evelina London which aim to provide children and young people with the means to develop through fun and familiar activities, helping to reduce anxiety and aid their recovery. In addition to sessions delivered by external partners like King's College London, our play specialists work closely with medical teams to support children to learn and grow while they're in hospital.

Watch a video about the science club on YouTube.