Playing Wild

Amber Ogunsanya-William was part of the team that created the Play Wild exhibition at Winchester Science Centre. She outlines how the project’s splashing chalk streams and giggling fossils are helping families reconnect through play

omething extraordinary is happening at Winchester Science Centre and no, it’s not just the fact that I’ve spent months wading through water channels, prototyping mud kitchens, and whispering encouragement to a giant mosasaur skeleton. It’s Play Wild: three brand-new outdoor exhibits where science, nature and joyful, messy, meaningful play collide. As Play Consultant for this incredible project, I’ve had the privilege of partnering with the Wonderseekers team to help shape, embed and activate play across the Chalk Stream Water Play exhibit, a flagship installation inspired entirely by the ecology, geology and shimmering magic of chalk streams.

And the excitement hasn’t gone unnoticed. BBC South came down to capture the joy, the splashing, the squeals and the wonder of this rare ecosystem brought to life. When the cameras rolled, the Chalk Stream absolutely performed. If chalk streams could wink, ours would have.

A space that’s transforming families

Play Wild has become a place where grandparents crouch, parents climb, children lead and everyone forgets they were ever supposed to “just watch”. One splash, one giggle and one discovery at a time.

I’VE SEEN: Grandads negotiating water flow like tiny hydrologists. Toddlers discovering fossils with the seriousness of seasoned palaeontologists. Parents crawling through Dormouse Den tunnels, emerging with twigs in their hair and pride in their eyes. Entire families cheering as water finally flows exactly where they wanted it to go.

It’s connection through curiosity. It’s science through play. It’s joy through mud, water, fossils and woodland magic.

This space isn’t just transformative it’s restorative. It’s giving families permission to slow down, explore, laugh, and learn together.

We shaped an exhibit where curiosity leads, children take charge and adults rediscover their inner explorer

Behind the scenes

While families splash and explore, there’s a whole layer of invisible play-alchemy humming underneath and that’s where I come in. As Play Consultant I’ve been quietly weaving purposeful, science rich play into the Chalk Stream exhibit: crafting embedded activities that feel like part of the landscape, building a joyful toolkit for the Inspirer team and leading training sessions full of “aha!” moments and the occasional glue and glitter chuckle. Through co-creation with families, the young steering group, playful prototyping and a whole lot of chalk-stream love, we shaped an exhibit where curiosity leads, children take charge and adults rediscover their inner explorer. It’s the kind of behind the scenes magic you don’t see but you absolutely feel in every splash, giggle and moment of discovery.

THE THREE OUTDOOR EXHIBITS BRINGING NATURE TO LIFE

1

DINO DIG

Children dig, pan, investigate and clamber across the enormous skeleton of a giant mosasaur. Real fossils, interactive zones and collaborative challenges bring the prehistoric chalk sea roaring back to life.

Expect squeals. Expect sandy socks. Expect tiny palaeontologists shouting “I found a shark tooth!” with the confidence of someone who’s just discovered fire.

2

THE CHALK STREAM

Ah yes. The star of the BBC South feature. The diva of the chalk landscape. The shimmering, splashing, utterly irresistible Chalk Stream.

Families experiment with water flow, redirect currents, build channels and discover the wildlife that depends on this rare ecosystem from otters to mayflies to the kingfisher who has become my unofficial mascot.

This space is science you can splash in. Science you can shape. Science you can giggle through.

3

DORMOUSE DEN

A woodland world designed for little explorers to hide, climb and discover the secret life of the hazel dormouse. It’s gentle, magical and full of tiny surprises.

Children become dormouse detectives. Adults become honorary woodland creatures. Everyone becomes part of the story.

Connecting people

My personal favourite spot is The Kingfisher’s Kitchen (or, if you prefer, the mud kitchen of dreams). It is more than a play zone. It’s a creativity engine. A sensory laboratory. A social hub where children mix, mould, pour and experiment with natural materials. It’s messy. It’s marvellous. It’s meaningful.

And it’s where I’ve seen some of the most beautiful moments of connection: siblings collaborating, parents joining in, grandparents offering “expert stirring advice” and children discovering that mud is basically nature’s glitter.

A chalky, splashy, fossil-filled invitation

Play Wild is more than a set of outdoor exhibits. It’s a movement that celebrates curiosity, protects local habitats and empowers children to become scientists, engineers, palaeontologists and nature champions. I’m incredibly proud to be part of this team and this vision. Winchester Science Centre has created something truly special – a space where nature, science and play come together in the most joyful, inclusive and imaginative way!

In their own words

Emily Mace, Director of Science Engagement, Winchester Science Centre PlayWild showed us that science and play are natural partners. By immersing children and families in scientific collections through playful experiences, we created opportunities for curiosity, exploration and discovery that helped make the natural world more accessible, meaningful and memorable. Over this summer we saw that children are given permission to play with scientific ideas, collections and stories, they don’t just learn facts about the natural world, they build a deep connect with it. PlayWild showed how science and play together can spark wonder, deepen understanding and inspire care for the world around us.