SparkLab Cymru Celebrates Two Years of Supporting Latch

At SparkLab Cymru, we believe that every child should have the opportunity to discover, explore and enjoy science – wherever they are.

For the past two years, we have been incredibly proud to support Latch Welsh Children’s Cancer Charity, bringing our interactive and hands-on science workshops to children receiving treatment on the Rainbow Ward at the Children’s Hospital for Wales in Cardiff.

Recently, Latch shared our story in their article “Science to Smile About”, highlighting the impact that these sessions can have on children and families during what can be an incredibly difficult time.

Bringing science to the hospital

Our sessions with Latch are a little different from our usual SparkLab workshops.

Children receiving treatment may be tired, may need to leave a session at short notice, or may simply not feel like taking part straight away. That's why we make our workshops flexible and accessible, allowing children to join in whenever they feel ready – whether that's in the playroom, on the day ward or from their own room.

The activities are designed to be genuinely hands-on. Children can make things, test ideas, make predictions, ask questions and, most importantly, have fun while discovering how science works.

As science teachers, we love seeing that moment when a child becomes curious and wants to find out more. On the ward, those moments can be particularly special.

Science, smiles and a little bit of normality

One of our favourite activities has been making harmonicas with the children.

The harmonicas may produce some rather unusual sounds, but they have certainly produced plenty of smiles and laughter! One child even enjoyed the activity so much that she wanted to make more harmonicas for her mum and siblings.

For us, that's what these sessions are really about.

Of course, the children are learning about science, but the workshops also provide an opportunity to create, explore and have fun – bringing a little bit of the experience of school, clubs and everyday activities into the hospital.

As Latch explains, children undergoing treatment can miss out on many of the experiences that other children take for granted. Being able to bring a small part of those experiences to them is something we feel incredibly privileged to be able to do.

Making science accessible to every child

Our approach has always been about making science exciting, accessible and fun.

That philosophy is particularly important when we're working with children on the ward. Every child is different, and every visit can be different too.

Sometimes a child may initially be unsure about getting involved. They might simply watch from the side. But as the experiments unfold, curiosity often takes over. Before long, they may want to pick up the equipment, try an experiment themselves and become fully involved.

Those moments are incredibly rewarding for us.

Two years of working together

We're hugely grateful to Latch for giving us the opportunity to support the children and families they work with over the past two years.

Latch provides vital support to families affected by childhood cancer in Wales, including accommodation, financial support, social work and activities that help families create positive experiences during an incredibly challenging time.

For SparkLab Cymru, being able to contribute through our science workshops is something we're extremely proud of.

We'd like to say a huge thank you to the team at Latch for everything they do and for welcoming SparkLab onto the Rainbow Ward.

And, of course, the biggest thank you goes to all the amazing children who take part in our sessions. Your curiosity, creativity, questions – and sometimes wonderfully noisy experiments – are what make every visit so memorable!

We're looking forward to continuing our work with Latch and bringing even more opportunities to explore, experiment and discover the joy of science.

Read the full Latch feature, “Science to Smile About”, here: Latch – Science to Smile About