The Infant and Child Development Lab (ICDL) celebrated its first birthday by hosting another successful Family Fun Day on Saturday 18th July, welcoming families for a day of hands-on games and interactive research activities.

The ICDL is part of Lancaster’s Psychology Department, made up of a team of developmental psychology researchers who investigate how children grow, learn, and thrive. Boasting state-of-the-art facilities, the team uses neuroimaging, eye-tracking, 4D ultrasound imaging, motion capture, and a range of other cutting-edge experimental techniques to investigate topics spanning prenatal development, hearing and reading, language acquisition, social interaction, and the challenges of adolescence, amongst many others.

Organised by Dr Abigail Fiske, Dr Jill Lany, and Dr Mathilde Prenevost - and funded by the Faculty of Science and Technology - the birthday party featured a range of fun, family-friendly activities for all ages, giving families who had visited the lab over the past year the chance to catch up while also welcoming new families from the local community. Children enjoyed a variety of classic party games and activities, including Jenga, Connect 4, and arts and crafts. The highlight of the day was a lively game of ‘Pin the Hat on the Dino’, a prehistoric twist on the traditional favourite.

Thankfully, the British summer delivered for once, with warm weather allowing families to spend the day outside on the lawn. As Dr Lany said; “many families told me they enjoyed the event, especially the bouncy castle and the lawn games, and the smell of popcorn.” Meanwhile, children set off on a dinosaur-themed scavenger hunt around campus, searching for dinosaurs each holding a different letter. Those who found them all discovered they spelled the word balloon - a befitting surprise!

Alongside the fun and games, families also had tours and lab demonstrations of the ICDL’s facilities, which helped to reduce any apprehension or anxiety about taking part in psychology research. One of the centre’s staff members shared that “one parent told me they really liked seeing an electrode cap being worn and hearing about it as they had been too nervous to sign up for that kind of research before!”

The event itself was a massive success, with over 30 families and around 100 people turning up to get involved in the fun. Commenting of the success of the day, Dr Mathilde Prenevost said: “It was a pleasure to welcome so many families to our lab. We hope the day inspired curiosity about developmental research and strengthened the connection between our research and the community.”

The ICDL invites families – from expectant parents to those with babies, toddlers, and children up to 14 years old – to join in the fun and become part of the research community. To find out more, you can sign up to their database where you’ll be notified when a study matches your child’s age and other relevant criteria. Most studies involve just one visit to Lancaster University and typically last less than one hour, and you’ll be helping the team develop cutting-edge research. You can also keep an eye out for upcoming events and ways to get involved by following the team on socials (Facebook and Instagram) or checking out the ICDL website.

Happy birthday ICDL and here’s to another year of discoveries!