Lancaster University’s Infant and Child Development Lab (ICDL) – a part of Lancaster’s Psychology Department – recently hosted a highly successful Family Fun Day in celebration of their new name.

Formerly known as the Babylab, ICDL hosted the Family Fun Day on Saturday 26^th July in recognition of their rebrand, which better reflects their expanding portfolio of developmental research that now includes studies spanning childhood and adolescence, as well as maintaining its strengths in prenatal and infancy research. The ICDL – located in Fylde College’s Whewell Building - boasts state-of-the-art facilities for research into human development, including eye-trackers, neuroimaging, 4D ultrasound imaging, and motion capture, allowing for researchers to conduct a wide range of experiments within the labs. The labs also recently benefited from a new research classroom and soundproof booth, thanks to the injection of funding from the £1.2M UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship awarded to Dr Hannah Stewart in 2024, with match funding from the University.

Organised by academic Dr Abi Fiske , alongside staff and students from the Developmental Psychology research group, the day was an extravaganza of fun for families and children of all ages. The day hosted a range of fun activities for children to get involved in, including facepainting, a bouncy castle, arts and crafts, and a treasure hunt, as well as tours and lab demonstrations of the ICDL’s facilities. Additionally, the Lancaster Community Music Centre also provided group music sessions for children to engage with throughout the day. The new labs were officially opened on the day by Faith Robyn from the National Deaf Children’s Society, who joined for the opening ceremony and took part in all the different lab demonstrations.

Overall, the day was a huge success with around 200 children and their families turning up throughout the day to join in the fun. The day was well-received by both parents and children alike, with one parent commenting: “It was such a special day to be a part of! We loved looking around at all the different rooms and meeting other parents. You should make it an annual celebration of all the amazing work and research you facilitate!”.

Commenting on the success of the day, Dr Stewart said: “It was brilliant to showcase the ICDL and share some of our research with our ribbon cutter, Faith. Welcoming children into our wonderful new primary school classroom lab was truly special – especially seeing their brain activity in real time using our mobile NIRS headsets. We can’t wait to welcome more children into the classroom as part of our new studies!”

Dr Fiske added: “It was fantastic to celebrate the reopening of the Lancaster University Infant and Child Development Lab on Saturday. The lab was filled with lots of lovely families from the local area engaging in our science activities - from virtual reality to solving puzzles with eye-tracking! A special thanks to Lancaster Community Music Centre for supporting our Family Fun Day and giving children and families the opportunity to explore instruments, make music, and have fun together. Keep an eye out for future events and ways to get involved by following us on Facebook and Instagram.”

The Infant and Child Development has a frequently changing roster of studies for families to get involved in. To find out more or sign up for the studies, please visit the ICDL website. Come and join in the fun!