Join us at the Inclusive Virtual Imagination Hub where we’ll be experimenting with food colouring. Children will explore how to dye vegetables and flowers and conduct simple experiments using dye and milk to create swirl effects and more!

Who is this for?

This is for children and young people aged 5-18 years old that have special educational needs, profound or multiple learning disabilities, autism and/or who are neurodivergent. You must be living in or go to school within Brent, Barnet, Harrow, Camden, Kensington & Chelsea, City of Westminster, Hammersmith and Fulham or Ealing to be eligible for a place in this session. If you have any queries, please email Imaginationhub@ioi.london or call us on 07585009726.

Session Structure

• Introduction: Learn how to make a multi-coloured bubble snake.
• Smarties: Learn how food colouring works using smarties and water.
• Lava Water Experiment: See how oil, water and food colouring play together!
• Coloured flowers and vegetables: An overnight experiment to make mult-coloured petals and vegetables

When is Inclusive Virtual Imagination Hub: Experimenting with Food Colouring?

This session is from 09.30 -11.00 am on Thursday 27th August. There will be up to 50 students at each session.

What will I need for the Experiment with Food Colouring session?

• Rubber bands
• Empty small water bottle
• Bowl
• Washing up liquid
• Glycerine
• Variety of food colourings
• 3 pairs of white socks
• Water
• Scissors
• Outdoor space
• Corrugated packaging cardboard
• 2 boxes of smarties
• White plate with lip
• Straws
• Milk
• Long stem white flowers (ideally roses or tulips)
• Large complete cauliflower

What is the Inclusive Virtual Imagination Hub?

The Inclusive Virtual Imagination Hub is an exciting 8 week programme bought to you by the Institute of Imagination and Oily Cart. It features a range of exciting and experimental workshops, with the crossover of arts, science, engineering, coding, digital technology. Explore how to be playful with everyday household items. It’s made especially for children from neurodivergent backgrounds.

Sessions include:

• Theatre sessions and sensory engagement workshops with Oily Cart, a charity who aims to reimagine theatre for young audiences to make it more inclusive.
• Tinkering with everyday objects and exploring digital making with the iOi
• An online CPD session for teachers and parents to provide new inspiration, ideas and tool kit for online delivery and home learning with the iOi and Oily Cart.

In August, we will be hosting workshops from Tuesday-Thursday, every week. Sign up now and we’ll keep you updated on all our events.

How much does the Inclusive Virtual Imagination Hub: Experiment with Food Colour cost?

This is a funded programme with John Lyons, so it is free to participate. You must be living in or go to school within Brent, Barnet, Harrow, Camden, Kensington & Chelsea, City of Westminster or Hammersmith and Fulham to be eligible for a place in the sessions. All participants should be accompanied by an adult for the online session.

How have we made this programme inclusive?

When you sign up to each session, we ask you to provide details about what needs your child(ren) have. We will pass on these details to our practitioners, to ensure that they make the sessions suitable for everyone taking part. Also, each session includes a captioned video, a resource page and a live workshop. We have a session that will support children and young people with sensory needs and high functioning needs.

How do I join the session?

If you would like to take part in this session, please book here and we will send you a booking confirmation shortly to confirm your place, a resource pack and instructions for how to join. If you have any queries, please email hello@ioi.london call us on 07585009726.

How do I do this activity if I can’t join this session?

If you can’t join this session, we have a resource pack that you can download after the session has taken place and a pre-recorded video that you can watch, so you can catch up in your own time.