As part of Science Rendezvous Kingston 2024, The Sensory Friendly Science Zone is a designated sensory-friendly space on the 3rd floor of Slush Puppie Place with a bird’s eye view of the ground floor activities especially for children who would benefit from experiencing the event in a space that has been thoughtfully designed in calmer, quieter, less crowded, more neurodiverse affirming way on Saturday May 11, 2024.
Resources for families
This year, we have partnered with children's book award-winning author and illustrator Peggy Collins to prepare a special resource for families visiting the Sensory Friendly Science Zone. The Welcome to Science Rendezvous Kingston booklet will walk our young explorers through all they can see and do at the Sensory Friendly Science Zone.
The booklet is available in two formats. The online multimedia version includes a narration by Science Rendezvous Kingston founder, Lynda Colgan, as well as the famous "Oyez, oyez!" by Kingston's town crier Chris Whyman. For families who prefer to print their booklets at home (and maybe colour the pages together in preparation for the event!), a printable PDF is available for download.
Frequently asked questions
The Sensory Friendly Science Zone will feature special booths and activities, including robots, video games created by local high school students, a model of Leonardo da Vinci’s bridge, mineral samples to be looked at through microscopes, a stuffed animal “hospital”, a wave tank, a sand box for children to dig their own fossils, and more. Activities are designed for school-aged children.
Entrance will be through gate 4.5 (the smaller gate close to the corner of The Tragically Hip Way and King Street). Level 300 can be accessed by stairs or elevator.
Entrance to the Sensory Friendly Science Zone will require one ticket per child. Tickets are free and will be available at the Slush Puppie Place box office starting April 23. Accompanying caregivers do not need to have tickets.
Please check the timeslot in your tickets: they will indicate if the ticket is good for a morning (10:00 am – 12:00 pm) or afternoon (12:00 – 3:00 pm) visit.
We want to make sure everyone can enjoy Science Rendezvous Kingston! Additional tickets will be available on the day of the event at the information desk (close to the main entrance at Gate 4). Also on May 11, we will have volunteers at gate 4.5 to help direct last-minute guests to the Sensory Friendly Science Zone whenever there is space available.
No. While we do have volunteers that will guide visitors through all activities, we do not have a childcare team and therefore require parents and caregivers to always remain on site. We will have tables and chairs at our Parents Café, where caregivers can take a seat while keeping an eye out for their children.
If you have any questions, please contact us at sciencerendezvous@queensu.ca