Questacon – The National Science and Technology Centre – has unveiled its redeveloped early childhood gallery, Mini Q – Where Little Scientists Set Sail.

Purpose-built for children aged 0-6 and their families, the new Mini Q blends play with hands-on scientific exploration as young visitors embark on a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics-filled voyage from Ngunnawal Country to Sea Country.

Accompanied by the sound of splashing and delighted squeals from a group of Ngunnawal Primary school kids who were testing out the new facility, Questacon executive director Jo White explained that when the time came to update Mini Q after 20 years, experts advised them to keep water play at its centre.

She pointed out the Northern Territory-inspired motifs in the mangrove murals surrounding the pond, where centre-stage we saw a captivating, medium-sized crocodile.

According to White, more than 20 versions of the croc were designed during planning “to make sure it was neither too friendly nor too scary.”

Children will even be able to pick up a crocodile egg from a nearby nest and take it to be x-rayed in the nearby lab.

White said she believed the upgraded facility takes children “even deeper into the scientific implications of play,” with new features such as a conveyor belt replacing the old block play area.

The gallery also includes a safe sensory zone for tiny, pre-walking children.

Developed with researchers from the University of Canberra’s STEM Education Research Centre and Ngunnawal and Yuin knowledge-holders, the redeveloped Mini Q introduces new experiences including a coral reef climber, a mangrove water table, and the InQuestigator – a scientific research vessel where children can take the helm.

Children and their carers will, she hopes,  “get involved in learning about STEM without really knowing it.”

Mini Q – Where Little Scientists Set Sail opens to the public on October 30.