Venue conceived as an interactive story trail, with an outdoor story garden including a spacecraft.
Discover is open every day, 10am-5pm
Including weekends, bank holidays and school holidays.
Accessibility
Parking
There are blue badge holder bays in the immediate vicinity of Discover, on Bridge Terrace, off Bridge Road, which are clearly marked. All blue badge holders can park in the shared use/permit parking bays in the surrounding streets (Bridge Road, Dawn Crescent, Bryant Street, Widdin Street, Pitchford Street) without time limit providing the blue badge is displayed.
Wheelchair users and customers with reduced mobility
Discover is wheelchair accessible, with step-free access to all entrances and a lift serving all floors. An accessible toilet is available on each floor. On the Ground Floor the accessible toilet is fitted with a height adjustable changing bench and ceiling track hoist system.
Visitors who are deaf or have a hearing impairment
An induction loop is available at the Reception Desk. To use the loop, you will need to switch your hearing aid to the “T” position. BSL interpreted performances are available for some of our events. Please check individual event information for further details.
Visitors who are blind or have a visual impairment
Certain play areas within Discover have dim lighting. If this may be a concern, please use the contact details above or ask a member of staff when you arrive at the Centre.
Multi-sensory play
The majority of play equipment and events at Discover incorporate multi-sensory elements, mixing visual, tactile and auditory stimuli so they can be enjoyed by the widest audience possible.
Animals
Assistance dogs are welcome at Discover.
Visitors with SEN or additional learning needs
All our sessions are led by dynamic and skilled Story Builders who are trained to support core language and literacy key skills. Our sessions are accessible to children with SEN, EAL & disabilities.
Story Builders use a variety of creative and arts based techniques to engage with the children in different ways using visual, auditory and kinaesthetic systems of communication to stimulate and interact with children’s individual ways of accessing and learning in the centre. The Story Builders will be on hand to support free play with family visitors and ensure that the children and their grown-ups get as much out of the centre as they can.
In a story building session, the Story Builders use the children’s own ideas from their free play as a starting point and build on what they are interested in. They use drama, music, rhythm, rhyme and call and response songs when appropriate to the group and the story. Props are used to support the visual learners and children can be involved – taking part as a character, for example – depending on their needs. It is a collective story telling session so all children feel supported by each other and the Story Builder throughout.
We have created Social Stories for our Story Worlds and Exhibition to give you and your child an idea of what spaces and sounds to expect when you arrive. (Please note: the social story for the Exhibition will soon be updated to reflect our new exhibition, The Tiger Who Came to Tea and The Adventures of Mog the Forgetful Cat.)
The Mighty Mega Saturday Club
The Mighty Mega Saturday Club is a club for children with disabilities/SEN and their families/carers. Our sessions provide a creative and open atmosphere for exploration, fun and interactivity, where children can take part in storytelling, music, dance, arts, crafts and immersive multi-sensory experiences.
