Nottingham Trent University Launches Hatch Lab 0–8 to Champion Play, Pedagogy and Research in Early Childhood

Named Hatch Lab 0–8, the space has been developed by Philippa Thompson, Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood, alongside colleagues within the Childhood team. The lab has been intentionally created as more than a conventional teaching room, instead functioning as a dynamic environment where pedagogy, creativity and inquiry come together.

The creation of Hatch Lab 0–8 reflects a growing recognition within higher education that early learning cannot be fully understood through lecture-based teaching alone. The space has been designed to mirror how young children naturally learn, through movement, imagination, relationships and play, while also encouraging students to critically reflect on the environments and interactions that shape childhood experiences.

Rather than positioning play as an “add-on,” the lab embeds it at the centre of pedagogical exploration. Students are encouraged to experiment with materials, test ideas, observe environments and engage in reflective dialogue, allowing theory and practice to meet in tangible and meaningful ways.

Supporting Student Development

For students on Childhood and Education courses, Hatch Lab 0–8 offers opportunities for a space enabling experiential learning, creative risk-taking and professional identity development, supporting students to build confidence in advocating for play-based and relational approaches within early years practice. By engaging directly with playful and reflective methodologies, students are able to deepen their understanding of child development, environments and adult roles, not through simulation alone, but through embodied experience.

A Hub for Research and Local Impact

Hatch Lab 0–8 will also operate as a dedicated research hub, supporting practice-informed studies into play, creativity, relationships and early childhood environments. Importantly, the lab’s research agenda is designed to extend beyond the university, working collaboratively with local early years settings, schools and families. This community-focused approach aims to ensure that research conducted within the lab contributes to professional development, informs local practice and creates accessible opportunities for knowledge exchange across the early years sector.

The name “Hatch” was chosen deliberately, symbolising growth, emergence and the nurturing of new ideas. The lab has been conceived as an evolving space rather than a finished product, one that will adapt alongside research, student inquiry and community collaboration.

With its dual focus on pedagogy and research, Hatch Lab 0–8 signals a commitment to early childhood education that values creativity, critical reflection and community impact, positioning play not as a luxury, but as a foundation for meaningful learning.