About Us

Hello! I'm Alice and I founded Dinky Discoverers in 2018 as a science group for pre-schoolers aged 2 plus.
Since then LOTS has changed, but my passion and Dinky's core values have not.

I set out to provide preschoolers with a safe place to embrace their curiosity, where questions are positively encouraged, where no idea is considered silly.

As a mum myself, I noticed when I was taking my eldest to pre-school groups that there were no play opportunities that catered for his passion to understand how things work. As he got older I found it increasingly difficult to interest him with singing or dancing classes.

The seed for Dinky had been sown - as a group that I wished had been available for my son and I to enjoy.

Later when I was on maternity leave with my daughter I was made redundant. I was determined to turn this into a positive and I committed to setting up Dinky.

After a year or so in business, Dinky had gone from running once a week to 4 times a week and it's hands down the most rewarding job I've ever done. Fast forward another year and Dinky adapts and evolves to cope with the pressures brought to the sector by COVID-19.

COVID-safe classes became the norm. You can read about our sessions in the local paper here. During Lockdown#2 and #3 the classes moved online, but the key difference was that every customer was provided with a box of supplies which allowed them to access everything they needed during these lockdown sessions.

I also offer science kits to do at home, with video instructions recorded during lockdown - often with the "help" of my 2 children! These continue to be really popular as we all spend more time at home.

Now with restrictions relaxed Dinky are offering 3 different types of session every week. So there really is something for everyone to enjoy.

I continue to offer kits for science at home too. Lockdown has shown me that Dinky is now becoming known well outside of Sheffield, with kits being posted out all over the UK. I want to support my new customers from further afield by developing new kits in the future.