Linda Thornton has over thirty years experience in education as a teacher, headteacher, adviser and lead officer for early years. She is passionate about developing children's thinking and learning, valuing creative learning environments and encouraging educators to think about the `why' as well as the `how' in their approach to teaching. Linda is a director of alc associates and currently provides consultancy and training for local authorities across the UK. Pat Brunton's background as a research scientist has led to her interest in the idea of babies and young children as researchers, and to recognising the value of involving families in their children's learning through science and technology. She has extensive experience of the early years field and provides training for a wide variety of audiences including school governors, teachers, early years and childcare practitioners and children's centre professionals.