Monthly Archives: July 2017

  1. Straw Heart Monitor

    Straw Heart Monitor

    This DIY 'heart rate monitor' will open your eyes to the amazing muscle that keeps you alive and kicking.

    Suitable for kids aged 5+ with parental supervision.

    You Need:
    • Drinking straw
    • Lump of putty, plasticine or blu-tac - that's it!
    What to do:
    1. Poke the straw into the putty. Okay, so it looks nothing like an expensive ECG monitor but wait till you see what this thing can do!
    2. Lay on your back and find the pulse in your neck. Lay the putty on top of this spot so that the tip of the straw is just above your eye. Now watch what happens... it's a little freaky.

    Read more »
  2. Recycled Paper Seedling Pots

    Recycled Paper Seedling Pots

    Recycled Seedling Paper Pots

    Its easy to forget that making paper consumes trees and energy. These recycled paper-pots are not only fun to make, but they give new life to old catalogues and newspapers - reducing waste and helping the earth Raise a seed in your new eco-pot, then, when its time, plant the seedling pot and all in the garden no need to worry because the pots biodegradable and will break down quickly in the soil.

    Suitable for kids aged 5+ with parental supervision

    CAUTIONThis experiment requires the use of hot water.
    You Need:
    • Cup, yoghurt container or bowl to mould your pot
    • Newspaper, or other scrap, used un-wanted paper
    • Large bowl or container
    Read more »
  3. Colour Change Carnations

    Colour Change Carnations

    Colour Change Carnations

    See how water is absorbed into a plant by changing carnations cool colours.

    Suitable for kids aged 4+ with parental supervision. Only adults should cut the flowers.

    You Need:
    • 6 x white carnation
    • 6 x cups
    • Food colouring (red, yellow, blue and green)
    • Knife (to be used only by an adult)
    • Water
    What to do:
    1. Fill each cup half full with water.
    2. Add about 30 drops of colouring into four different cups. One cup with blue colouring, another red, one yellow and one green. The more food colouring the better.
    3. Before placing any of the flowers in coloured
    Read more »
  4. Homemade Spectrometer

    Homemade Spectrometer

    Homemade Spectrometer

    Turns out theres a lot more to white light than meets the eye. Here's a simple spectrometer you can build yourself, using just a spare CD, an empty cereal box and a pair of scissors.

    Suitable for kids aged 11 +
    You Need:
    • Cereal box
    • Compact Disk
    • Utility knife/Scissor
    • Protractor
    What to do:
    1. Cut a 1" slit on the side of the cereal box just below the nutrition information.
    2. Cut a slit
    Read more »
  5. Split Light To Make A Rainbow

    Split Light To Make A Rainbow

    Split light without a prism

    Want to make a rainbow but dont have a prism? Heres a simple way to make one anytime the sun is shining. Youll be beaming from ear-to-ear.

    Suitable for kids aged 5 +
    You Need:
    • Shallow dish
    • White wall (or large piece of white paper/card)
    • Small mirror
    • Water
    • Sunlight (the stronger the better)
    What to do:
    1. Pour some water into the shallow dish.
    2. Place the small mirror in the water and prop it at an angle against the side of the dish.
    3. Put the dish near a sunny window and position the mirror so that sunlight bounces
    Read more »
  6. Wax Photometer

    Wax Photometer

    Wax Photometer

    Make your own translucent photometer out of paraffin wax that can read light and colour.

    Suitable for kids aged 6+ with parental supervision

    CAUTIONIf you are unable to source your own paraffin wax blocks you will need to make your own. Wax blocks must strictly be prepared by an adult as they involve melting wax and pouring the hot wax into a mould.
    You Need:
    • Two small paraffin wax blocks (approx. 8 x 5 x 2cm). If you cant source your own from a supermarket or candle supply centre then you will have to make your own. Instructions in the What to do section.
    • Aluminium foil
    • Scissors
    • Masking tape
    • Torch (optional)
    • Sheets of coloured
    Read more »
  7. Water Drop Magnifier

    Water Drop Magnifier

    Water Drop Magnifier

    Its so simple to make your own mini magnifying glass. Heres how.

    Suitable for kids aged 4+

    You Need:
    • Small square of fairly-rigid transparent plastic (You can cut-up a clear acetate sheet, or a transparency available from art and craft stores and/or office supply stores. A piece of plastic from a shirt box or the like would also work)
    • Half a straw
    • Stapler
    • Drop of water
    • Eye dropper bottle or pipette (optional)
    What to do:
    1. Staple the straw to the edge of
    Read more »
  8. Make Your Own Fossils

    Make Your Own Fossils

    Make Your Own Fossils

    Fossils are the remains, impressions or traces of ancient animals or plants, which have been preserved in the earths crust for thousands of years. For a bit of fun, why not make your own fossils of treasures you find at the beach or in your garden? Its easy to make lasting fossil impressions either using pre-prepared clay or Plaster of Paris from the shop, or by making your own authentic-looking dough.

    Suitable for kids aged 5+

    You Need:
    • 1/2 cup of flour
    • 1/2 cup of used coffee grounds
    • 1/4 cup of salt
    • cup of sand
    • Water
    • Mixing bowl and spoon
    • Fossil Objects
    Read more »
  9. Grow Bacteria On Homemade Agar Plates

    Grow Bacteria On Homemade Agar Plates

    Grow Bacteria On Homemade Agar Plates

    Make your own agar Petri dishes and grow bacterial colonies. Youll be amazed at the diversity of bacteria around us all the time.

    Suitable for kids aged 8+ with parental supervision

    CAUTIONThis science activity involves the use of boiling water. Hot water must only be handled by an adult.
    You Need:
    • teaspoon of beef stock powder
    • cup of water
    • 1 teaspoon of sugar
    • 1 teaspoon of gelatin
    • Saucepan for boiling mixture
    • 2 x Petri dishes
    • Spoon
    • Sticky tape
    • Felt-tip pen to label petri dishes
    • Cotton swab (optional)
    Read more »
  10. Mini Worm Farm

    Mini Worm Farm

    Mini Worm Farm

    Make a mini worm farm from things around the house

    Suitable for kids aged 4+

    You Need:
    • Empty 2-litre plastic bottle with lid, or 1-litre milk carton , or similar (transparent containers are best to view your worms)
    • Soil or potting mix
    • Food scraps (vegetables, lettuce, fruit etc.)
    • Newspaper ripped into small squares and wet
    • Hay, dead leaves or grass clippings
    • Sand (optional)
    • 10 to 15 worms
    What to do:
    1. Punch with a hammer and nail four small holes in the bottom of your container
    Read more »
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