Fizz! Pop! Fly!

Prepare for liftoff! The Bug Blast Launch Lab combines hands-on science with out-of-this-world fun as children launch their bugstronauts sky-high using fizz-powered rocket tubes.

Each kit includes:

• 10 reusable fizz rocket tubes
• 10 bug toppers
  

  A young scientist launches the Pop–Fizz–Fly bug rocket — learning that science really is a blast with Scientific Sue!

• Vitamin C tablets (enough for 2 per child)
• Mission Control Launch Guide
• Bug Blast Mission Log

Big fun, big learning, and big wow factor!

You’ll Also Need:

• Water
• Paper towels – if working indoors
• Safety glasses (recommended)

Curriculum Links:

• KS2/3 Science: Forces and Motion
• KS2/3 Science: Reversible and Irreversible Changes
• Working Scientifically: Planning, Measuring, and Recording

Bugstronaut Launch Instructions

Pop – Fizz – Fly! Get Ready for Launch

Peel off the sticky backing from your Bugstronaut’s feet and stick them firmly onto the outside of the rocket lid.
Make sure your Bugstronaut is safely attached and ready for the ride!

Add the Water

Pour one tablespoon (15 ml) of water into your rocket tube.
This is your starting volume — you can experiment later to see how the amount of water affects your launch time and flight height.

Pop in the Tablet

Drop in one vitamin C tablet — this is your rocket’s fuel!
This is a starting amount — you can experiment later to see how changing the amount of tablet affects the height and time to lift-off.

Fizz!

The tablet fizzes in the water, producing carbon dioxide gas (CO₂).
As the gas builds up, it increases pressure inside the closed tube.

Fly!

Quickly push the lid on tightly, keeping it pointed away from your face.
Place your rocket upright and step back (or hold it out at arm’s length).

Now wait for lift-off!
You won’t see the pressure building — but it’s happening inside the tube!

The time it takes for your Bugstronaut to blast off depends on:
1⃣ How much carbon dioxide gas (CO₂) is being produced, and
2⃣ How firmly you pushed the lid on.

When the pressure becomes too great… POP!
The lid flies off at speed, and your Bugstronaut blasts into the sky!

Did You Know?

Gas pushes outwards in all directions inside your rocket tube.

As the fizzing tablet reacts with the water, it produces carbon dioxide gas. The tube already contains air, so the carbon dioxide molecules mix with the air molecules inside the tube.

Because there are now more gas molecules moving around in the same fixed space, they collide with the sides and lid more often. These collisions increase the pressure inside the tube.

When the force pushing upward on the lid becomes greater than the friction holding it down, the lid pops off and launches your Bugstronaut!

Why Schools Love It

• Reusable & cost-effective → once you have the kit, it can travel class to class
• Perfect for STEM lessons, science clubs, and school events
• Includes full safety guidance and curriculum-linked science notes

Why Parties & Festivals Love It

• Make-and-take activity → each child decorates their rocket tube, launches their bugstronaut, and takes their kit home
• Brilliant for birthday parties, holiday clubs, and science festivals
• Exciting group launches

Bug Blast Launch Lab

Can you get the bug home?

Mission Briefing

Your bugstronaut is about to embark on a daring space mission — but first, we need to fuel the rocket! Add water and a fizz tablet to your rocket tube, snap the bug-topped lid into place… and wait.

Nothing seems to be happening at first, but inside the sealed tube, something incredible is going on. The tablet is fizzing away, releasing an invisible gas called carbon dioxide. As the gas builds up, the pressure rises higher… and higher… and HIGHER…

Suddenly — POP! WHOOSH! Your bug blasts skyward, ready to return home to its planet! Can you aim carefully enough to land your bug safely in its home planet bucket?

What’s Happening Inside the Tube?

The fizzing tablet contains citric acid and sodium bicarbonate (sodium hydrogen carbonate). When they mix with water, they react to make carbon dioxide gas. The gas has nowhere to escape, so it builds up inside the sealed rocket tube. When the pressure becomes too much, it forces the lid off — and your bugstronaut launches into orbit!

This thrilling moment is a perfect way to explore:

• Chemical reactions (acids + bases → gas)
• Gas pressure (invisible forces at work)
• Rocket science (Newton’s Third Law: for every action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction)

Bug Blast Launch Lab — Mission Safety Checklist

Protect Your Eyes

• Wear safety glasses if you have them.
• No glasses? Swimming goggles, sunglasses, or other protective eyewear are perfect alternatives.
• If you already wear glasses, keep them on — they’ll help shield your eyes.

Keep Hands Dry

• Dry hands only!
• Wet fingers can make the tablet start fizzing before you’re ready.

Safe Launch Zone

• Choose a big open space — a school hall, playground, or outdoors is best.
• Mark a safety line and make sure everyone stands behind it.
• Always point your rocket away from people, pets, walls, and windows.

Rocket Holding & Aiming Rules

• Hold your rocket firmly and vertically for the first launch — this gives the most dramatic lift-off!
• For subsequent launches, you can experiment with different angles:
  

  Which angles gives maximum range?

  • Around 45° usually gives the longest range.

• Never hold the rocket horizontally! As soon as the lid flies off, the water and tablet will shoot out too, creating a mess and a safety risk.

Special Advice for Indoor Launches

• Always test first: An adult should try one launch to check how high the lid flies.
• If the ceiling is too low for a vertical launch, all launches must be done at an angle — provided the room is long enough for safe distances.
• Make sure rockets are aimed away from people, furniture, lights, and windows.

The Waiting Game

• After adding water and snapping on the lid, hold steady — the fizzing reaction has started!
• You won’t see the gas building up, but that’s part of the suspense…
• Then suddenly: POP! WHOOSH! Your bugstronaut blasts away!

After the Launch

• Collect all lids and bugs after each blast-off — no bugstronauts left behind!
• Wipe up any spills to keep the launch zone safe and dry.
• At the end, wash your hands.

Bugstronaut Craft Zone

Before your mission begins, it’s time to design your rocket!

Decorate your tube to turn it into your very own Bugstronaut Space Shuttle:

Option 1 – Sticker Design
Use stickers to decorate directly on the tube — add stars, planets, or your Bugstronaut’s name!

Option 2 – Paper Wrap Design

1. Draw your rocket design on a piece of paper.
2. Add patterns, colours, and space symbols.
3. Wrap it around your tube and glue or tape it in place.

Science Tip:
Real rockets are decorated too! Engineers and astronauts add symbols, flags, and mission patches to show teamwork and identity.

Challenge:
Can you give your Bugstronaut rocket a mission name and logo?
Write it below or on your paper design!

Sparks of imagination are at the heart of creativity!
– Scientific Sue     

The post BUG BLASTER LAUNCH LAB appeared first on Science2Life.

• 500g Packet
• White powder
• biodegradable

Sodium bicarbonate is a chemical compound with the formula NaHCO₃

Check out our Colour Changing Bubble Bath

Bicarbonate of Soda – also known as Baking Soda, Bicarbonate of soda and Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate has a number of useful properties – It can neutralise acid, scrub shiny materials without scratching, deodorise, and extinguish grease fires. It can be used as a deodoriser in the refrigerator, on smelly carpets, on upholstery and on vinyl. It can help deodorise drains. It can clean and polish aluminium, chrome, jewellery, plastic, porcelain, silver, stainless steel and tin. It can soften fabrics and remove certain stains and also soften hard water.

Traditional yet incredibly effective, these domestic cleaning products make us wonder why we ever stopped using the good old-fashioned solutions. And, as with lots of classic products, they’re really versatile too.

Follow the link below to purchase some citric acid.

The post BICARBONATE OF SODA 500g appeared first on Science2Life.

Crazy Foam’s colour changing bubble bath: Kids go crazy for magically changing bubble bath. Pour, mix and watch the ‘magical’  colour changes from: red to green then blue!

Contents:

Teaching notes for colour changing bubble bath

• 200 ml Colour changing bubble bath
• Teaching notes
• 30 ml Measuring cup
• 3 ml Pipette.

Buying for a special occasion? Then we recommend our safety glasses and Primary Science Kit as additional purchases to make this an amazing science gift!

Make your bath-time magical with our colour changing bubble bath. Watch the mild & gentle bubble bath change from orange to blue in front of your very eyes!

How the bubble bath works

Colour changing bubble bath that can change from orange to green pH balanced formula to gently cleanse and moisturise delicate skin SLES and Paraben free. Fabulous fruity scent in Red to Blue bubble bath.

Teaching notes for colour changing bubble bath

This product is:

• Mild & Gentle
• Hypo-Allergenic
• Dermatologically Tested
• Paraben Free

Check out Science2Life’s teaching notes to find out how to make a bubble solution that bounces and a colour changing bath bomb!

A snippet from our teaching notes

Bromocresol green is a dye used as a pH indicator for many biological experiments.

Bromocresol green colour chart

A pH indicator is a chemical compound added in small amounts to a solution so that the pH (acidity or alkalinity) of the solution can be seen. The pH indicator is a chemical detector for hydronium ions (H3O+) or hydrogen ions (H+). The indicators change the colour of the solution depending on the pH. Some indicators only have 2 colour changes; Litmus (a solution of different dyes made from lichen)  is red in acid or blue in alkaline solutions.

Typical indicators are phenolphthalein, methyl orange, methyl red, bromothymol blue, and thymol blue. They each change colour at different points on the pH scale, and can be used together as a universal indicator.

Bromocresol green is yellow in solutions with pH values less than 3.8; green for pH values between 3.8 and 5.4 and blue for solutions with a pH value above 5.4.

Why does the bath water always turn the bubble bath blue?

The pH of pure water is 7, any solution with a pH less than 7 is considered to be acidic, and with a pH above 7 considered alkaline. However, tap water can have a pH value between 6.5 and 8.5. For all liquids which have a pH value greater that 5.4 the bromocresol green indicator in the soap will always turn a blue colour.

The post COLOUR CHANGING BUBBLE BATH – RED TO BLUE appeared first on Science2Life.

Children wearing safety goggles mix bright green slime during a hands-on kitchen science experiment—learning through messy, magical STEM play!

Welcome to the squishy, stretchy, super-fun world of slime making — with a scientific twist!
Whether you’re a budding scientist, a creative crafter or an enthusiastic educator, Scientific Sue’s Super Slime Activator Kit gives you everything you need to make perfect slime at home, in the garden — or with your classroom of curious kids.

Inside your kit you’ll find:

• 600 ml of premium PVA glue — the fluffy, sticky base for satisfying slime texture.

• 500 ml of slime activator liquid — specially formulated to transform glue into stretchy, squishy slime.

• 10 measuring cups (each 30 ml) — to help you pour just the right amount of glue or activator.

• 5 small pipettes (each 5 ml) — for precise measuring, slow drips or creative slime-lab experiments.

With these tools, you can explore slime-making as a fun hands-on activity or a playful science lesson. Mix the glue with water and activator, stir and knead — and soon you’ll have ooey, gooey, squishy slime that’s perfect for sensory play, classroom science or family fun.

Get ready to stretch it, poke it, squish it — and above all, experiment! Because with every slime batch, you’re not just making slime… you’re bringing Science2Life.

The Ultimate Slime Science Guide

Safety First – Because Science Should Be Safe and Fun!

Our slime activator contains sodium tetraborate (borax) in a safe 4% solution.

Non-toxic
Washable
Safe when used as directed

Safety Guidelines:

• Adult supervision required
• Not suitable for children under 5
• Always wash hands before and after use
• Keep away from eyes and mouth

Scientific Sue’s Favourite Slime Recipe

Bath foams aren’t just for bubbles — they’re perfect for adding colour and changing the texture of your slime! Safety goggles on, slime at the ready!

Perfect for beginners and slime pros alike!

• 15 ml PVA glue*
• 45 ml water
• A small squeeze of paint or food colouring
• 10–15 ml Super Slime Activator

(*Tested with Brian Clegg, Cleopatra, Classmate Blue Label, and Sticky Situations clear PVA glues.)

Note: Some glues are pre-diluted, so experiment a little to get the texture just right!

How to Achieve the Best Stretchy Slime

How to Achieve the Best Stretchy Slime

The exact amount can vary slightly depending on the specific concentration of your PVA glue, so it is best to add the activator solution a little at a time and stretch and fold the mixture to reach the desired consistency.

1 Start with your basic mixture

• 15 ml glue + 45 ml water

2 Add activator slowly

• Add 1–2 ml activator, stir 20–30 seconds.
• Add another 1–2 ml and mix again.
  Slime will thicken around 20 – 30 seconds as cross-linking begins – patience pays off!
• It takes time for the links to be made, if you add more activator before the links have been made your slime will be stiff and will break easily.

3 When slime pulls away from the bowl

Begin handling and stretching + folding.
This improves elasticity by aligning polymer chains.

4 If still sticky

Add only a few drops at a time.
Too much activator = stiff, rubbery slime.

5 Sue’s favourite consistency

15 ml glue: 45 ml water
What will yours be?

By following these steps and adjusting gradually, you can achieve the perfect stretchy slime consistency.

Sue’s Top Slime-Making Tips

• Shake well! Give your activator bottle a good 10-second shake before use.
• Different glues = different amounts of water and activator
• Measure carefully using the included cups and pipette.
• Keep a slime diary! Record your favourite recipes so you can recreate that perfect slime again and again.

Slime Add-Ins to Spark Creativity

Take your slime to the next level with fun sensory add-ins:

Foam beads – crunchy texture
Soft clay – for buttery smooth slime
Glitter & sequins – sparkle galore
Mini charms – surprise figures inside
Confetti – party slime vibes
Water beads – bouncy & squishy
Glow powder – light it up at night
Thermochromic pigments – colour-changing fun
Essential oils – relaxing scents like lavender or peppermint

Mix and match for your own signature slime!

Reuse Your Bottle – Science Meets Sustainability

Our bottles are made to be reused! Here’s how:

• Rinse thoroughly with warm water
• Add a drop of washing-up liquid, shake, then rinse again
• Air dry upside down before refilling

Thank you for choosing a greener science adventure!

The Science Behind the Slime – Meet Borax!

Sodium tetraborate —also known as 

• Used by the ancient Egyptians for metalworking and mummification
• Brought to Europe via the Silk Road around the 1300s
• Mined near the surface in California since the 1880s
• Today it’s found in laundry boosters, cleaners, hand soaps, gels, lotions, bath bombs… and of course SLIME!

When the activator is mixed with PVA glue, it causes cross-linking, turning runny glue into a stretchy, bouncy polymer –  SLIME!

Despite common myths, borax is safe when used properly, and it’s a brilliant way to explore real chemistry through hands-on play.

Perfect for Home & Classroom STEM Learning

Scientific Sue’s Super Slime Activator is ideal for:

• Science experiments
• Classroom STEM activities
• Birthday parties
• Sensory play
• Science clubs and camps

Make learning hands-on, messy, and memorable!

The post SCIENTIFIC SUE’S SUPER SLIME KIT appeared first on Science2Life.

Teaching notes for colour changing bubble bath

Contents:

• 200 ml Colour changing bubble bath
• Teaching notes
• 30 ml measuring cup
• 3 ml pipette

Make your bath-time magical with our colour changing bubble bath. Watch the mild & gentle bubble bath change from orange to blue in front of your very eyes!

Comes with FREE teaching notes, measuring cup and a pipette to help with your children’s scientific explorations!

How the bubble bath works

Colour changing bubble bath that can change from orange to green pH balanced formula to gently cleanse and moisturise delicate skin SLES and Paraben free. Fabulous fruity scent in Orange to Blue bubble bath.

This product is:
· Mild & Gentle
· Hypo-Allergenic
· Dermatologically Tested
· Paraben Free

Check out Science2Life’s teaching notes to find out how to make a bubble solution that bounces and a colour changing bath bomb!

A snippet from our teaching notes

Bromocresol green is a dye used as a pH indicator for many biological experiments.

A pH indicator is a chemical compound added in small amounts to a solution so that the pH (acidity or alkalinity) of the solution can be seen. The pH indicator is a chemical detector for hydronium ions (H3O+) or hydrogen ions (H+). The indicators change the colour of the solution depending on the pH. Some indicators only have 2 colour changes; Litmus (a solution of different dyes made from lichen)  is red in acid or blue in alkaline solutions.

Typical indicators are phenolphthalein, methyl orange, methyl red, bromothymol blue, and thymol blue. They each change colour at different points on the pH scale, and can be used together as a universal indicator.

Bromocresol green is yellow in solutions with pH values less than 3.8; green for pH values between 3.8 and 5.4

Bromocresol green colour chart

and blue for solutions with a pH value above 5.4.

Why does the bath water always turn the bubble bath blue?

The pH of pure water is 7, any solution with a pH less than 7 is considered to be acidic, and with a pH above 7 considered alkaline. However, tap water can have a pH value between 6.5 and 8.5. For all liquids which have a pH value greater that 5.4 the bromocresol green indicator in the soap will always turn a blue colour.

The post COLOUR CHANGING BUBBLE BATH – ORANGE TO GREEN appeared first on Science2Life.