Bring Science2Life at home or in the classroom with this bright, child-friendly test tube

Mix, measure and explore — real science play with child-friendly test tubes and droppers.

set, designed to turn everyday curiosity into real scientific exploration.

Turn Your Kitchen into a Mini Science Lab!

Ready to become a home scientist?

This fun Junior Lab Test Tube Set lets curious kids explore colourful chemistry, fizzing reactions, and exciting discoveries using simple ingredients from around the house.

Inspired by the hands-on demonstrations used in Scientific Sue’s live science shows, this set gives young experimenters the tools they need to mix, observe, and investigate like real scientists.

Perfect for curious minds who love asking
“What will happen if…?”

Includes a Free Experiment Activity Sheet

When you purchase this Junior Lab Test Tube Set, you’ll receive a free downloadable experiment sheet by email, created by Scientific Sue.

The activity sheet includes easy science experiments using simple kitchen ingredients, helping children explore fizzing reactions, colourful chemistry, and fascinating liquid experiments.

Each activity encourages children to:

• Predict what might happen
• Observe the reaction carefully
• Record their discoveries like real scientists

It’s a fun way to extend the play and turn your test tubes into a real home science laboratory.

What’s Inside the Set

This child-friendly science kit includes everything needed to start experimenting:

• Test tubes for mixing and observing reactions
• A sturdy test tube stand
• Pipette dropper for measuring liquids
• Measuring scoop
• Stirring stick

The equipment is designed for small hands and big discoveries!

Experiments You Can Try

Using everyday household ingredients, children can explore exciting science investigations such as:

Fizzing Reactions
Mix baking soda and vinegar to create bubbling chemical reactions.

Colour Mixing Chemistry
Add food colouring to create vibrant liquid layers.

Oil and Water Investigation
Discover why some liquids mix and others don’t.

Density Discoveries
Layer liquids and watch them form colourful science towers.

These simple experiments encourage children to observe, predict, and investigate like real scientists.

What Children Will Learn

While having fun experimenting, children also develop important STEM skills:

• Scientific curiosity
• Observation and prediction
• Measuring and mixing
• Understanding reactions and liquids
• Problem-solving and investigation skills

It’s a wonderful way to introduce real science thinking through play.

Perfect For

Curious kids who love experimenting
Family science time at home
Mini scientists aged approx. 6+
STEM learning through play
Gifts for budding inventors

Safety First

Always carry out experiments with adult supervision and use simple household ingredients such as baking soda, vinegar, water, and food colouring.

Add this Junior Lab Test Tube Set to your science kit and start experimenting today — all you need is curiosity and a few simple kitchen ingredients to bring Science2Life!

Bring Science2Life!

With just a few simple ingredients and a sense of curiosity, children can transform their kitchen into a mini laboratory full of fizzing reactions, colourful chemistry, and exciting discoveries.

Put on your explorer hat and get ready to experiment, discover, and bring Science2Life!

The post Junior Lab Test Tube Science Set – Blue appeared first on Science2Life.

Bring your dragon to life and watch it spin and soar through the air with the power of science and a little imagination!

• 15 multicoloured linking balloons

What You’ll Need:

• Hairdryer or
• Retort stand, boss, and clamp — or masking tape and a sturdy table
• Permanent markers
• Balloon Pump

1. Let’s Create:

   1. Inflate 5 balloons (start with 5 – you can add a 6th later if needed).

   2. Link the balloons together end-to-end to form a wiggly line – this is your dragon’s body!

   3. Decorate: Draw your dragon’s face on one end using marker pens. Use your own design or our fun template.

   4. Form a Ring: Join the head and tail to create a circular dragon.

   5. Set Up the Air Stream:
      – If using a retort stand, clamp the hairdryer at about a 5-degree angle to vertical.
      – If using tape, position the hairdryer on a table and tilt it slightly backward. Use books or blocks to test the angle before taping it securely in place.

   6. Power Up: Switch the hairdryer on to full blast!

   7. Take Flight: Gently hold your dragon in the airstream and let go. Watch as it hovers, spins, and dances like a real flying dragon!

   8. Adjust as Needed:
      – If it flies too high, add another balloon to increase weight.
      – If it doesn’t spin, adjust the angle of the hairdryer slightly.

   ---

   Top Tips:

   • Use the cool setting on the hairdryer.

   • Experiment with balloon numbers and angles to see how they affect your dragon’s flight.

   • Great for exploring forces, motion, air pressure — and dragon magic!

 Sparks of imagination are at the heart of creativity!

                                                                                                – @ScientificSue

The post DIY FLYING BALLOON DRAGON KIT appeared first on Science2Life.

Already enjoyed The Science of Dragons Experience and need more kits so everyone can take part?
These extra kits contain everything you need for hands-on activities for up to 30 pupils – just £60 each (that’s only £2 per additional child!).

Perfect for:

• Teachers who want to include extra classes

• Festival organisers catering for larger groups

• Corporate partners supporting more schools

Need the full experience?
If you haven’t yet purchased The Science of Dragons Experience, you’ll need the complete package first.
Click here to order the full Science of Dragons Experience

What’s Included in Each Extra Kit

All the experiment materials, instruction packs, and dragon-themed artwork needed for a magical, curriculum-linked STEM experience:

Please remember: This product does not include access to the video of the Science of Dragons Show or the Teacher Training Video access. It is intended as an add-on for customers who already have access to The Science of Dragons Experience.

How to Order

UK Orders

• Order online via the link on this page.

• Or email scientificsue@science2life.com to request an invoice.

• Schools or companies using a Purchase Order: simply send your PO number and billing details, and we’ll arrange the paperwork for you.

Ireland & European Orders
Although Science2Life is based in Northern Ireland, courier services class all deliveries to the Republic of Ireland as international shipments.
For orders to Ireland (and other European destinations), postage is considerably higher than UK mainland rates. Please email us for a personalised shipping quote before placing your order.

Need more than one kit?

• Extra kits, each with materials for up to 30 pupils, are available for £60 – just £2 per additional child. Perfect for whole-school participation!

• Bulk Discount: Order 5 kits or more and receive a special discounted rate – ideal for multi-class, multi-school, or sponsor-funded projects.

To arrange your order, request a quote, or discuss bulk pricing, email: scientificsue@science2life.com

Corporate Sponsorship & Community Impact

Looking to make a meaningful difference in your local community?

Our Science of Dragons Virtual Experience is a powerful STEAM engagement opportunity for companies who want to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, and innovators.

With your support, schools in your area can access this immersive, curriculum-linked science experience – complete with classroom kits, teacher guidance, and hands-on experiments that leave a lasting impression.

You can:

• Sponsor a single school or multiple schools in your area

• Add your branding to a thank-you message in the video

• Receive feedback and photos from the classes you support

Contact Sue to discuss bespoke packages and bulk order discounts for schools in your community.

The post EXTRA KITS – The Science of Dragons Experience appeared first on Science2Life.

Next best thing to a live show!

Enthusiastic, informative and interactive science shows delivered virtually – with pupil interactions built in!

Many of the items above are available in our online store!

When you book your Virtual Science Experience you will be:

• sent the show video (which has an introduction section tailored to your event). This can then be up-loaded onto your schools’ platform.
• sent a second video and pdf document at the same time – they give guidance on the interactive sections of the show (the parts Scientific Sue needs volunteers for) and on the hands-on workshop.
• posted the Experience Activity Box. This box contains the items and chemicals required for the interactive sections of the show and the subsequent hands-on workshop (for 30 children – want extra kits? Contact us before booking)

Scientific Sue would normally choose just one or two volunteers per sketch to help her out on stage during her live shows; this show is  virtual you, so you the teacher (facilitator), is now in charge of these sections of the activity. You will be guided to stop the video at certain points throughout the show. At these times:

1. You may stick to the programme and choose the number of volunteers Sue requests or
2. You can pause the video for longer and have extra helpers or
3. let ALL of your pupils do the experiment!

We love option 3! It is perfect for the classroom plus festivals, birthday parties and fun corporate events – This is the joy of not being constrained by a timetable built around an outreach programme which is not virtual.

We add the personal touch to your show video of choice!

Let us know about your event and the key messages you want your audience to be aware of. Scientific Sue will produce a short introduction video for you which will then be spliced into the video/s or your choice. Want your own introduction added? Just send us the clip via WeTransfer.

Your logo (plus other logos if the event is sponsored) will also be included.

Each ‘Virtual Experience Plus!’ activity comes with its own set of teaching notes and a short explanatory video for you the teacher (facilitator) on examples of how you can run the sessions as well as the virtual show video and accompanying interactivity box.

All of Science2Life’s STEAM ACADEMY workshops are designedto not only motivate and fire the spirit of discovery within children but also ignite curiosity in their minds.

Age Suitability: 6-13

Weather can be extreme, scary and devasting and the effects ofclimate change is just going make weather even scarier. No better topic for Scientific Sue to use her drama skills to entertain you!!

We all know about tornados but did you know fires can also spin! Join us to find out how fire tornados can be formed and why the Australian fire brigade call the eucalyptus tree ‘the gasoline tree’.

This show has given Scientific Sue a few engineering challenges too. Find out how a super flooding system, not fedby rain water but by Mentos (!) can be built. High winds and flooding can knock down bridges – sometimes these bridges are the life line for remote villages – volunteers will be needed to help build a pulley system out of balloons to help save the stranded villagers!

Something must be melting to cause the Earth’s water levels to rise. What is it? Thinking icebergs? Wrong!!

The consequences of any changes to our climate could lead tointense droughts, storms, heat waves and rising sea levels

– we don’t want to alarm you we want to scare you!

Scare you with crazy, innovative science demonstrations which will answer many questions about climate change but may also put your volunteer’s very existence in danger!

Warning: this show is at times educational however; it might occasionally be highly fictional. You should only partake if you want to enjoya creatively shocking but fun-filled experience!

Using pulley systems to save lives

The post VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE: THE DEVASTATINGLY DRAMATIC CLIMATE SHOW appeared first on Science2Life.

What’s in the kit

Balloon Pulley System

• 4 doughnut balloons
• 6 long double-sided stickers
• 10 modelling balloons
• 4 small (5″) balloons
• 10 Water balloons
• 10 Small double-side stickers
• Small water pistol

What you need:

Example of show tray for the virtual experience

• Balloon pump
• Air zooka**
• Safety glasses
• Permanent pen
• 2 x trays for the water balloon parcels
• 6 paper/plastic cups

Secrets for Success

• Blow up the 4 doughnut balloons – These will make the two pulleys. The two balloons of the same colour are joined together by the double-sided stickers (3 stickers per set. Have spare sticky dots, stickers to hand).
• Blow up the four 5” balloons to a size that the children will be able to hold comfortably.
• Tie two of the model balloons to two of the 5” balloons. Thread the model balloons down the middle of the pair of doughnut balloons. If the model balloon isn’t long enough, add another – this one has to be removed before you tie the other 5” balloons to the model balloons to complete the 2 pulley units.
• When the small balloons are pulled apart the doughnut ‘pulley’ should spin on the stretched (uninflated) model balloon, when you give a downward tap.
• Depending on the size of your room, inflate 6 or 8 modelling balloons and join them together to form a loop – this will be the rope that goes over the 2 ‘pulleys’.
• Inflate 6 of the water balloons.
• You may want to write on each of them: food, water, medicine, etc.
• Put one small sticky tab on the bottom of the balloons – make sure the protective cover is removed on both ends of the tab – otherwise the balloons won’t stick to the balloon rope.
• To prevent them from sticking together and blowing away put them into the 6 paper cups – if the workshop option was purchased used the cups provided.

You will be guided on how to construct the pulley system by me in the video.

Fill your water pistol – if the one in the box isn’t big enough by all means add your own!

In the video I suggest that you the teacher use the water pistol, you will be the rain in the storm.

If you have an airzooka I will also guide you to choose a 5^th volunteer who will be the wind in the storm. Have them stand between 1-2 m away from the other volunteers. Guidance must be given not to release air into anyone’s eyes – safety googles are recommended.

Science in a Nutshell

A pulley is simply a collection of one or more wheels over which you loop a rope to make it easier to lift and/or move things.

ONE PULLEY SYSTEM

Pulleys are examples of what scientists call simple machine. That doesn’t mean they’re packed with engines and gears; it just means they help to make work easier for us and can even help us multiply forces. If you want to lift a really heavy weight, there is only so much force ore muscles can supply, even if you are extremely strong. However, by using a simple machine such as a pulley you can change the direction of the pulling force (and use gravity to help with the lift) and with increasing numbers of pulley wheels can effectively multiply the force your produces.

The more wheels you have, and the more times your loop the rope around them, the more you can lift.

One Wheel

If you have a single wheel and a rope, a pulley helps you reverse the direction of your lifting force.

So, as in the picture below, you pull the rope down to lift the weight up. If you want to lift something that weighs 100kg, you have to pull down with a force equivalent to 100kg, which is 1000N (newtons). If you want to raise the weight 1m into the air, you have to pull the loose end of the rope a total distance of 1m at the other end.

Two Wheels

Now if you add more wheels, and loop the rope around them, you can reduce the effort you need to lift the weight. Suppose you have two wheels and a rope looped around them, as

TWO WHEEL PULLEY SYSTEM

in the figure below. The 100kg mass (1000 newton weight) is now effectively supported by two sections of the same rope (the two strands on the left) instead of just one (ignoring the loose end of the rope you’re pulling with), and this means you can lift it by pulling with a force of just 500 newtons—half as much! That’s why we say a pulley with two wheels, and the rope wrapped around it this way, gives a mechanical advantage (ME) of two.

Mechanical advantage is a measurement of how much a simple-machine multiples a force. The bigger the mechanical advantage, the less force you need, but the greater the distance you have to use that force. The weight rises 1m, but now we have to pull the loose end of the rope twice as far (2m). How come? To make the weight rise 1m, you have to make the two sections of rope supporting it rise by 1m each. To do that, you have to pull the loose end of the rope 2m. Notice that we can also figure out the mechanical advantage by dividing the distance we have to pull the rope by the distance the weight moves.

A block and tackle is a cable system primarily found on cranes and boats that involves two pulleys and a cable or rope. The mechanism consists of one fixed pulley and one movable, usually hanging, pulley. A single rope is fixed to on or near the carriage of the fixed pulley, loops down and around the movable pulley, then back up and around the fixed pulley. A hook is attached to the underside of the movable pulley, and by tugging on the rope, the hook will lift or lower.

BLOCK AND TACKLE

The post BALLOON PULLEY KIT appeared first on Science2Life.

Love dragons and Vikings? Why not book a show!

Science of Dragons Show

Product description

The post HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 12 Books Collection Set appeared first on Science2Life.

Using the ‘magical’ pulling power of magnets you can amaze your audience by making a beautiful flower appear in the flower pot!

Hold the wand in the hand that you write with and the flower pot in the other hand.

Wave the wand over the pot and chant your magical incantation – this is my one!

Abracadabra

FLOWER FROM WAND TRICK

Bewitching power

Let’s use MAGIC

To create a flower!

Place the tip of the wand into the pot so that the magnet on the flower touches the base of the pot and pull the wand upwards and away as fast as you can … and voila!

Setting the trick:

1. Always place the flower into the wand by the magnet end. This will protect your ‘feather’ flowers.
2. The magnet end of the flower must be flush with the end of the wand. This is to make sure that when the wand touches the magnet in the bottom of the flower pot the two magnets will pull together.
3. Lift the wand up and away quickly, follow the wand with your eyes. This will lead your audience’s eyes away from the pot – when they look back they will be astounded to see your beautiful flower inside the pot.

The post APPEARING FLOWER FROM WAND appeared first on Science2Life.

Pronunciation: /EV–ə–NES-koh

Description: Makes the target vanish.

Seen/mentioned: Used in Order of the Phoenix  by Snape to make Harry’s potions disappear from his cauldron.

Contents:

• 3 Opaque cups
  

  Magically appearing pop-up wands

• Death Eater Crystals  (Ooze Baff Crystals)
• Bottle of Unicorns Urine (Coloured water)
• Small spoon
• Pipette
• Stirrer
• 2 Small mixing cups
• Mixing bowl
• Labels

In this video Scientific Sue will show you how you can use Ooze Baff crystals in a very magical spell. A similar spell used by the Death Eaters in the Mr Potters Magical World. The death eaters suck up the souls of their victims – our ‘Death Eater Crystals (Ooze Baff crystals) suck up liquids! Use a little bit of science to find out how much the crystals suck up and still stay in a sticky solid format – then use that science in the Evanesco Spell. This video will take you through the steps you need to take to wow and confuse your audience – Science Magic – Fun Guaranteed!

The Science

Ooze baff crystals are an example of  water absorbing polymers.

A polymer is a molecule, made from joining together many small molecules called monomers. The word “polymer” can be broken down into “poly” (meaning “many” in Greek) and “mer” (meaning “unit”).

Sodium polyacrylate are the water absorbing polymers found in babies nappies – the crystals Scientific Sue uses in her first EVANESCO Spell in the video below.

Water absorbing polymers soak up water through a process called osmosis and they swell up. Some, like Ooze Baff, just absorb a small amount of water. Others, like the crystals in nappies absorb huge amounts of water.

The polymer chains have an elastic quality. The amount they stretch depends on the polymer. Ooze Baff makes a wonderful slime like substance, whilst the nappy powder makes a substance like slushy snow.

Most common synthetic polymers are said to be hydrophobic (water-fearing), which means that they do not absorb water. Examples of these polymers might include products such as plastic cups, bags, and plastic toys. There are also hydrophilic, or water-loving polymers. Many natural polymers such as cotton fibres are hydrophilic.

If you like this product you will love our Magic Snow!

Science2Life’s Science iT! activities and programmes

Children love to be engaged in learning, especially through interactive projects that they can really get involved and be hands on with.

Science2Life’s Science iT! activities and programmes are part of our STEAM Academy. The activities use everyday life objects, toys and knick-knacks and turns them into fun, innovative, hands-on experiences designed to encourage children to:

• discover the amazing world of science and engineering
• to perform engaging activities that show how science and engineering is at work in their everyday lives
• to foster a lifelong love of science and engineering
• to give a basic grounding in scientific concepts and scientific thinking
• to increase children’s motivation to learn and
• enhance their perception, creativity and logic.

Hands-on learning is learning by doing.

Children involved in our ‘Science iT!’ activities and programmes are introduced to various STEAM learning methods and activities. Our creative programmes involve learning activities that require active thinking and experimenting to find out how things work. We all know how curious children are about the world around them and how they love using the word ‘why?’

The aim of our activities is to provide optimal learning opportunities that strategically help children grasp mathematics, engineering and science concepts.

With the inclusion of the arts component into STEM it makes it more fun to learn, and more approachable to children.

Art education allows children to learn things in a more open-ended way and make them applicable to real life.

Links to the curriculum

All of Science2Life activities can be used to entertain children – however they have been created with the curriculum in mind, so are perfect activities to generate mesmerizing examples of the topics they can be used to explore.

Plus our Science iT! activities can up scaled-up to be used in workshops within the classroom, for festival and birthday celebrations, which provide opportunities for children to collaborate on initiatives, explorations and creations.

The idea behind our Science iT! activities is to ignite children’s natural innate curiosity about the world around them (and the items in it) and to channel their enthusiasm for scientific discovery as early as possible.

Currently Science2Life have the following Science iT! activities:

1. The Magical EVANESCO Spell
2. The Magical AMORTENTIA Spell
3. The Super Bouncing Bubble Kit
4. Make your own Fossil Kit
5. Colour Changing Bracelet Kit
6. Pneumatic Monsters Activity
7. Creative Circuits
8. The Magical Wandarama
9. Gone Fishing
10. The Jitter Bug

Each of the above activities can be turned into a workshop programme! Interested? Give us a call!

Scientificsue@science2life.com

+447970884728

Note: All of Science2Life’s STEAM ACADEMY shows and workshops are designed to not only motivate and fire the spirit of discovery within your children but also ignite curiosity in their minds.

For more information on our shows visit our website: https://www.science2life.com

The post 1 THE MAGICAL EVANESCO SPELL – A Science iT! Activity appeared first on Science2Life.

Super Bouncing Bubble Kit – A Magical Science iT! Activity from Science2Life

Special Appearance:
Lucy Carrol, age 7, helps out at Scientific Sue’s dazzling Science of Bubbles show during Science Week Ireland at the Institute of Technology, Sligo.
(Photo by James Connolly, 12NOV17)

Make Science Bounce—Literally!
Discover the awe and wonder of hands-on science with our Super Bouncing Bubble Kit. Specially designed for young scientists and bubble lovers, this STEM-inspired kit turns everyday play into an exciting scientific adventure.

What’s Inside the Kit?

Everything you need to start your bouncing bubble experiments right away:

• 50ml Super Bouncing Bubble Solution

  

  Boy holding a bubble

• 2 Magic Gloves (so you can catch and bounce bubbles)

• 1 Bubble Blower

• 1 30ml Mixing Cup

• Step-by-step Instructions

How to Make Bouncing Bubbles:

1. Open the bubble solution and carefully remove the seal.

2. Pour the bubble solution into the small plastic cup.

3. Slip on your magic glove.

4. Dip the wide end of the bubble blower into the solution.

5. Gently blow a large, tennis-ball-sized bubble – with the blower pointing downwards.

6. Raise your hand.

7. Flick the bubble into the air and catch it with your gloved hand.

8. Can you make it bounce? Try again and again!

9. Now bounce it from hand to hand – You are officially a Bubble Juggler!

Let’s Investigate:

Encourage scientific thinking with these bubble-based challenges:

• How many times can your bubble bounce before it pops?

• Does bubble size affect bounceability?

• What happens if you blow harder or softer?

• Can you bounce a bubble on wool, cotton, or rubber gloves?

• Which surface works best for bouncing?

Perfect for solo play or family fun, this activity builds skills in observation, prediction, and experimentation—all while having a blast!

Perfect For:

• STEM experiments at home or in the classroom

  

  Blowing bubbles

• Birthday party activities

• Christmas stocking fillers

• Science fairs and festival workshops

• Curious minds aged 5+

Educational Benefits:

Science2Life’s Science iT! Activities are developed by real educators to promote:

• Early engagement with science and engineering concepts

• Critical thinking, creativity, and logic through play

• Lifelong curiosity and a love for learning

These STEAM activities transform toys, tools, and household items into powerful learning opportunities—making science accessible, fun, and unforgettable!

Safety First!

Recommended: Young children should wear safety goggles when playing with bubble solution to prevent soap splashes in their eyes.

If a bubble bursts in the eye:

• Rinse immediately with lukewarm water using a clean jug or shower stream.

• Young children may be wrapped in a towel for comfort during rinsing.

Warning: Bubble solution may cause slippery surfaces. Clean up spills right away to prevent accidents.

Linked to the Curriculum

All Science2Life kits are aligned with key STEAM learning goals and are perfect for:

• Supporting school topics like forces, surface tension, and states of matter

• Introducing key scientific practices such as hypothesis testing and recording results

• Being scaled up for classroom workshops, festivals, or science birthday parties

Explore More Science iT! Activities:

Science2Life offers a full range of hands-on kits including:

• The Magical EVANESCO Spell

• The Magical AMORTENTIA Spell

• Make Your Own Fossil Kit

• Colour-Changing Bracelet Kit

• Pneumatic Monsters

• Creative Circuits

• The Magical Wandarama

• Gone Fishing

• The Jitter Bug

Each one can be scaled up into a workshop programme. Want to know more? Get in touch!

Email: ScientificSue@science2life.com
Call or WhatsApp: +44 7970 884728
Visit our website

Join Scientific Sue on a Bubble-Filled Adventure!

Using a tub of bubbly magic, a bubble blower, and special gloves, Scientific Sue brings the science of bubbles to life! This amazing kit delivers fun, learning, and laughter—perfect for budding scientists and bubble chasers alike.

Curriculum Links: Super Bouncing Bubble Kit

Suitable for: Key Stage 1 & 2 (England, Northern Ireland) / Primary Levels (Republic of Ireland)
Curricular Areas: Science | Mathematics | The Arts | Literacy | STEM

SCIENCE

England: Primary Science (KS1 & KS2)

• Working Scientifically

  • Asking simple questions and recognising they can be answered in different ways

  • Observing closely, using simple equipment

  • Performing simple tests and using results to draw conclusions

• Everyday Materials / States of Matter

  • Identifying and comparing the suitability of materials

  • Observing materials change (liquid film stretching, popping)

  • Exploring bubbles as a gas trapped in a liquid

• Forces and Magnets (KS2)

  • Understanding how pushes and pulls affect motion

  • Investigating how forces act on objects (bubbles bouncing and falling)

Northern Ireland: The World Around Us (KS1 & KS2)

• Interdependence / Movement and Energy / Materials

  • Exploring how materials behave in different conditions

  • Investigating forces in action (bouncing, gravity, motion)

  • Developing skills in observing, predicting, and recording

Republic of Ireland: SESE – Science

• Energy and Forces

  • Exploring the effects of different forces on objects

  • Recognising how air (a gas) can exert a force

• Materials

  • Investigating how different materials interact (bubble vs glove surface)

  • Exploring the properties of liquids and gases

• Working Scientifically

  • Questioning, observing, predicting, investigating, recording and evaluating

MATHEMATICS

England/Northern Ireland: Mathematics (KS1 & KS2)

• Measurement

  • Using standard units to measure liquid volumes

  • Comparing and ordering measurements (e.g. bubble sizes)

• Statistics

  • Collecting and recording results

  • Creating simple tables or charts of bounce counts

Republic of Ireland: Mathematics

• Measure

  • Estimating, measuring, and comparing capacities

• Data

  • Recording data using tables or graphs

  • Interpreting results from bubble experiments

THE ARTS

England/Northern Ireland/ROI

• Visual Arts / Design & Technology / Expressive Arts

  • Appreciating the aesthetic qualities of bubbles

  • Encouraging creativity in test design and decoration of equipment

  • Using colour and texture in glove choice or themed experiments

LANGUAGE & LITERACY

• Oral Language & Communication

  • Encouraging students to describe what they see and explain their ideas

  • Developing scientific vocabulary (e.g. surface tension, predict, solution)

  • Sharing findings through presentations or discussions

• Reading and Writing

  • Following written instructions

  • Writing up results, predictions, and observations

STEM / STEAM Outcomes

• Hands-on inquiry that supports scientific thinking and problem-solving

• Cross-curricular learning with real-world application of science concepts

• Encourages creativity, curiosity, and exploration through open-ended investigation

• Provides a platform for collaborative learning and communication

The post SUPER BOUNCING BUBBLE KIT – A Science iT! Activity appeared first on Science2Life.

Click on and expand the video to see an alternative use for this snow grow powder!

Amazing Magic Snow granules that magically expand into white fluffy snow, a fantastic material for sensory play.

• Add water and the powder turns into fake snow
• Expands to 100 times its original volume
• Spray with water to keep for several months
• Leave to dry and reuse
• 1 x Magic Snow DIY Slushy Snowman
• Ideal fun seasonal crafting for children!
• Lovely stocking or party bag filler

Enjoy creating your very own Frosty The Snowman with this Magic Snow DIY Slushy Snowman Kit. Complete with magic white snow, stick arms, a bright orange carrot nose, eyes, mouth, buttons and black hat; this slushy snowman can be assembled in the comfort of your own home away from the cold.

Click on this link above for the full version of this and other spells: Potions and Explosions Spell Book 

SAFETY:

• Not suitable for children under 4.
• Children should always be supervised.
• Magic Snow is very slippery when wet, so make sure any spillages are cleaned up immediately to prevent slipping accidents.
• Do not dispose of down the sink; it may clog up the drain.

HOW DOES MAGIC SNOW WORK?

1. Add a small amount of Magic Snow on to the palm of your hand. Using the pipette squirt water onto the powder. Watch it magically grow in your hand!
2. Add 1 teaspoon (about 3 g) of Magic Snow powder into an empty clear beaker. Measure 30 ml of room temperature water into a second beaker. Quickly pour all of the water into the cup with the Magic Snow and watch the powder erupt into white fluffy snow!

Want coloured snow? Just add a few drops of food colouring to the water before pouring in onto the Magic Snow granules.

Want to build a snowman? Form the snow into snow balls or use the plastic ‘snowman shaped’ packaging.

Build a snowman with this amazing water absorbing polymer!

Place in the freezer on a tray for an hour or more. You can now stack your snowballs on top of each other and then decorate them!

Want to make a snow fort? Create enough snow to fill an ice tray. Place in the freezer for an hour and you will have building blocks to make a frozen fort! If the blocks are stuck in the tray just run some warm water on the back of the tray to loosen them.

Science in a Nutshell

Magic Snow is an erupting polymer! Magic Snow is actually derived from the superabsorbent polymer, sodium polyacrylate, found in baby nappies. The only difference (and it’s a big one) is that the Magic Snow polymer not only absorbs water but the long chains of molecules swell to an enormous size.

The polymer soaks up water using the process of osmosis (water molecules pass through a barrier from one side to the other). When water comes in contact with the polymer, it moves from outside the polymer to the inside and causes it to swell. The polymer chains have an elastic quality however, they can only stretch only so far and hold just so much water.

The Magic Snow reaction is a great example of a physical reaction – a reaction where the substance itself does not change. When an ice cube melts, a physical reaction takes place where the solid ice turns into a liquid, but the substance (water) never changes – it’s still water! However, in a chemical reaction, a new substance is formed and energy is either given off or absorbed.

If you think of the Magic Snow powder as millions of tiny sponges, it’s easy to see that neither the Magic Snow powder or the water was changed. If you allow the water to evaporate, the Magic Snow powder dries out and returns to its previous state, ready to be used again.

Also, because of water’s unique shape, it is capable of associating with two polymer chains. For this reason, two polymer chains surround each layer of water molecules, with each row of water molecules forming a bridge between the two chains. Imagine the polymer–water
complex as something of a molecular sandwich, where the polymer chains are the “bread” and the water molecules are the “jam.” This ability of water to link between chains is called cross-linking, and it is what allows the polymer to absorb so much water.

What happens when you put some table salt on top of the snow?

Salt causes water to leak out of the sodium polyacrylate because it disrupts the attraction between water and the polymer chain. When salt is added, it breaks up into negative and positive ions, which are also attracted to the water molecules. In fact, each ion attracts several water molecules to it. Eventually, when enough salt is added, the water molecules become more attracted to the ions than the polymer chains, and water leaks out of the mixture.

This product is used in Scientific Sue’s Magical Science and Engineering Show

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