Making bubbles in Antrim Castle Gardens

Tri-String Bubble Wand × 5

Create Magical Giant Bubbles!

Celebrate summer with this 5-Wand Bundle – only £20 (was £24.95)!
While stocks last, bring the wonder of science and the joy of play to life with Scientific Sue’s Tri-String Bubble Wands– your ultimate tools for creating giant, glistening bubbles that float, twist, and dance through the air.

Why Parents & Teachers Love It

• Endless outdoor fun – Watch as huge shimmering bubbles mesmerise children and adults alike.

• STEM through play – Explore surface tension, air flow, and bubble chemistry while having fun.

• Perfect for all settings – Great for gardens, parks, science shows, school activities, parties, and sensory play sessions.

• Engaging for all ages – Simple enough for children, yet magical enough to captivate everyone.

What’s Included

• 5× Tri-String Bubble Wands (choose Yellow, Purple, or a mix!)

• Step-by-step instructions for using your wands effectively

• One of Scientific Sue’s bubble recipes using easy-to-find supermarket ingredients (bubble solution not included)

Educational Benefits

• Encourages hands-on science learning about air, forces, and surface tension.

• Builds observation and measurement skills by testing bubble size and duration.

• Introduces STEM concepts naturally through outdoor play.

• Inspires curiosity and creativity while blending learning with fun.

A STEM Twist:

How to build your trip-string wand

These wands aren’t just for fun – they’re also a great way to explore surface tension, air flow, and the chemistry of bubbles. Learn as you play!

Activity Ideas

1. Bubble Size Challenge

• Dip the string section into the bubble solution – ensure the entire string is soaked.

• Walk backwards slowly on calm days, or stand with your back to the breeze on windy days.

• Measure how long your bubbles stretch before popping using a tape measure, strides, or chalk marks.

2. Compare Bubble Recipes

Try different bubble solutions and record your results:

3. Bubble Races

Release bubbles at the same time and see whose bubble travels furthest or lasts longest.

4. STEM Storytelling

Ask children:

“Why do some bubbles burst in strong winds?”
“How does the wand ‘trap’ air to make such huge bubbles?”

Science Note

The tri-string wand works by trapping air inside a soapy film stretched between three pieces of string. The absorbed bubble mix strengthens the film, allowing it to stretch into supersized bubbles.

Top Tip:
Close the wands gently after inflating a bubble – this seals off the film and lets the bubble float away rather than collapsing. It’s like tying off a balloon, locking the air safely inside.

Live Show & Virtual Experience Links

For the full bubble science experience, explore Scientific Sue’s Science of Bubbles Show:

• Live Shows – Watch giant bubbles, colour-changing experiments, and STEM magic in person

• Virtual Experience – Perfect for schools, groups, and at-home learners

Parenting & Classroom Tips

• Use bubbles for turn-taking – set a sand timer so everyone gets a fair go.

• Combine measurement skills with fun – compare bubble length, height, and float time.

• Great for sensory regulation – calming for children who benefit from visual, slow-flowing activities.

Bubbles by the se

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

The post TRI-STRING BUBBLE WAND x 5 appeared first on Science2Life.

Making bubbles in Antrim Castle Gardens

Bring the wonder of science and play to life with Scientific Sue’s Tri-String Bubble Wand – your ultimate tool for making giant, glistening bubbles that float, twist, and dance through the air!

Product Highlights:

• Vibrant Colours: Choose from cheerful Yellow or Purple wands – or grab both for even more bubbly fun!

• Impressive Reach: Each wand measures 52.5 cm when fully assembled – ideal for crafting spectacular supersized bubbles.

• Science in Action: Includes one of Scientific Sue’s specially formulated bubble recipes, made using easy-to-find ingredients from your local supermarket (bubble solution not included).

• Fun for All Ages: Perfect for outdoor play, science shows, school activities, birthday parties, and family days in the garden or park.

Want More Bubble Magic?

Prefer more fun in one go? Our Tri‑String Bubble Wand × 5 – Summertime Special is now just £20 (down from £24.95)!

Click here to grab the 5‑wand bundle and save →

A STEM Twist:

How to build your trip-string wand

These wands aren’t just for fun – they’re also a great way to explore surface tension, air flow, and the chemistry of bubbles. Learn as you play!

Stretch Test with the Tri-String Wand

Before you start, make sure your tri-string wand is fully soaked in bubble solution. Play with the wand to create bubbles of all sizes and get the string ready!

To measure bubble length, use a measuring tape or mark the ground using foot lengths or strides.

Test Instructions:

• Dip the string section of the wand into the bucket of bubble solution. You have to make sure the whole of the string is covered. DO NOT STIR this will tangle up the string.
• Keeping the sticks of the wand together remove the string from the bubble solution. Lift the sticks high. Open up the sticks. You will see a bubble film stretch between the strings.
• If it isn’t windy you will have to walk backwards (safely!) to catch the air in the bubble film.

To make a bubble:

On a calm day: Walk backwards to let the air fill the film – you will need to practice the speed at which you walk. Too slow and nothing will happen – Too fast the bubble film will burst

On a breezy day: Stand with your back to the wind.

The wind will inflate the bubble for you! You don’t need to move – just open the wand and let the wind do the magic. If it is too windy the pushing forces of the air molecules will burst the delicate bubble film.

1. Measure the length of your longest bubble at the point that it just pops or breaks.
2. Repeat 3 times for each solution.
3. Because wind can affect your results, should you repeat the test more than 3 times?

Bubbles by the sea

Science Note:

The large loop and gentle movement help trap air in the bubble film. The soaked string creates a stable surface that stretches into a giant bubble before breaking away.

 Top Tip: Close the Wands to Make the Bubble Fly!

When you’re ready to release your bubble, gently bring the two wands back together. This pinches the soap film and seals off the bubble, allowing it to float away instead of collapsing.

Why This Works:

• The soap film is like a stretchy curtain between the 3 lengths of string.
• If you don’t close the wands, the film stays openand the bubble won’t break off — it just pops or collapses.
• Closing the wands snaps the film shut, turning the long soap tunnel into a complete bubble.

Think of it like tying the end of a balloon — the air stays inside the bubble because you’ve sealed it off just in time.

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

The post TRI-STRING BUBBLE WAND x 1 appeared first on Science2Life.

• Suitable for indoor and outdoor fun
• The Air Zooka operates by pulling and releasing the built-in elastic launcher
• The column of air can travel over 4 m!
• Use it to knock down paper cups
• Or remove Grandad’s toupee

The Air Zooka is a wind tunnel in miniature, trapping air in its conical rear quadrant and firing it forward with elastic speed for maximum disruption.

Ruffle someone’s hair or cloths, push papers off tables, spook someone as the turn the corner – the possibilities are endless.

Paired with a smoke machine, this air cannon will fire beautiful smoke rings!

The proper name for this concept is the vortex generator, because the rings that are being shot out of the Air Zooka are actually flat vortices of air.

How the air moves when leaving the Air Zooka

The circle shape is created because the air in the centre of the air zoom is exiting faster than the air around the rim of the air zooka – hence this toy can be used to illuminate Bernoulli’s principle which states: The faster the flow of air becomes, the lower the pressure air becomes.

Safety: Never fire the Air Zooka in anyone’s face (people or animals)

The post AIR ZOOKA 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

The post AMAZING MAGIC SNOW SNOWMAN appeared first on Science2Life.

Coloured water is more visually attractive to children.

Messy Play Water Colours helps build social development through playing together, physical development through the training of hand eye coordination and cognitive development by teaching how water can behave when poured from different containers through colourful water play!
Simply add the tablets to the water to change the colour.

Messy Play Water Colours tub contains:
*10 x red tablets
*10 x green tablets
*10 x blue tablets
*Instruction leaflet

Each tablet is big enough to colour a bath filled with water.

Step 1: How to create your Baff Water Colours Adventure

1. Fill the bath as usual
2. Drop the Baff Water colours tablets into the ater and watch as your bath instantly and magically changes colour!
3. Add bubble bath for extra fun!
4. Now climb in and begin your Baff Water Colours adventure!

Step 2: Draining your Baff Water

1. When you Baff adventure has come to an end, climb out of the bath carefully
2. The Baff Water Colours will have completely dissolved in the bath, so you can simply pull the plug and drain your bath as normal.

A little bit of Science

Let’s experiment!

Each tablet contains some Sodium Bicarbonate and Citric Acid; when these two chemicals dissolve in water they will react releasing bubbles filled with carbon dioxide gas!

Why not crush a tablet until you have a powder. Messy play helps build social development through playing together, physical development through the training of hand eye co-ordination and cognitive development by teaching how water can behave when poured from one container to another through colourful play. Simply add the powder to the water to change the colour of the water – this is not only good visually but helps when trying to read off volume measurements from jug, babies bottles etc.

The post MESSY PLAY WATER COLOURS appeared first on Science2Life.