Science, Curiosity and Life
We have been experimenting with blackboard slime recently. We first spotted it here. I thought this slime would be great as a Halloween activity, covering both science and craft in one go and how right I was. Check out these cool ideas we came up with, my favourite is definitely the ‘day-of-the-dead’ decorating. Read more
There are a lot of benefits to being the youngest child, you have more people to pander to your wishes, you tend to get away with a lot more than your older siblings did, and you can usually find someone willing to play with you. Read more
People are always asking me for a slime recipe that doesn’t require borax powder. This is one option, making silly putty. We love this recipe, using just cornflour and washing up liquid (or you can use liquid soap instead); just be careful that you use products that you know won’t irritate your child’s skin.
We thought we’d share this one, in honour of St. Patrick’s Day…. with all the shamrocks and the leprechauns and the rainbows 😉
Just click the arrow button on the right of the image below to find out how to make this brilliant rainbow silly putty; it is so easy and my kids loved it!
We mixed all our silly putty together for the rainbow effect but you can keep the colours separate if you prefer. This silly putty is great to play with, mold it in your hand, stretch it, fold it… it makes a great stress busting tool too! It will last for a week or more if you put it in an airtight container or plastic bag but we usually just make a new batch each time.
Let me know if you try this yourself! We have had lots of fun working on other slime recipes and will be sharing them soon so remember to check back or follow the blog to make sure you don’t miss any posts!
We are back with more bottle science experiments! How did you get on with the first five we shared last week? We have had plenty of feedback from people who tried them out and really enjoyed them so here are five more bottle science experiments to try!
You can find experiments 1 to 5 in this post!
REMEMBER: YOU NEED ADULT SUPERVISION FOR ALL THESE EXPERIMENTS
This video doesn’t include the science of how it happens, so here it is! As you know from previous experiments… when we mix the vinegar and the bread soda the react rapidly making a salt, water and Carbon Dioxide gas. Gases usually take up more space than liquids or solids so the sudden production of Carbon Dioxide gas causes a rapid increase in pressure inside the bottle. The gas wants to break out of the confined space within the bottle but the cork is in the way. With enough pressure the cork is forced off and the gas escapes.
Newton’s Thirds Law of motion states that…
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction!
This law is what makes the rocket shoot into the air. The first ‘action’ is the cork shooting off the bottom of the bottle; this produces the ‘equal and opposite’ reaction of the bottle rocket shooting off in the opposite direction! It all follows the laws of physics!
This rockets follows the exact same law as the previous experiment, except this time the pressure is built up by the air we pump into the bottle. This pressure eventually builds up forcing the cork, and the water, out of the bottle and the rocket is then propelled off in the opposite direction, shooting up into the sky.
And there you have it! Ten fantastic experiments to do with a plastic bottle. If you missed the first five you can find them here! Please let us know what you thought of this series and how you got on. If you like these video experiments and would like some more just let us know in the comments below and we will get working on a new series straight away!
ENJOY!
Do you love science and want to try out some experiments yourself? Do you worry that you’ll need special equipment and expensive kits? FEAR NOT! There are so many science experiments you can do with things you have around your home RIGHT NOW! Just remember to always ask an adult’s permission. Finish drinking your water and save that bottle because we are going to share TEN amazing experiments with you… you’ll never look at a plastic bottle in the same way again!
A few months ago I promised to share ten experiments you can do with a simple plastic bottle. If you have been following me on Face Book you will have noticed that I have shared one every week and we reached ten no problem; I’ve compiled all the instruction videos here so that you can pick and choose which ones you want to do (or, even better, try all ten).
The reason I started this was because I was sick of seeing science experiment kits full of rubbish (I am not saying all science kits are rubbish, but I have seen my fair share lately). I wanted to show you that you can do plenty of science experiments from things you have around your own home. And what better example to use than a simple, humble, plastic bottle. A great example of reusing and recycling.
PLEASE NOTE: ALL THESE EXPERIMENTS REQUIRE ADULT SUPERVISION!
Without further ado… here are first five Science Experiments you can do with a plastic bottle:
Those are the first five experiments. Have lots of fun with them, check back next week for the next five experiments. Remember to keep those bottles!
As always, we love to get comments and feedback so do let us know if you try some of these experiments; we’d love to know how you get on, did you make some of your own modifications and improvements to the experiments? Would you like us to share more video experiments?
We love questions here at the Science Wows HQ; We generate a lot on a daily basis, and we answer many too. I was delighted to try out the new Facebook live tool for a Q & A session and got to answer lots of question sent in on all the STEM topics (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). Many of these questions were sent in by children, and, from the quality of the questions, and the inquisitive minds behind them, I am sure these are the STEM experts of the future.
If you sent in your question – thanks so much! If you want to send one in for another time then leave your question in the comments below or drop me a line.
Here is the video, if you missed it, or want to rewatch, I hope you enjoy and maybe pick up some new facts.
Here are all the questions asked; If you want to find the specific answer to that question in the video I have included how many minutes into the video it was answered. Under each question below is an additional fact, not included in the video… for some extra WOW!
Oran and Oscar wanted to know…
“Why is it blurry when you look underwater with goggles?” (1 min 20 secs)
Did you know that… if you get a really good pair of goggles or a scuba mask, then that extra air between the glass and your eyes will correct for the blurry vision problem and the light entering your eye will be bent correctly, allowing for a nice clear image? In fact, you may even see things clearer and larger – the mask can make things appear up to 33% larger and 25% closer!
and
“Why do crickets make that noise and where do they go during the day?” (5 mins)
Did you know that… crickets need warm weather to chirp, as they are cold blooded creatures. If the weather gets too cold they will not be able to generate enough energy for their normal chirps and their sounds will actually slow down or stop!
Elissa, Nia and Matthew asked …
“What are mosquitos for?” (12 mins)
Did you know that … the annoying buzzing sound we hear when a mosquito is near is the sound of their wings flapping at an amazing speed of 300 to 600 beats a second? That still doesn’t make the sound any more pleasant though, does it?
Photo credit: James Gathany (CDC)
Dermot is obviously an environmental thinker as he wanted to know …
“How do you convert wind power into electricity?” (11 mins)
Did you know that… humans have been harnessing the power of the wind for a very long time? The first windmills date back to 200B.C.
Ruairí had lots of questions, like …
“Why does your skin go brown after the Sun?” (17 mins 40 secs)
“Did you know that… the more sun exposure we get, the more the melanin producing cells move closer to the surface of the skin. We look like we are getting a darker tan but, more importantly, the melanin absorbed the harmful UV rays from the Sun, protecting our skin from damage.”
“What’s in the centre of the Earth?” (23 mins 30 secs)
Did you know that… scientists estimate that the temerpature of the Earth’s core is 6,000 Celcius? That is about the same temperature as the surface of the Sun.
“What’s inside a leaf?” (27 mins 30 secs)
Did you know that the colour changes we see in leaves in Autumn are due to different pigments inside the leaves? The colour we see depends on which pigments are present. Some pigments are more dominant than other so if they are present in the leaf they dictate what colour the leaf is. Some pigments we find in leaves are choropyl (green), Carotene (orange/yellow), tannin (brown) and anthocyanin (red/purple).
“What is inside a bird that helps it to fly?” (20 mins 30 secs)
Did you know that… some birds, such as ostriches, penguins and Emus are too heavy to fly? These birds (called ratites) are thought to have started out as flighted birds but have evolved flatter breastbones, shorter wings, weaker pectoral muscles and heavier bodies.
and…
“Why is fruit good for us?” (7 mins 30 secs)
Did you know that… tomatoes are actually considered fruit and that raspberries and strawberries are not true berries, but bananas are?
Emily asked…
“Why does your skin go wrinkly in the bath?” (4 mins)
Did you know… it takes five minutes of constant exposure to fresh water for the wrinkles to appear on our fingers, palms, toes and soles of our feet? It takes even longer when in sea water.
Amanda, from Spider Working, is a real lover of cats and she wanted to know…
“Why do cats have whiskers?” (24 mins)
Did you know that… cats are longsighted so their super sensitive whiskers allow them work out everything in their close environment with greater detail? This is particularly important when deciding when to pounce on their prey.
photo credit: Let's Play via photopin (license)
With a child in this house with an allergy to dust mites, I had particular interest in a question sent in from Jack, asking…
“Where does dust come from?” (9 mins)
Did you know that… the Sahara desert is the largest source of dust in the world? It can produce more than 60,000 kg of dust per year.
Harry would fit in well in this house, with all his questions, such as…
“How do aeroplanes fly in the sky?” (19 mins 30 secs)
Did you know that… the first powered aerplane was made in 1903 by the Right brothers?
“Why do people have hearts?” (21 mins 50 secs)
Did you know that the heart pumps more than five litres of blood around the body in one minute?
and…
“Why is there no dinosaurs?” (15 mins 40 secs)
Did you know that… birds are considered to be modern day descendants of dinosaurs?
I loved this question in from Meabh…
“Why do monkeys like bananas?” (26 mins 25 secs)
Did you know that… although monkeys like the sweet taste of bananas, they do not actually eat many in each day? Monkeys kept in captivity usually get no more than one banana a day, their diet is balanced with lots of other fruit, vegetables, seeds and nuts.
Cathal sent in a question while on holidays; he wanted to know…
“Why do you always feel cold when you get out of the pool, even though it is hot out?” (30 mins 10 secs)
Did you know that… the water that stays on our skin after the pool, or a shower, eventually evapourates into gas? To do this it need some heat energy, and some of this heat energy is taken from out bodies, making us feel extra chilly.
And finally, A question in from four brothers… Brendan, Liam, Iarla and Conor; these boys rescued a dying bumble bee by feeding it a sugar solution. They wanted to know…
“If the sugar thing really worked and why was the bee so shaky afterwards?” (28 mins 35 secs)
Did you know… to make a sugar solution to revive a tired bee, mix about two tablespoons of white, granulated sugar, with one tablespoon of water.
A big thank you to The Busy Mama’s, Awfully Chipper, Office Mum, Wonderful Wagon, Dairy Free Kids, Bumbles of Rice, Learner Mama, Simply Homemade Blog and Get Crafty for sending in some of these questions!
I really hope you enjoyed this, I’d love to do it again so please do share your questions for the next round and let me know what you think! Just pop your questions or feedback in the comments below.
I am very excited to share this latest project with you; this is an idea I have had for a while so I am delighted to have finally finished and published. I really hope you like it and that your junior scientists get plenty of entertainment from this Pancake Science Magazine.
Have a look through and see what you think, there are experiment ideas and a video link to show you how. It is crammed full of interesting facts… from who made the first pancake to the mathematical formula for the perfect pancake flip.
You’ll also find puzzles and quizzes and a free printable download if you prefer to print them off and let the children test their pancake knowledge. There are also some pancake jokes to entertain you all and Dr. Simple can be found throughout the magazine, a familiar face with a few costume changes!
There is a little colour coding for all the subjects covered, from chemistry to astronomy, to maths. So your kids can just dip in and choose their favourites, if they prefer.
I would really love to hear what you think and how your children find this magazine, if you have a minute to give me any feedback I’d be delighted.
I haven’t shown this to my own kids yet, but I think I have this rainy afternoon’s entertainment sorted now.
Hope you Enjoy!
Need a mobile friendly version? just click here! And this is a separate link to the free printable.
Dr. Simple is back answering some more great questions; this one came in from five-year-old Cathal, who can sometimes be found over at the lovely blog Bumbles of Rice.
Cathal wants to know…
Why do we burp?
And here is what Dr. Simple has to say on the matter…
Who knew the humble burp could be so interesting? Here are a few more burp facts that Dr. Simple didn’t mention…
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Thanks so much for your question, Cathal, and if anyone else has a question for Dr. Simple, just leave it in the comments below!
We have had a lot of fun with this little Christmas science experiment. It is so simple, it is definitely worth a try if you have a few minutes to spare and want to give the kids a good laugh.
It is all down to the vinegar and baking soda, when the two are added, they react rapidly together and one of the products of the reaction is carbon dioxide gas (CO2). This gas mixes with the diluted washing up liquid forming a white bubbly foam that erupts out the top of the snowman.
Simple! Seasonal! Science!
Happy Christmas.
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Looking for some more #science and #craft ideas for the Christmas Season? I have two guest posts on the lovely Where Wishes Comes From blog; Click the links below to pop over and have a look. There is lots more to see over there as Sadhbh is running a Craft Advent special, a different activity every day!
I don’t know what meal times are like in other homes, but in ours they tend to be chaotic and unpredictable. Take a simple breakfast last week as an example. Nothing too fancy… there was literally only cereal on offer. But cereal boxes can be great conversation openers, especially if they are from the BEAR company and are covered in all kinds of interesting facts.
“Are black holes real and what is spa-ghett-if-ication?” Asked the 11-year-old, cereal box in hand.
And so it began… Read more
