Energy is the capacity for doing work and can exist in many different forms. Energy cannot be created or destroyed but can be changed from one form to another. We call this conservation of energy. Forms of energy There are lots of different forms of energy. Kinetic energy All moving objects have kinetic energy. A…
We’ve made many different mini catapults before, but this was our first attempt at a large version. We had SO much fun with our giant catapult, inspiring many different investigation opportunities. You can use balls of different sizes and measure how far they travel or how high they go. Another idea is to dip balls…
The question ‘How old is the Universe?‘ has intrigued astronomers for centuries. The discovery of leftover light from the Big Bang not only supported the Big Bang theory but also allowed scientists to calculate the age of the Universe. The Big Bang is the current accepted theory of how the universe began and the start…
Citizen Science is when members of the public get involved with scientific research by designing experiments and collecting, sorting and analysing information. It’s about giving everyone an opportunity to be involved in science! Citizen science projects can be anything from monitoring butterfly and bee populations to spotting cancer cells in images. You might also hear…
Marshmallows are delicious to eat, perfect for melting in hot chocolate and brilliant for launching with a catapult as they are so light! This activity works well with either one full size or several small marshmallows. Catapults are very inexpensive to make and can be used over and over again which makes them great for…
The Big Bang is a theory about how the Universe began. Most scientists believe in the Big Bang theory, which is the current accepted model for the beginning of the Universe. Georges Lemaître first proposed the Big Bang theory in 1927. The theory was supported by Edwin Hubble’s research on cosmological redshift in 1929. What…
The summer solstice is the longest day of the year when the Earth’s North Pole is tilted closest to the sun. There are two solstices each year. One in June and one in December. The time of the solstice is the same all over the planet, but the season depends on where on Earth you…
This simple shadow activity is very similar to my DIY sundial, but is more about observing the size, position and shape of the shadow than following the time. We see shadows when light is blocked by an object. In this activity the small octopus toy blocks the light which creates a shadow in the shape…
If you’ve ever visited a beach on a hot day you may have found it to be windier by the sea than it is inland. Sea breezes are caused by convection currents. What is a sea breeze? Sea breezes occur on summer days because land heats up faster than the sea. Warm air rises as…
These simple ice decorations are very easy to make, look fantastic, and provide lots of learning opportunities as children observe water freezing, becoming ice, and then melting back into a liquid. Young children will enjoy feeling the ice ( let it melt a little first ) and trying to melt it by dropping warm water…
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