A shooting star isn’t really a star, it’s usually a small piece of rock or dust burning up as it hits the Earth’s atmosphere at high speed. As the rock moves through the atmosphere it heats up and glows. Is a Shooting Star a Meteor? Yes, astronomers call shooting stars meteors. They mostly burn up…
A solar eclipse is when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, blocking the Sun’s light. People on Earth who are in the path of the Moon’s shadow will be able to see the eclipse. The Sun is 400 times wider than the Moon and 400 times farther away, which is why they appear…
If you’re feeling the heat this week, a DIY sprinkler is a fun way to cool down. All you need is a plastic bottle and some water. This fun backyard science activity is a fantastic demonstration of gravity and air pressure. How can tightening the lid of a bottle stop water from flowing out of…
This fun parachute egg drop experiment is a great demonstration of the forces acting on parachutes. If you drop something, it falls to the ground. This is because it is pulled by the gravity of the Earth. You’ll notice that some things drop faster than others. This is because of air resistance. Try dropping a…
Bobsleigh is one of the most exciting winter Olympic events. It’s fast, requires incredible precision on the turns and a huge amount of power to launch. This activity uses a marble run to explore the physics of bobsleighs! Bobsleigh athletes want to maintain as much energy as possible as they ride the track, so they…
Luge is one of our favourite Olympic events to watch. Luge involves one or two athletes sliding down an ice track at breathtaking speeds feet first on a small sled. It’s the fastest Winter Olympic Sport. Your mission in this activity is to build a mini luge track using a craft stick, coins and tape….
The invisible beaker is a classic science activity and a fantastic example of “science magic” that’s sure to provide a wow moment to children (and adults) of all ages! It’s inexpensive and very easy. You need a large and a small glass beaker and enough clear cooking oil to cover the small beaker when it’s…
These walking reindeer made us laugh so much. They work brilliantly, but can be a little fiddly to get going. This activity is traditionally called the walking horse, but as it’s nearly Christmas, we’ve made reindeer! The reindeer *walk* down a ramp or slope, because of a combination of forces including gravity and friction. You’ll…
Have you ever seen a jumping bean toy? They bounce, flip and jump as if they’re magic, but the real magic is that you can make your own jumping bean with just a marble and kitchen foil! You might be wondering how a foil and a marble can flip and jump. The answer is physics!…
This simple apple ramp STEM challenge is a brilliant, hands-on way to learn about the effect of gradient on speed and friction. We’ve made a friction ramp to test toy cars before, and this apple version is a fun twist for an autumn themed STEM activity. The ramp is covered with bubble wrap to increase…
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