Halloween science experiments!

Are you looking for some spooky science to do at home? If you want to know how to do some Halloween experiments and make DIY Halloween decorations, you’ve come to the right place.

PLUS keep reading to find a discount code to SAVE 20% on books, binders and magazine bundles in the Whizz Pop Bang shop!

Discover how to create edible fake blood, craft a spooky window scene, turn Halloween candy into dancing Franken-worms, mix up a batch of gooey oobleck slime and carve a puking pumpkin right here. PLUS find out which issues of Whizz Pop Bang contain Halloween activities!


Want more spooky science? This month’s edition of Whizz Pop Bang is packed with it!

In Whizz Pop Bang: Spooky Science, mini scientists can…

🎃 Build a working model heart🎃 Discover how X-ray machines work🎃 Make blood cell cereal
🎃 Read bat-tastic facts
🎃 Craft a movable skeleton

Plus experiments, jokes, riddles, puzzles and more! 


Whizz Pop Bang is our award-winning science magazine that brings science to life for children aged six to twelve (and their parents too)!

Discover how easy it is to enjoy science at home with Whizz Pop Bang magazine. Spark your child’s imagination with lab-loads of hands-on experiments, the latest science news, tantalising puzzles and amazing facts.

Subscribe today to start your child’s adventures in discovery and to inspire the scientists of the future!


https://www.science-sparks.com/pumpkin-lava-lamps/

1. Pumpkin Lava Lamp

This brilliant activity by Science Sparks uses common kitchen ingredients to make a bubbling pumpkin laval lamp.

You will need:
A clear bottle or jar
A bottle of vegetable oil
Orange food colouring
Glitter
Water
Alka Seltzer (or try fizzy vitamin tablets)
Black pen and pipe cleaners for decoration

Head over to Science Sparks to find out how to make this epic lava lamp!


Save 20% On Spooky Science – Offer Ends Soon!*

Can you believe that half term is just around the corner already?! We’ve got the perfect way to keep your child entertained – Whizz Pop Bang’s epic selection of spooky experiments, awesome crafts, fascinating facts and silly jokes!

Save 20% when you use the code AUTUMN20 at the checkout!

* Use the code AUTUMN20 at the checkout. Offer ends 01.11.24


2. Spooky window scene

You will need:
A pencil
Black card or paper
Scissors
Translucent sweet wrappers or coloured tissue paper
Sticky tack
Battery operated tea lights

What you do:

  1. Draw your design on black card or paper.
  2. Cut it out.
  3. Add the windows and cut them out.
  4. Use see-through sweet wrappers or tissue paper as window panes.
  5. Add finishing touches (we cut out bats and ghosts!)
  6. Use sticky tack to stick to a window. Add battery operated lights to make your scene glow!


Save 20% on Binders, Bundles and Books – Limited Time Offer!

Store your magazine collection in style with a Whizz Pop Bang binder. These clever binders allow readers to flick through 12 editions. There’s no need to punch holes or remove them before reading. 

Binder just £11.99 with FREE UK p&p when you use the code AUTUMN20 at the checkout!*

Grab bundles of 3, 6 or 12 magazines at a bargain price! With 17 different collections to choose between, you’re bound to find something to keep curious minds busy. 

This is the Autumn Science Bundle,perfect for half term!

Bundles from £11.99 with FREE UK p&p when you use the code AUTUMN20 at the checkout!*

🤣 Why didn’t the Dog Star laugh at a joke?🤣 Because it was too Sirius!

This epic collection of science jokes is guaranteed to lead to giggles! 

Joke Book just £5.59 with FREE UK p&p when you use the code AUTUMN20 at the checkout!*

* Use the code AUTUMN20 at the checkout. Offer ends 01.11.24


3. Dancing Franken-worms

Turn the contents of those overflowing trick or treat buckets into a fun learning opportunity. Find out how to use bicarbonate of soda and vinegar to make gummy worms dance over at Playdoh to Plato’s blog!


Fill half term with science with Boredom-Busting Science Bundle!

Stock up on boredom-busting science fun with this bundle of three activity-packed magazines, together with the awesome Whizz Pop Bang Science Puzzle Book.

The bundle contains:
⭐️ The awesome Whizz Pop Bang Science Puzzle Book, packed with over 150 brain-bending puzzles!
⭐️ Whizz Pop Bang magazine, Issue 10: Extreme Environments
⭐️ Whizz Pop Bang magazine, Issue 27: Spectacular Skeletons
⭐️ Whizz Pop Bang magazine, Issue 34: Shocking Science

SAVE 20% on this bundle when you use the code AUTUMN20 at the checkout!*

* Use the code AUTUMN20 at the checkout. Offer ends 01.11.24


4. Ooey Gooey Oobleck

Find out how to make the freaky non-Newtonian fluid, oobleck! It’s a great Halloween science activity (and it’s easy to clean up!)

You will need:
Mixing bowl
Spoon
Cornflour or custard powder
Water
Food colouring (optional)

What you do:
1. Place four heaped tablespoons of cornflour or custard powder into a bowl.
2. Add a splash of water and stir the mixture. Keep adding water a little at a time, until the mixture is about the same consistency as honey.
3. If you add too much water, add some more cornflour or custard powder.
4. Add a little food colouring if you like and mix it in.

Watch the video to find out more about the strange properties of this special substance.

Watch Whizz Pop Bang kid Poppy make some spooky oobleck!

Looking for more spooky science? These issues of Whizz Pop Bang have some simple Halloween science ideas inside!

🎃 Craft Halloween decorations, make fake blood and discover blood-sucking insects in Whizz Pop Bang 111: Spooky Science!
🎃 Make an upcycled bat garland in Whizz Pop Bang 63: Sweet Dreams
🎃 Snip and stick a spooky street scene and craft light up ghost decorations in Whizz Pop Bang 87: Starry Skies

Thanks to Henry, aged 7, for sending in pictures of his brilliant bats – find the instructions in issue 63: Sweet Dreams!

5. Puking Pumpkin Experiment

You’ve carved a pumpkin – now use science to make it even more fun with this brilliant idea from Little Bins for Little Hands! Click here for step-by-step instructions

Looking for more home science fun? From science experiments, science activities, collectible science club badges to science colouring and more, you’ll find loads of brilliant ideas right here!



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Olympics in space?!

It wasn’t just people on Earth who were glued to the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics – astronauts on the ISS were inspired by the athletes, too! They added elements of Olympic sports to their training programmes (and it looks like they had a lot of fun doing it, too!)

Watch the astronauts who were inspired by the Olympics here!

Read more fascinating science stories like this one in every edition of Whizz Pop Bang – find out how to subscribe here!


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COMPETITION CLOSED: WIN Seven Small Inventions That Changed The World Books!

Do you know a small scientist who is always coming up with new inventions? They are bound to love this new book which proves that small inventions can make a huge difference to our world!

We have five copies of Small Inventions That Changed The World by Roma Agrawak and Jisu Choi to give away! Thank you to Hachette Children’s Group for providing this epic prize.

This book shines a spotlight on tiny change makers including the nail, the wheel and string. It’s hard to image how such humble objects can be significant, but this book explains how they were crucial to the development of advanced technology like spaceships and skyscrapers.

Small Inventions That Changed The World takes readers on a spectacular and intriguing journey through centuries, from the Silk Road to the International Space Station.

We’ve got five copies of this stunning and inspiring book to give away! Simply answer the question in the comments to be in with a chance.

Which of the below is a type of engineering?

A Civet
B Civil
C Cirrus

Small Inventions That Changed The World by Roma Agrawal and Jisu Choi is published by Hachette Children’s Group and is available now. RRP £16.99.

This competition closes at midnight on 30th September 2024 and is open to UK residents only. Whizz Pop Bang competition terms and conditions are here.


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How to see the Perseid meteor shower in 2024

Image: Shutterstock

The Perseid meteor shower is a spectacle not to be missed as, if conditions are right, it’s a great opportunity to spot lots of bright meteors – around 100 per hour!

In 2024, the Perseids are visible between 17 July – 24 August, but in 2024 the meteor shower reaches it peak on 12th and 13th August.

Here are some top tips for how to spot meteors:

☄️ Research the best time to spot the meteor shower – for the Perseids in 2024 in the UK, this is in the early hours of 12th and 13th August. The days leading up to these dates could also be good opportunities to see a good show.
☄️ Ideally, the sky should be dark. You’ll get a better view away from streetlights and when the Moon is not full. The Moon sets by 10pm in mid-August in the UK, so the sky will be darkest after that time.
☄️ Fill your view with the sky and wait! Lying on the ground is a great way to see as much as possible, or get comfy in a deckchair.
☄️ Give your eyes 15 minutes to get used to the dark
☄️ Check the weather forecast – a clear sky will give a better view.
☄️ Look around! Perseid meteors can appear anywhere in the sky.

Find out everything and more you need to know about the Perseid meteor shower in this brilliant blog post.


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Whizz Pop Bang are going to Just So Festival 2024!

It’s not long until the fantastic Just So Festival kicks off – it’s running at Rode Hall, Cheshire on 16th – 18th August 2024. It’s an incredible outdoor adventure for families from bumps to great grandparents, and Whizz Pop Bang are so excited to be a part of the fun that’s in store!

The Whizz Pop Bang team are huge fans of this magical festival, and once again, we’re bringing a sprinkle of science to the programme!


Head to the Discovery Den to explore the wonderful world of water with Whizz Pop Bang, the awesome science magazine for kids

Cut, fold and float flowers that blossom due to capillary action
Make a floating boat
Dare you hold a glass of water over your head?!
And lots more (slightly damp) fun, perfect for children aged 6 to 12.


Find out more about the festival at justsofestival.org.uk, where the line up has been announced! Dance and sing to an eclectic selection of music, join the Ministry of Silly Dances, take part in a blancmange battle and the carnival of the animals, hear stories galore in the Spellbound Forest, and so much more enchanted adventure throughout the site. There’s something for every member of the family!


Whizz Pop Bang is an awesomely amazing monthly science magazine that brings science to life for children aged six to twelve (and their parents too)! There’s lab-loads of hands-on experiments, mind-boggling facts, puzzles, news and fun packed into each month’s magazine. Whizz Pop Bang sparks imaginations and inspires the scientists of the future from the moment it comes bursting through their letterbox. Subscribe today at whizzpopbang.com!

If you’re not lucky enough to be going to Just So Festival this year, but want to have heaps of fun with science, browse back issues in our shop now!


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COMPETITION CLOSED: WIN a pop-up bikes book!

Have your family been glued to the cycling in the Olympics? Bike fans will love Bicycles Pop-Up Book – a beautiful pop-up book all about cycling over the past 200 years. Featuring eight pop-up scenes crafted by master paper engineer, Dominique Ehrhard, this beautiful book will be treasured by cycle enthusiasts of all ages.

Simply answer this question in the comments to be in with a change of winning one of three copies of Bicycles: Pop-up Book by Dominique Ehrhard, worth £14.99 each. 

True or false: a fork is a part of a bike.

Good luck!

Bicycles: Pop-up Book by Dominique Ehrhard is available from good booksellers now. RRP £14.99. For stockists visit prestel.com

Competition closes at midnight on 31st August 2024. Full terms and conditions are here.


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Introducing our brand-new project: Hoopla Magazine!

Hoopla is a new magazine to help support the emotional wellbeing of children aged 5 to 10, full of fun activities, jokes and good news!

In a world where our children are growing up faster than ever before, where they face the pull of screen time, societal pressures to excel at school, to fit in with their peers, to be a certain body shape and to look a certain way, it’s easy to see how kids can sometimes feel overwhelmed. 

It’s no wonder an ever-growing proportion of young children are facing mental health problems from an early age.

A magazine to help keep children carefree, playful and happy…

Hoopla magazine gives kids aged 5 to 10 a breathing space. A space to be who they want to be, to explore new ideas, to challenge their brains, and to try fun activities that foster happiness and wellbeing.

Hoopla magazine supports children’s wellbeing and mental health… Help us to launch this happy magazine for awesome kids everywhere! 

We know there is a need for a magazine like Hoopla, so we have launched a crowdfunding campaign to get it written, design, printed and into the hands of children like yours. Head to our Kickstarter page now to find out which amazing rewards are still available. The early bird discounted subscriptions are going fast!

Hoopla Issue 1 cover – Have Some Fun

Hoopla is a 36-page magazine, packed full of fun ideas for off-screen activities to try at home, along with exciting articles to stimulate children’s expanding brains. Hoopla helps to keep kids happy, playful and curious. It’s a real physical magazine that arrives especially for them through the letterbox each month – a dose of happiness delivered straight into their hands each month!

Hoopla is the happy magazine for all children who want to have fun! 😁


What’s inside Hoopla magazine?

There’ll be a new topic each month and each edition will feature sections on art, nature, science and cooking, as well as emotions and critical thinking. 

The first edition of Hoopla is all about having fun! It will get kids thinking… What does it mean to have fun? Would it be enjoyable to have fun all the time? How do you and your family have fun? Plus, there’ll be loads of fun activities to try at home!

Think about fun spread

Future editions will cover a wide range of topics, from dinosaurs and detectives to ancient Egypt.

Swimming spread
Ideas for fresh-air adventures that encourage kids to get outside 

The 36 pages will be packed full of ideas to keep kids happily engaged, such as outdoor activitiesart projects and fun science experiments

Jackson Pollock splatter art wrapping paper spread
Kids will discover famous artists and get to try a related art project each month 

There’ll be a good news section as well as journalling pages to encourage boys and girls to write or draw their thoughts, feelings and experiences. There’ll also be storiespuzzlesjokes and riddles to keep young minds challenged and active. 

'Being Me' journaling spread
Children are encouraged to express their thoughts and feelings

Each magazine is lovingly illustrated by awesome illustrator Clive Goodyer with fun-loving characters that help to bring the magazine to life.

Illustrated characters of boy, girl, alien and cat bouncing on a trampoline
Magazine characters, clockwise from top left: Jem, Callie, Tanj and Whirl

Happy, healthy minds

Dr Naira Wilson, a clinical psychologist specialising in childhood mental health and author of children’s books supporting emotional wellbeing, will be Hoopla’s expert adviser. Hoopla will promote ideas that engage children in activities that support their wellbeing, without being prescriptive or pushy.

Beam a ray of happiness to your child each month with Hoopla magazine!


Helping others

We’re committed to helping as many children as possible, which is why we’ll be supporting children’s charity ‘Place2Be’. This well-established charity partners with schools all over the country to supply trained councillors for one-to-one and group counselling so that children of all ages have someone to turn to.

So a subscription to Hoopla doesn’t just support your child’s happiness, it also supports the wellbeing of thousands more children.


Who are we?

I’m Jenny Inglis, a mother of three and for a time I was fostered as a child. I have also had experience of being a foster parent too. I am therefore personally very aware of the experiences of childhood mental health struggles and the importance of children’s wellbeing and happiness. It is for those reasons that I’m hoping to launch a new happy magazine for children. ‘Hoopla’ will help to promote self-acceptance, positive mental attitudes and enjoyment of all aspects of childhood life.

For the last nine years I’ve been running an equally awesome magazine for kids called Whizz Pop Bang – it’s an award-winning magazine that brings science to life for girls and boys aged 6 to 12. I started Whizz Pop Bang from a Kickstarter campaign in 2015 and it’s been a roaring success ever since!

Team photo

With the help of my fabulous team of Whizz Pop Bang writers, illustrators, designers and customer service super stars, we’re ridiculously excited to be bringing this second magazine to life!

Thank you so much for your support in helping to make Hoopla magazine a reality!


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COMPETITION CLOSED – WIN Illustrated Sports Encyclopedias!

Is Euro 2024 on 24/7 in your house? Are you counting down to Paris 2024? Then keep reading, because we have three copies of Illustrated Sports Encyclopedia from DK Books to give away to sports-loving scientists!

Illustrated Sports Encyclopedia is the ultimate guide to over 100 sports worldwide. From basketball to pickleball, this book has it all! Whether your child loves team sports, racing, or extreme adventures, they’ll find something exciting.

Packed with vibrant images and easy-to-understand explanations, kids will learn the rules, essential gear, and the spirit of the game. With special features on the Olympics and Paralympics, this book is perfect for young sports enthusiasts.

Simply answer the question in the comments to be in with a chance.

What equipment is used for pickleball?
🎾 Paddle and ball
🎾 Bow and arrow
🎾 Racquet and shuttlecock

Illustrated Sports Encyclopedia. DK. £14.99. Out Now. 

This competition closes at midnight on 31st July 2024 and is open to UK residents only. Whizz Pop Bang competition terms and conditions are here.


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Win Build Your Own Insect kits and a Whizz Pop Bang subscription

COMPETITION CLOSED! WIN a Bundle of Build Your Own Insect Kits AND a Subscription to Whizz Pop Bang Magazine!

To celebrate Insect Week 2024, we have teamed up with the wonderful people at Build Your Own to give away a bundle of all four of their insect mini-build kits and a subscription to Whizz Pop Bang magazine!

Build Your Own’s range of super-cool, eco-friendly kits are a fantastic way to bring STEM learning to life in a way that kids can get stuck into. Budding engineers can build a honey bee, ladybird, stag beetle and dragonfly with these inspiring mini kits.

Whizz Pop Bang is the awesomely amazing science magazine for kids, and our lucky winner will receive a three month subscription! Every edition is packed with experiments, activities, jokes, inspiring stories and more. It’s guaranteed to be a hit with every small dinosaur expert, keen kitchen chemist or generally curious child. 

To enter, simply answer this question correctly in a comment

How many legs does a spider have?
🕸 2
🕸 5
🕸 8

Good luck!

This competition closes at midnight on Sunday 30th June 2024 and is open to UK residents only. Whizz Pop Bang competition terms and conditions are here.


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COMPETITION CLOSED – WIN a copy of Foraging: The Complete Guide for Kids and Families!

We have 5 copies of this amazing, educational book to give away!

This amazing book will tell you all about how you can become an expert in foraging – which is a way to find incredible food, medicines and even soaps in the natural world around you.

After reading this book, you’ll be able to:

– Find the best berries and plants for making yummy foods

– Learn about the incredible stories hidden in the flowers and plants and trees you see every day (and some you might never have spotted).

– Impress your friends with your incredible knowledge of the natural world – and help them protect it!

To be in with a chance of winning a copy, all you have to do is correctly answer this question in the comments below…

Which if these foods would you typically find while foraging in a forest?

  • Pizza
  • Berries
  • Sandwiches

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