The fun begins as soon as you open the box. Press out then slot together 61 cardboard parts (no glue required!), add two elastic bands and you’ll soon have one fully working pinball machine. The build should take around 60 minutes and is suitable for engineers-in-training aged 8 and up.
Once it’s ready, load up the five swirly glass marbles and see if you can make them fly up the ramp, through the bumpers and round the vortex cone! Challenge your family to see who can get a high score on your very own DIY pinball machine!
This eco-friendly STEM kit is: ✅ Designed for ages 8+ ✅ Mess-free and fun to build ✅ Perfect for developing dexterity and reflex skills ✅ Made in the UK using high-quality sustainable cardboard
Whether you’re building it as a family project or battling it out for the best score, you’ll love every minute.
How to enter
To be in with a chance of winning one Build Your Own Pinball Machine kit, simply answer this question in the comments below:
Which of the below is a category of energy?
a) Kimchi b) Kindred c) Kinetic
This competition closes at midnight on 30th September 2025. One lucky winner will be chosen at random from all correct entries. For full terms and conditions, click here.
We’ve got an amazing array of books to give away, perfect for curious children who love bugs, space, aliens and saving the planet! Thank you to our friends at Flying Eye Books for these gorgeous prizes!
Three lucky winners will each receive a set of four fantastic, fact-packed books that blend science, adventure and BIG questions about the universe. Here’s what’s up for grabs…
🪐 Cosmo Park by Madeleine Finlay and Tom Dearie Jump aboard a hover-buggy and zoom through a cosmic theme park in this vibrant comic-style book! Learn all about black holes, galaxies and the freezing end of the universe – all wrapped up in colourful illustrations and mind-blowing facts.
👾 The Unexplained: UFOs by Adam Allsuch Boardman Are we alone in the universe? Explore the mysterious world of UFOs in this graphic guide packed with alien sightings, strange encounters, and fascinating theories. Perfect for kids with big imaginations and even bigger questions.
How to enter
To be in with a chance of winning, just answer this question in the comments:
Which one of the below is not a type of beetle?
A) Rose chafer B) Ninety-nine-spot beetle C) Rainbow leaf beetle
Find out how to draw Dash the firefly from The Beastie Bros books with this simple drawing tutorial!
Have you read Beastie Bros: the Cabbage Juice Crime by David O’Connell? It stars an unlikely crime-solving duo – Dash the firefly and Dribble the snail. Keep scrolling to find out how to draw Dash the firefly!
If you’re interested in minibeasts, creepy crawlies and all sorts of insects, you’ll love Whizz Pop Bang: Minibeast Safari! Investigate the science of insects as you make an insect pooter, build a bug hotel, craft a balancing butterfly, meet jungle creepy crawlies and more. Plus there’s a competition to win Beastie Bros: The Cabbage Juice Crime by David O’Connell. You can find it in our shop now!
Are you looking for fun and simple British Science Week activities to celebrate this year’s theme, “Change and Adapt”? We’ve got you covered with a FREE science resource pack filled with hands-on experiments that your class will love!
Why ‘Change and Adapt’ is a Brilliant Theme
This year’s British Science Week theme encourages children to explore how things change in the world around them—whether through chemical reactions, forces, materials, or biological adaptation. It’s a fantastic opportunity to tie science into your curriculum in a way that’s engaging and memorable.
Free School Resources Pack – Throw A Science Party In Your Classroom!
To help you plan a curiousity-awakening, exciting (and most importantly, stress-free) British Science Week, we’ve got an amazing science freebie for you: a FREE ‘Science Party’ pack packed with six exciting experiments designed for KS1 and KS2. These hands-on activities will spark curiosity, encourage problem-solving, and bring science to life!
Each experiment explores the “Change and Adapt” theme through fun, interactive investigations that are easy to set up:
🟢 Making Chromatography Decorations – Explore how colours separate and create beautiful patterns! A perfect mix of art and science.
🔵 Bed of Pins Balloon Experiment – Discover how forces work by testing whether a balloon can survive being pressed against a bed of pins!
🟠 Fizz Pop Bang Edible Powder – Experience chemical reactions that you can taste!
🟣 Static Slime – Investigate static electricity while making an ooey-gooey slime that moves with an electric charge!
🟡 Magic Colour-Changing Icing – Learn about acid-base indicators in a fun and edible experiment that will leave your class amazed!
⚪ Incredible Invisible Ink – Uncover secret messages using simple kitchen ingredients—just like a real scientist (or spy)!
Each activity is easy to set up with minimal resources, making it perfect for busy teachers who want maximum impact with minimal prep!
Like all of Whizz Pop Bang’s science teaching resources, the science behind each activity is explained in simple, age-appropriate language, making planning and teaching these fun lessons an absolute breeze.
PLUS Here’s an Amazing Offer on School Subscriptions and Downloadable Resources!
Save 20% on our school subscriptions and downloadable resources for the first year as well as our school bundles. Simply add code SCIWEEK25 at check out.
British Science Week is the perfect opportunity to ignite a love for STEM in your classroom. Whether your pupils are experimenting with chemical changes, forces, or electricity, our Science Party Pack will keep them engaged and excited.
Whether your child is an aspiring scientist, a creative thinker, or an outdoor adventurer, this gift guide is filled with engaging, educational, and fun ideas that inspire curiosity, creativity, and exploration. These gifts are perfect for hands-on play, learning, investigating and creativity.
If you’re interested in eco-friendly gifts, you’re covered – you’ll find plenty of presents here that are printed using only paper from FSC/PEFC certified suppliers. That’s Christmas, sorted!
For Scientists-in-Training (Aged 6-12)
Nurture their love of discovery with these hands-on science gifts that are both fun and educational. They’re perfect for children who love to explore new ideas, solve puzzles, and embark on imaginative journeys.
Letterbox Lab – The Explore Box Suitable for explorers aged 6-12, each box is filled with exciting experiments that make science fun and accessible. All consumables needed for each experiment are included!
Letterbox Lab – The Investigate Box More advanced experiments for kids aged 8-12 who are ready to dive deeper into science, delivered to your door every month.
Whizz Pop Bang Snip-Out Science Book Craft paper volcanoes, flying machines and more with this book of hands-on projects that blend science, creativity, and fun.
Whizz Pop Bang Science Scrapbook A creative space for young scientists to plan investigations and record results of experiments.
Space magazines Explore the Sun, Moon, Mars and the stars in this epic collection of space-themed science magazines.
Lab coat This science essential keeps clothes in tip-top condition during even the messiest experiments!
More Gifts We Love!
Dinosaur magazines From prehistoric flying beasts to the story of extinction, Whizz Pop Bang’s back issue collection is full of fact-packed reads for any wannabe palaeontologist.
Whizz Pop Bang Joke Book Get ready for some super science-y giggles, with over 200 hilarious jokes to get the whole family laughing out loud!
Hoopla: Secrets and Spies Tiptoe into the world of secrets, spies and codes! Design a fantastic face mask to hide your identity, make your own cipher wheel, cook treats with hidden messages inside and solve some safe-cracking puzzles. Head outside to look for nature clues as you make a beautiful wristband, plus there are riddles, jokes and a colouring page to enjoy.
Whizz Pop Bang Riddle Book Test their wit and problem-solving skills with this fun and engaging collection of over 150 tricky teasers.
Whizz Pop Bang Puzzle Book Jam-packed with more than 150 brilliant brain-bending puzzles, all with a science twist! With so many puzzles to get stuck into, it’s sure to keep your child busy for hours and hours!
Hoopla: Treasure Hunt Shine a light on glittering treasure! Grow your own edible crystals, craft a shining star and go on a treasure hunt! You can find out about shimmering goldfish and bake some delicious treats to give as a gift. Plus there are puzzles, jokes and a treasure-themed quiz.
Here’s a record-breaking journey that needs to be seen to be believed!
In 2016, Luke Aikins set a record for skydiving 7,6000 metres without a parachute! While travelling at 193 km/h, he steered his way to a safe landing on a bouncy net.
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 ofSmall 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 Worldtakes 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.
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
Professor Lynne Boddy is a woodland fungi expert at Cardiff University and she told us all about her amazing career in Whizz Pop Bang 99: Fantastic Fungi.
Lynne has written a beautiful book, Humungous Fungus, an exploration of all things fungi which will amaze young readers, and open their eyes to the fungi thriving all around them and we’ve got four copies to give away!
Simply answer this question in the comments for your chance to win a book.
Which one is a part of a mushroom? a) Gill b) Hill c) Spill
Good luck!
This competition closes at midnight on 31st October 2023 and is open for UK residents only. For full terms and conditions visit whizzpopbang.com/terms
