Tag: Half term fun

Halloween science experiments!

Posted on | by Jo at Whizz Pop Bang | Leave a Comment on 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.

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!

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!

Browse Whizz Pop Bang subscription packages

1. Edible fake blood

You will need:
• 4 dessert spoons of golden syrup
• 10-20 drops of red food colouring
• 1-2 drops of blue food colouring
• 1-2 pinches of cocoa powder
• Flour

What you do:
Mix the red food colouring into the syrup a drop at a time until it looks blood coloured. Adding a drop of blue food colour ing will make it even more realistic, but be careful you don’t make it purple! Mix in a pinch of cocoa powder. Add a little flour if it needs thickening, or a drop or two of water if it needs thinning out. Drip it around your mouth like a vampire and go and scare your friends!

Pick up some more speedy science with the bargain Bumper Book Bundle!

The Bumper Book Bundle contains three of our most popular books to keep budding young scientists laughing, learning and having fun!

This bundle contains:
⭐️ The Whizz Pop Bang Science Riddle Book – packed with 150+ rib-tickling teasers!
⭐️ The Whizz Pop Bang Snip-Out Science Book – containing 30 projects to cut fold and stick!
⭐️ The Whizz Pop Bang Science Puzzle Book – packed with 150+ brain-stretching puzzles!

All for just £19.99, including FREE p&p in the UK – that’s a saving of £6.98!

See the Bumper Book Bundle here!

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!

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

All for just £15.99, including FREE p&p in the UK (saving you £4.97!

Shop Boredom-Busting Science Bundle now!

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!

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!

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

🎃 Craft a scary skull mask, experiment with brilliant bendy bones and build your own model skeleton in Whizz Pop Bang 27: Spectacular Skeletons
🎃 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!

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!

Not yet a subscriber? Sign up today!

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Take the ‘Seven Days of Science’ challenge!

Posted on | by Jo at Whizz Pop Bang | 2 Comments on Take the ‘Seven Days of Science’ challenge!

Half term is almost here and families far and wide are wondering how to fill a lockdown holiday with fun and excitement.

Why not take Whizz Pop Bang’s Seven Days of Science challenge? Every day, we’ll give you all the information and resources you need to complete a simple, satisfying and curiosity-awakening challenge from your home. Enter a science pancakes competition and try some kitchen science experiments, science papercraft, science quizzes for kids, nature activities. It’s also a great way to get children well and truly excited about NASA’s Perseverance planned landing on Mars on Thursday 18th February!

Download a full colour printable tick list here:

7-days_science-A4Download

Download a low-ink, black and white printable tick list here:

7-days_science-A4-bwDownload

Let’s get started!

Saturday 13th February: Do some kitchen science

Discover some home chemistry experiments that involve things you’ve probably already got in your kitchen! Here are some you might like to try:

Make gloopy slime! Slime-obsessed children will love this gooey activity! They will make their own slime, then decide if it is a solid or a liquid.
You will need: cornflour, water, mixing bowl, food colouring.

7days_slimeDownload

Watch a video tutorial of this activity…

Make your own plastic
Explore making casein plastic from milk in this exciting activity.
You will need: milk, white vinegar, sieve, paper towels.

7days_makeplasticDownload

Make a volcano
Print out a volcano template and create your very own miniature volcano using the harmless chemicals you find in your kitchen cupboards!
You will need: the volcano printout below, a small container (e.g. a spice jar), bicarbonate of soda or baking powder, sticky tape, vinegar, red and yellow food colouring, uncoloured soap or washing up liquid, a tray.

7days_makevolcanoDownload

Bubbling magma experiment
Explore the difference between runny magma and viscous magma.
You will need: two glasses, water, a viscous substance (like honey or golden syrup), two paper straws, safety goggles or sunglasses

7days_bubblingmagmaDownload

Sunday 14th February: Make a human heart card

Celebrate Valentine’s Day by making a card featuring a human heart!
You will need: the heart card printout below, scissors, glue stick, pen.

7days_heartcardDownload

Monday 15th February: Take a science quiz

Give one of our Whizz Pop Bang science quizzes a try!

Already done them both? Why not make up your own!

Tuesday 16th February: Eat science-themed pancakes

Add a sprinkle of science to Shrove Tuesday to be in with a chance of winning a Stay-at-home science bundle! Find out more about this competition here.

We love this pancake recipe:
BBC Good Food’s perfect pancakes
but your science pancakes can be American style, vegan, savoury… whatever takes your fancy.

Next, decorate your pancakes with something inspired by space, nature, engineering or anything else linked to science! Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Einstein by Hedcakes • Hermit crab by @pancakefridaycc • Dinosaur and skeleton by @my_mama_made_that • Dog by @debs_pancakery • Groundhog by @imperfectmomof3babes • Star and atom by Poppy Inglis

Wednesday 17th February: Learn about nature

Today’s the day to get outside and do something to help nature! You could refill bird feeders and bird baths, plant some wildflower seeds or go on a litter pick. 
To make an upcycled bird feeder, you will need: An empty, clean and dry plastic bottle (e.g. milk bottle), a sharp knife, some sticks, strong glue or glue gun, 30 cm twine

Make a bird feederDownload

If you want to do something inside instead, give these seed dispersal activities a go – it’s a great way to understand how plants and animals work together.  
To make a super-speed peashooter, you will need: Biro or gel pen, dried pea
To make a model dandelion seed, you will need: A sheet of A4 paper, ruler, scissors, pencil, sticky tape

Explore seed distributionDownload

Thursday 18th February: Take the ‘Seven minutes of terror’ challenge!

Today’s an exciting day – NASA’s Perseverance rover is due to land on Mars! You can watch the landing at 8.55pm here (but you might have to wait until tomorrow morning – that’s pretty late!)

Meanwhile, take the 7 Minutes of Terror Challenge to discover the hair-raising journey a spacecraft takes as it travels through Mars’s atmosphere. Download the activity here:

7days_7minsofterrorDownload

Friday 19th February: Say hello to Y!

Have you done lots of science activities and experiments this week? Or have you got a burning science question for our all-knowing robot, Y? Send messages, questions and pictures to y@whizzpopbang.co.uk and let us know all about your week of science!

  • FIRE! FIRE! cover image
  • Whizz Pop Bang Coral Reef cover

Whizz Pop Bang is a top-quality, gender-neutral, advert-free science magazine for families everywhere. Each issue is packed with experiments, activities, amazing facts, puzzles, jokes, riddles and more. Find out more here!


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What’s on: May half term at Manchester Museum of Science and Industry

Posted on | by Rachael Tapping | Leave a Comment on What’s on: May half term at Manchester Museum of Science and Industry

 

Manchester Museum of Science and Industry

Superpowered Inventors!

Free family fun at the Museum of Science and Industry, May 26th – June 4th 2017

Manchester Museum of Science and Industry Pop Bottle Microscopes 2
Manchester Museum of Science and Industry Making Pop Bottle Microscopes

Brother and sister standing by 1830 Express with tickets - Science Museum Group Collection - © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum - Jonty Wilde
Steam train at the Museum of Science and Industry
Picture: Jason Lock

What’s the difference between an inventor and a superhero? And can you ever be both? This May half term at the Museum of Science and Industry meet the innovators behind some of the most amazing inventions of all time and ask what powers they used that made their breakthroughs possible. Experience explosions, electricity and steam then play our special trading card game to find out which inventor was the most super of them all!

Set on the site of the world’s first passenger railway station, all of Manchester’s magnificent firsts are celebrated here at the museum – and why not top it off with a ride on our powerful steam train, the 1830 Express?

There are a huge range of activities to choose from, including:

The Super Power Show: POW! KABLAM! Join us for exploding experiments and electrifying demonstrations as we find out all about power. Discover some super inventors and the powers they used to move their machines and contraptions. Plus start your collection of Superhero trading cards.

Pop Bottle Microscopes: What’s stronger than the Hulk and nearly as see through as the invisible man? Graphene!  So grab some tape and investigate graphite by building your own pop-bottle microscope in this hands on workshop.

Creative Coding: What do you get if you add 1 + 0? You get computers, laptops, smart phones and even robots.  Discover how to code and spell your own name in binary and turn it into a necklace or wristband in this hands on workshop.  Its sure to be 01100110 01110101 01101110.

Engine Demonstration: How can the stuff that comes out of your kettle power a whole factory or even a city?  This interactive engine demonstration will show you how steam can power an engine the size of an elephant and how it still powers our homes today.

Manchester Mills: Why did Manchester get the nickname “Cottonopolis”?  Join us for a live demonstration of our textiles machinery as we turn plants into clothes.  Plus discover the difficult jobs which went along with working with such powerful machines.

The 1830 Express: Hop on the 1830 Express and step back to a time to when cotton was king and railways were about to change the world forever.

All happening during May half term, May 26th – June 4th 2017! For more details visit msimanchester.org.uk


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