science

Do you know how to make a lava lamp? DIY lava lamps are one of our favourite science experiments as they are super simple to make, can be used over and over again and you can be as creative as you like with them. We’ve made Minions, Reindeer and even Snowmen lava lamps!

Lava lamps are also a safe, exciting and visual way to introduce chemical reactions and the often tricky concept of density to children ( the oil floats beautifully on top of the water ).

How to make a lava lamp

What you need to make a lava lamp

• A clear plastic or glass bottle or jar
• A bottle of vegetable oil
• Water
• Alka Seltzer
• Food colouring (a bright colour is best!)

DIY Lava Lamp Instructions

Fill the bottle about a quarter full with water. Top up to the (near) top with vegetable oil.

The oil

Christmas is over, but I’m not quite ready to face the normality of life just yet, so we’ve been collecting our favourite kid’s activities for New Year!

Easy kids activities for New Year

How about starting with these fun edible sparklers from Red Ted Art? They are a great, fun way to learn about melting and changes of state and are delicious too. One simple idea for a science investigation is to determine whether milk or white chocolate sets the fastest.

These colourful, fun firework pictures are easy enough for even very young children to try. Experiment with different colours and types of pens ( can you find a pen whose colour doesn’t spread? ) to see which gives the best firework effect.

We love this pop up firework craft from My Little Three and Me and Red Ted Art’s homemade party poppers.

This Wishing Tree from No

Do you know you can make a pH indicator with the red leaves from a poinsettia plant? Red poinsettia leaves contain anthocyanins which change colour in the presence of acids or alkalis.

Acids have a low pH ( below 7 ), and alkalis have a high pH ( over 7 ).

If it’s not the season for red poinsettia leaves, red cabbage also makes a brilliant pH indicator.

You’ll need

A handful of poinsettia leaves

Pan

Water

Scissors

Sieve

Beaker

Test tubes or small transparent containers

Substances to test – lemon juice, vinegar, baking soda in water, water

Coffee filter – optional

Instructions

Place about 200ml of water in a pan and heat gently.

Cut a handful of red poinsettia leaves with the scissors and drop them into the pan.

Bring the water and poinsettia leaf mixture to the boil and then leave to

These simple boat themed STEM challenges are easy, fun and great for all ages.

The challenges work brilliantly for older children who can use them to practise setting up an investigation correctly and can be simplified for younger children who might like a pirate or underwater theme!

Choose a challenge, design and build your boats and then start testing!

Older children can experiment with motors ( remember to cover the battery to keep it dry ). While younger children might find foil or recycled boats easier to make.

Boat STEM Challenge Investigation Ideas

These obviously depend on the type of boat you’ve made, but are a good starting point for any investigation.

Boat STEM Challenge 1

Does the boat float? Fill a container of water and test to see if the boats float. If they don’t float try adding corks or long balloons to the bottle or change the

This mini science investigation shows you how to make a DIY barometer to measure air pressure. Air pressure can be used to predict the weather and is one of many factors used by meteorologists.

What does low or high pressure mean for the weather?

Low pressure usually means wet, cloudy, rainy weather while high pressure is an indicator of dry and cool weather.

Barometers are used to measure atmospheric pressure.

What is atmospheric pressure?

The Earth has a layer of air surrounding it. This air has weight and presses down the Earth. At higher altitudes the air is thinner so air pressure is lower.

To make a barometer you will need

Jar or coffee can

Elastic band

Pin or cocktail stick

Tape

Glue

Straw

Paper

How to make a barometer

Blow up the balloon a little bit, the more air in the balloon, the greater