Stand back we’re going to do a science

I know that, traditionally, Science isn’t a verb. In my world, however, it is, and one can in fact “do a science.”  For 12 years, in fact, I was paid to do Science with kids as a job – I taught it, they learnt it… that’s a lie I attempted to teach it and then I cleared melted ball point pens out of sinks and various taps. Stories for another time I think. The point is, now I tutor it, and I can safely and proudly wear the ‘I tried it at home’ T-shirts with the little stick man on fire. Most of the time, the only things on fire were intended to be, but hey accidents happen. 

For advent, we got our fae child a Science advent calendar. She also has a chocolate one which she is happily munching her way through, but every evening after school she is very excited to come home and open her scientific calendar. So far we have made play doh, solenoid magnets (these were a bit of a dud and only work when I applied a 12 v drill battery but the sparks were pretty), pH red cabbage indicator, messed around with surface tension, played with hydrophobic sand and made hot ice to name but a few. 

We have investigated fully the effects of percussive maintenance on a geode (it turned out that what happens is you then need restorative maintenance) and how to build a tree out of bolts with a magnet

Today’s experiment was to make alginate worms from agar. I am covered in food colouring, the table is covered in agar, and the floor in calcium lactate. I don’t know what we are going to do with the worms because she won’t want them thrown away, and anyone who knows anything about agar will know that stuff is not healthy to keep laying around for any length of time. We also made it too thick and tried to stir it on a stirring plate (what do you mean you don’t have a stirring plate?!) so the magnetic bead is also covered in sticky seaweed derivatives. The one thing I will congratulate myself on is insisting we use disposable cups to make the things in because I think the dishwasher would have gone on strike if we tried to use it on this stuff. 

Honestly though, she has been having a blast with it, I can’t recommend it enough (link below) and I have no idea how I’m going to top this one next year. I have 12 months to figure it out, I guess. 

https://amzn.eu/d/fb3eW4g