14 minute read
Amazing indoor experiments – The DadLab
Amazing INDOOR EXPERIME
Sergei Urban knows a thing or two about science. Founder of TheDadLab, an internet resource bursting with exciting STEAM activities, he has spent years cooking up exciting experiments to entertain his children. Using items you will find around the house, his experiments are easy to follow and recreate in your own home. Most importantly, they are a fun way to engage children with science and the world around us.
Here are some of his favourite experiments to try yourself. It doesn’t matter if you don’t get the results the first time, the most important thing is to explore, try something new as a family and have a lot of fun along the way.
EXPERIMENT 1 HOW TO MAKE A BOUNCY EGG
Everyone knows that eggs are fragile and will break if you drop them, but what if you could make them bounce instead? This experiment will show you how to make colourful, see-through, bouncy eggs, and you’ve got everything you need in your kitchen cupboard. It takes time for the experiment to work, so make sure you get everything ready the day before you want to play with your eggs.
STEP 1 STEP 2
THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT
The vinegar contains a chemical which reacts with the eggshell and changes it so that you can rub it away easily. When a reaction happens, it makes a gas called carbon dioxide which is the bubbles you saw on the egg.
The egg doesn’t fall to pieces when its shell disappears because there is actually a second layer that we don’t normally see. This is the egg membrane, and it is strong and stretchy like a water balloon. Without the hard eggshell, the egg membrane still protects the egg white and egg yolk, and because it is flexible it can bounce and be squashed while still keeping the egg inside safe.
STEP 5
NTS
What you need:
Glasses (or just one) Vinegar Food colouring (optional) Eggs (or just one)
Step by step:
1. Fill a glass with vinegar and add your choice of food colouring. You need just enough vinegar to cover the egg so don’t overfill the glass, or it could spill. 2. Carefully put your egg in the glass.
Make sure the shell doesn’t crack or break because we don’t want to damage the egg. 3. You need to leave your eggs for about 24 hours. This gives the vinegar time to work its magic. You can tell that something is happening because you will see lots of tiny bubbles appearing on your eggs. 4. Carefully remove your egg and rinse it in a glass of water. As you rub the egg, you will feel the eggshell coming off, but the egg should not burst open in your hands. 5. You should now be able to gently squeeze your egg and if you drop it from a small height, it will bounce instead of breaking. The hard eggshell has gone! You can even shine a torch through your egg and see the yolk on the inside. 6. If you squeeze your egg too hard or drop it from too high, it will break. After all, it’s still a raw egg.
STEP 4 STEP 3 STEP 6
Did you know?
EXPERIMENT 2 MAGICAL WATER DENSITY
Different liquids behave in different ways. We know that milk is easy to pour but ketchup doesn’t always want to come out of the bottle. Oil feels slimy and makes surfaces slippery, but water doesn’t. But what if we could change the way that water acts? We can make hot water and cold water act differently, even though they are both made up of the same chemicals.
STEP 1
What you need:
Four glasses or jars that are exactly the same size – or two pairs that match up Cold water Hot water Food colouring – two different colours Two pieces of cardboard the right size to fit
STEP 2 STEP 3
Cold Water Hot Water
STEP 4
Hot Water Cold Water
over the top of your glass
2. Add a few drops of food colouring to the cold water.
Then add a few drops of a different colour to the hot water. Give them time for the colour to spread all the way through the liquid.
3. Carefully place one piece of cardboard on top of the hot water glass. Hold it onto the top and turn the glass over. Don’t worry if a bit of the water spills out. You should find that the cardboard sticks to the bottom of the glass, so you won’t need to keep holding it there after a few seconds. 4. Repeat Steps 1-3 with another pair of glasses. This time, turn over the cold water glass and put it on top. Make sure that both top glasses are lined up exactly over the top of the bottom glasses. 5. This is the tricky bit! Carefully and slowly, pull out the piece of cardboard that is keeping the glasses apart. You should notice that only one side mixes the colours and the other side stays separate.
Step by step:
1. Set up two of the glasses and fill one with cold water and one with hot water. Make sure the water goes right to the top.
STEP 5
THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT
Water is made up of lots of tiny molecules gently bumping against each other. When you heat the molecules, it gives them more energy and they bounce further off each other, creating bigger gaps between them. The gaps mean there are slightly fewer molecules in the glass of hot water even though it is the same volume as the cold water, and this makes it weigh a little bit less. The hot water floats to the top because it weighs less and it mixes up the colours when it starts on the bottom.
EXPERIMENT 3 GROW YOUR OWN PAPER WORMS
Everyone loves a wiggly worm, so why not make your own? These tissue paper worms will wiggle and grow when they come into contact with water. Decorate them any way you want and then make it rain to watch them grow!
What you need:
Tissue Pencil Felt tip pens Tray Pipette Water
STEP 1
Did you know?
STEP 2
Step by step:
1. Cut your tissue in half so the worm won’t be too thick. Use your pencil to roll up the tissue paper until only a little bit is left. Use your felt tip pens to draw your worm’s pattern on this bit, and then roll it all the way up. 2. Push the tissue down the pencil until it is small and scrunched up.
Pull it completely off the pencil. 3. Put your worm, or worms if you’ve made loads, into a tray or a dish.
Using your pipette, squeeze a couple of drops of water onto the worm and watch it squirm.
STEP 3
THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT
Paper is made from wood and wood is made from millions of tiny plant fibres overlapping like strings. The spaces between the fibres create a system of tunnels which spread through the tissue paper. When the water drops onto the paper it finds its way into these tunnels. Filling the tunnels with water makes them expand and stretch out, and that’s why the worms wriggle and grow when they get wet.
STEP 3
EXPERIMENT 4 BUILD THE TALLEST TOWER
This challenge is to build the tallest tower you can out of only two materials. But picking the strongest stuff isn’t the key to success, there’s a lot more science and planning involved in making a winning design.
What you need:
A good supply of two different materials. We chose spaghetti and marshmallows Other materials to try include, matchsticks, blu tack, fruit pastilles, plastic cups, chopsticks, straws, play-doh, toilet roll tubes, and paper plates.
STEP 1 STEP 2
Step by step:
1. Think about the size and shape of your tower’s base. If you look at real-world examples like the Eiffel
Tower and the Burj Khalifa, you might notice that the bottom is wider than the top. 2. Keep adding layers to your tower.
How high can you go? Make sure you attach everything securely – push the spaghetti firmly into the marshmallows to make sure it doesn’t slip out again. 3. Don’t worry if it all falls over, that’s part of the fun! You can always try again.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT
Having a base that is wider than the rest of your tower helps to spread out the weight of everything above it. This puts less pressure on the materials on the bottom, meaning they can hold more before breaking.
Alex and Max built their tower using triangular sections, which is really smart. Triangles are one of the strongest shapes because if you put pressure on one side it won’t slide out of shape like a square or a rectangle. Triangles are used a lot in buildings because of this.
We hope these activities will inspire you to explore more art and science projects with your family. TheDadlab (thedadlab.com) is a trusted resource for STEAM and art activities for young children and their parents. You can watch these experiments and more on TheDadLab YouTube channel
(youtube.com/c/thedadlab).
@TheDadLab
PLAN SOME FAMILY FOREST FUN IN 2023
As we start a new year it really is the perfect time to plan a year of forest adventures. Forestry England manages over 1,500 forests across the country and they are closer than you think – everyone in England lives within an hour’s drive of our beautiful forests. They offer the perfect family days out with a range of activities to suit everyone of all ages. Here are our suggestions of fun forest ideas to get your 2023 adventure planning started.
Beat the post-Christmas blues, wrap up warm and head out for a family forest walk. Every year we have a different exciting, fun family trail – Gruffalo spotting, Superworm and more. Check out our website to find out who’s coming at the end of January!
Did you know?
How about discovering the forest on two wheels? We have miles of family friendly cycling trails to explore. If you don’t have bikes, never fear, as lots of our forests have bike hire facilities. Buy a Forest Rider pack and encourage the kids to discover the joy of forest cycling. Ever tried orienteering? We have a range of fun orienteering experiences in our forests including Gruffalo orienteering trails at selected forests – a great way to get out and active with the whole family. Download one of our fun activity sheets! We have a wealth of free resources on our website to enjoy. From forest bathing and tree ID, to crafts there are loads of ideas of things to do and see in the forest and at home.
Give the family something to look forward to and book tickets to one of our fabulous events. With our Forest Live concert series in the summer, outdoor cinema and magical lights events later in the year there’s something to entertain everyone.
Forests are great places to spend time as a family, take care of your wellbeing and enjoy a low-cost day out. Forestry England membership is also available, so you can support forests and get free parking, along with many other great benefits.
Visit our website now to find out what is local to you – the forest awaits! Forestryengland.uk
The sunniest place in Britain, just off the south coast of England, and only a couple of hours from London, the Isle of Wight has always been a favourite yearround destination for family breaks.
The Island is bursting with exciting activities, attractions and events that appeal to all ages and every budget – and at only 23 miles long, it means you can pack a lot into a day!
With its mild climate and 68 miles of beautiful coastline, it’s the perfect setting for a day of seaside fun, whether you’re building sandcastles, kitesurfing, kayaking, or fossil hunting. Plus, as one of the richest areas for dinosaur discovery in Europe, everyone will be impressed by the
fossilised dinosaur footprints on Brook Beach! Lots of walks that are accessible for prams and wheelchairs and 200+ miles of cycle tracks, byways, and bridleways, through stunning Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, make it the perfect destination for outdoor explorers! A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the Isle of Wight is a haven for wildlife. Hours can be spent wildlife spotting at Newtown Nature Reserve, Borthwood Copse, Hersey Nature Reserve and Culver Down. SAY YES TO The 50+ attractions on the Island include exhilarating theme parks and amusements such as the UK’s oldest amusement park Blackgang Chine AN ISLAND and the unique Needles Landmark Attraction. Budding historians can delve into history and run the ramparts of historic castles, see how Victorian princes lived and played at Osborne House, take ADVENTURE a trip back through time at the Roman Villas, and get onboard at the Steam Railway. Animal enthusiasts can get up close and
ON THE personal to tigers, discover amazing exotic species, or watch birds of prey soar over their head at the many animal attractions. You can even visit a home for retired
ISLE OF donkeys! As an all-year-round destination, even rainy days are funfilled with indoor entertainment, with attractions such as Tapnell Farm Park, Dinosaur Isle, the Reptilarium, Butterfly
WIGHT! World, Wight Karting, Canopy Skatepark, Chessell Pottery, the Lost Crypt Escape Room, and the National Poo Museum! There’s always something happening on the Island, the events calendar is bursting with Chinese New Year celebrations, Easter Egg Hunts, hot-air balloon festivals, carnivals, kid’s parties, Halloween treats, and magical festive experiences. In 2023, you’ll be able to join in the birthday celebrations at Blackgang Chine as they celebrate their 180th birthday! The Isle of Wight has a fantastic range of budget-friendly accommodation and most welcome well-behaved dogs, so even the family pet can join in the fun. Whether you’re looking for traditional seaside fun or for an exciting range of activities for all ages, the Isle of Wight is a wonderful hassle-free holiday destination for families. Go to
visitisleofwight.
co.uk for further inspiration for your trip.
