Whizz Pop Bang is a science magazine for kids, covering the key topics taught at school as part of the KS1 and KS2 primary science curriculum. To accompany the magazine, schools can subscribe to receive new science resources every month. These downloadable resources help teachers deliver accurate and engaging lessons, providing children with a deeper understanding of scientific concepts. All Whizz Pop Bang resources are tried and tested by science teachers, and kids!
A Build Your Own Mars Colony is an out-of-this-world way to keep astronauts-in-training busy while staying safe at home! This space-age set contains everything an interplanetary explorer needs to make a 20-piece Martian scene. Best of all? We’ve got three to give away!
Looking for ways to fill half term with science? Sign up midnight on 4th February to receive Whizz Pop Bang: MISSION TO MARS as the first issue of your subscription!
Are you wondering how on earth to manage home education now that schools are closed again? We want to help you to bring science to life on your kitchen table and have made loads of resources available for you right here. They include:
đ§Ș Activities from Whizz Pop Bang’s Awesomely Amazing Science ClubThese simple, fun, home science ideas using household objects were designed for school science clubs and youth groups, but work brilliantly for home school too! đ§Ș Curriculum-linked science activities and reading comprehensions These hands-on science experiments and science reading comprehensions are linked to the National Curriculum for children in years 2 to 6. They’re ideal for use at home and each one includes a straightforward explanation of the science involved. đ§Ș Virtual science quiz for kids More quizzes coming soon! đ§Ș Collectible science badges to earn Your child can earn their Wildlife Watcher, Eco Hero and Super Scientist awards! đ§Ș Super science-themed colouring pages and posters!
Keep reading to find out how our experts make home educating work…
The first attempt at home-educating was a culture shock for our editor Tammy back in March 2020. Tammy had a picture in her head of how home-schooling would be â a structured daily routine with children sitting neatly at the kitchen table, completing the work sheâd set them, whilst she herself was working away on her laptop beside them. Needless to say, it didnât work out that way! It didnât help that Tammy had builders in repairing her roof that week, resulting in a ceiling collapsing! The whole family was in tears before the first morning was out.
And here we are again â schools have suddenly closed and many parents’ brains are exploding at the prospect of keeping their children engaged in education while juggling their own jobs and responsibilities. While many of us have already had one stint of homeschooling, things are different this time around â schools’ expectations have changed, and many of us haven’t quite shaken off the lazy Christmas holiday routine yet â so, we thought weâd ask for some advice from our lovely home-educating Whizz Pop Bang readers and gather some top tips. We hope you find them usefulâŠ
1. Learn through everyday activities Donât underestimate the amount of learning there is in just being. As you chat, children will learn from the language you use. Look at the clock and notice which hands move faster. Get busy in the kitchen â cooking is an exciting new subject when children reach secondary school but can be done from a very young age at home and includes lots of learning potential of the maths of weights, measures, volumes and ratios, and also the science of chemistry and reactions. Do the laundry and feed animals together, and discuss what youâre doing. Itâs all useful learning.
2. You donât need to sit at the kitchen table for hours Practically none of the school day is 1-on-1 attention. Lots of it is crowd management, such as dealing with undesirable behaviour, changing for PE, queuing to leave the classroom, going to assemblies, etc. If you manage four half hour 1-on-1 bursts, thatâs probably more than they do in primary school, so donât stress. You really donât need to sit them down at a desk for hours on end.
3. Let them build their own schedule In school all children follow the whole class timetable. Take this rare opportunity to let them set one or two things they would like to achieve for themselves in their day (tidy a shelf, read something, make something). And then see how they scheduled their day to achieve it. Failing is a useful learning experience. Was it too ambitious or did it need better time management?
4. Try not asking them to do anything Just leave interesting, educational things about and wait for your child to be inspired to want to learn more about something that interests them. Instead of setting work that you choose for them, experiment with exploring something that they find interesting that day, whether thatâs a ladybird theyâve found on the windowsill or something they saw on TV that morning, and ask them to investigate that some more. They can find information from the internet, books or magazines and create a project by drawing, clay modelling, writing, acting or however they want to present their findings.
5. Go easy on yourselves Itâs going to take time to find a system that works for you and your kids. The whole family will need lots of time to adapt, so try to ease yourselves into a style that works for you all. You might find it easier to wait a few days until they get bored of having nothing to do and are feeling more receptive to learning. Whatever you do, go easy on yourselves. Avoid setting yourselves up for failure. Go with the flow and remember not to worry if you feel you havenât achieved anything that day â thereâs learning in just playing in the garden!
After their disastrous first morning, our editor Tammyâs 8-year-old son said, âIt’s a bit like the first pancake that never works very well.â And we think thatâs a lovely philosophy that can get you through almost any less-than-ideal start. Keep flipping pancakes and youâll soon be rewarded with success!
If youâre looking for a more structured approach, Whizz Pop Bangâs in-house teacher recommends getting some CGP books. Simply select your childâs year group and perhaps start with a maths, a reading and a SPAG book.
Finally, the home educating community would like to point out that self-isolating is not how they normally do things! The adults in the household aren’t working full-time jobs on top of attempting to teach. They play in the park, in the woods, at the beach, have other home ed kids over, and go to all kinds of clubs and activities. Being cooped up in the house is hard for them too.
And at the end of the day, if all else fails, take heart in the proposed schedule thatâs currently doing the rounds on social mediaâŠ
Have you been reading about DINO GIANTS in Whizz Pop Bang magazine? Then you probably want to watch a video of the biggest dinosaur poos ever discovered!
Fossilised animal poos are known as coprolites. They are full of clues about what dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures liked to eat. The largest coprolite ever found was a Tyrannosaurus rex poo. It is full of crunched-up bones.
The largest collection of coprolites is owned by George Frandsen in the USA. In 2017, he had 1,277 fossilised dino poos, including the largest ever found! See him showing off the record-breaking dino poo here:
Find out more in Whizz Pop Bang # 65: DINO GIANTS! ï»ż
In this mega edition of Whizz Pop Bang, weâre looking at some of the most awesome creatures ever to have set foot on this planet â discover gigantic dinosaurs that were taller than houses, humungous flying reptiles that ruled the skies and petrifying prehistoric predators that patrolled the seas!
There are loads of dino activities for you to try at home â craft a balancing stegosaurus, create your own eco-friendly fossil dig kits and cast a replica dinosaur tooth!
You can also cut out and make roar-some paper dinosaurs that walk down slopes and discover the biggest dinosaur ever known, Argentinosaurus, which laid eggs as big as coconuts! Find out how animatronic dinosaurs work, meet a palaeontologist who solves the mysteries of how dinosaurs lived and read about William Buckland and Mary Morland, who studied the first dinosaur fossils. You can even take our Silly Science quiz, âWhich dinosaur are you?!â to discover what your life could have been like in the Cretaceous period!
Itâs a truly colossal edition of Whizz Pop Bang!
Get ready to race with this marble of engineering! Slot together the press-out parts to create three twisting neon tracks, just waiting for marbles to shoot, spin and whizz around.
This clever marble run kit from Build Your Own includes an ingenious lift and drop marble elevator and run switches to randomise the courses. It’s Build Your Own’s most challenging creation yet â with a build time of four hours, this kit is bound to keep the whole family busy during long weekends at home.
Designed in the UK and made from high-quality sustainable cardboard, this is one amazing piece of kit and weâve got THREE to give away to lucky winners!
To be in with a chance of winning one of three Build Your Own marble run kits, simply answer this question in the comments:
Who is Mae Jemison?
A An engineer and NASA astronaut B A marbles champion C A botanist
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!
Find out how to make this freaky fire snake using a fire lighter block, sugar and bicarbonate of soda inside FIRE FIRE (Issue 64 of Whizz Pop Bang magazine). Please remember that fire is extremely dangerous. Make sure you have a bucket of water close by and an adult to light the fire and supervise at all times.
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!
The fantastic entries were out of this world! It was so hard to pick just three winners, but we eventually settled on Amelie, aged 8, Isabella, aged 9 and Isa, aged 8. Keep scrolling to read their Moon poems.
Silver sparkles, a bright light the moon shimmers every night If only I could go and see I wonder what there would be?
I lay in bed in my dark room When all of a sudden, a loud sonic boom! I looked outside and couldn’t believe my eyes A rocket in my garden! What a surprise.
Off I went, zoom zoom zoom, Before I knew it, I was on the moon! Could this be real? I rubbed my eyes Chocolate-filled craters and mountains of pies
What more could there be, I started to think Some delicious moon nectar for me to drink I leaned in close, to fill up my mug When all of a sudden I felt a warm hug
Oh no I thought, who could it be? An alien or monster? I just couldn’t see! ‘Wake up sleepy-head’, I heard her say I guess I’ll have to finish my adventure some other day.
Who holds the moon? by Amelie aged 8
Neither closer nor further in the night sky The alluring moon hangs there so high Landscapes of craters, mountains and seas Luminous, itâs beauty bathes the trees
Have you wondered what force holds it there For all to see, to dream and stare Is it a wire, a rope or some string No, there must be some invisible thing
Magnetism, is that what it could be The reason the moon canât break free I struggle and ponder to find the theory Although it takes time, itâs never dreary
I ponder and think, I jump up and come down This is beyond me I say with a frown Who knows not I, letâs wait and see Ahh, maybe itâs the force of gravity
A Day Trip to the Moon by Isabella, aged 9
Gakk, Riley and Emmi, decided to go to the moon! Y tried to warn them, that it could all end in doom! Riley told them all, they should build a rocket, Ready for this moment, he pulled a blueprint from his pocket, Emmi tried to think, what else they needed to bring? Gakk ran off and returned, with spades and a rubber ring! âWhat on earth is that for?â Y shouted with glee, Gakk smiled and said loudly âWe are going to the sea!â Riley laughed and shouted â There arenât any seas on the moon!â âYes there is!â, Gakk replied âyouâll see very soon!â Emmi say to Y âWe are going to need a rideâ Y says âDonât worry, I have my moon buggy outside!â Everything was assembled, Emmi climbed onto the first stair, Y then shouted suddenly âWait!, we canât go anywhereâ âWe haven’t got any rocket fuel and no money to pay!â Emmi said âNever mind, we can go another day!â
The moon is dusty and far away. It can be seen at night and sometimes day. Wolves howl at the moon, Bats swoop past the moon. Moths navigate by the light of the moon. Astronauts have stood on the moon. Dropping a hammer, dropping a feather. Testing the gravity. Checking the weather. The moon is bright on a dark night, But it’s just reflecting the sun’s light. With all that said, I bet it’s true, We still don’t know all about the moon.
Team Moon by Layton, aged 6
Man has walked on the Moon, NASA is going back really soon, I wish I could be part of their team, Being an Astronaut is my dream.
I love to stargaze with my mum, When we have said goodnight to the Sun, The stars all twinkle really bright, But nothing is better than the Moon at night.
The Moon by Anna, aged 10
The moon is a silver coin tossed up high, Glinting always in the dark black sky. Will it land on heads or tails? Will the moon landings succeed or fail?
The moon is a diamond, clear and bright, Sparkling and shining all through the night. Always staying in that same place, In the deep black mines of mysterious space.
The moon is a guardian circling forever, It and the Earth have always been together. The moon watches over all that we see, It watches you and it watches me.
The moon is a shapeshifter, changing shape and size, Each night something different appears before our eyes. Changing shape like cards shuffling, King, Queen, Ace, Full, quarter, crescent, new, all the way up in space.
But whatever the moon is, itâs there every night, Silver and glowing, clear and bright. The moon is with us until the end, And thatâs why I say that the moon is my friend.
The Rhyming Moon by Louis, aged 6
Bright white Night light In space I see a face Made of cheese, if you believe
Wolves howl a tune At the silvery moon. Hey! Would you like to play on the moon tonight?
The Moon by Elijah, aged 11
Somewhere up in the clouds above, Where no creature or human lies, When the sun goes down and darkness thrives, Look! Itâs the moon! Standing bright and alive. Where the stars eyes gaze onwards, All those miles away, up in the great black skies, the moon is there, to guide our way. Always watching onwards, Always one step ahead, The moon sits, Just waiting, Waiting for the sun to go down, For it is then that the moon can stand, Bright and alive.
Moon Poem by Nicholas, aged 11
Moon, Moon glowing bright, you are the queen of the night. You shine from dusk till dawn, but are faint when we wake in the morn.
Moon, Moon glowing bright, you are the queen of the night.
Moon, Moon glowing bright, centrepiece of our night. Your cycles wax and wane, you’re greater than the sun with its fiery mane.
Moon, Moon glowing bright, centrepiece of our night.
Moon, Moon glowing bright, you take the troubles from our night. You shine within our darkest hour, and give us your glory and power.
Moon, Moon glowing bright, you take the troubles from our night.
Moon, Moon can you hear me? You save ships tossed at sea, you guide sailors who have lost their way and when they’re safe they say:
Moon, Moon who gives us light, our beaming saviour of this night.
To help stop the spread of Covid-19, face coverings are now required in many countries. However, this is coming at a cost to the environment; a recent study estimated that the world is using a staggering 129 billion disposable masks each month during the pandemic.
Environmental charity Greenpeace is urging people to instead choose reusable masks wherever possible. Throwaway masks contain plastics, which clog up habitats and pose a threat to animals and nature. The World Health Organisation recommends that the public should wear suitable cloth coverings that can be washed and re-worn.
In An Engineer Like Me by Dr Shini Somara and illustrated by Nadja Sarell, Zara’s journey around the city sparks some serious curiosity: How do roller coasters do loop-the-loops? How do planes stay up? As she marvels about how they work, Zara learns about some of the brilliant engineers who have shaped the world around her. This inventive book is packed with engineering explanations and challenges get future scientists thinking.
A Climate in Chaosby Neal Laytontackles the huge issue of our warming planet by explaining what it is, what’s causing it and â most importantly â how we can all help to keep Planet Earth happy.
Want to win all three books for your family? We’ve got five bundles of three to give away to Whizz Pop Bang fans!
To be in with a chance of winning, simply answer this question in the comments:
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!
Listen to Britain’s first ever astronaut, Helen Sharman, talking about dreaming in and about space!
This video animation, What do astronauts dream of?, was made by the Royal Institution as part of a fantastic series called A Place Called Space.
The RI say: “In 1991, Helen Sharman became the first Briton in space; in this animation she shares a dream she has about returning to space, and talks about what itâs like to gaze down on the earth from above.”
Whizz Pop Bang: Sweet Dreams issue is all about the science of sleep
Did you know that youâll spend up to a third of your life happily dozing? It sounds pretty relaxing, but actually, sleep isnât as uneventful as you might imagine. Inside this dreamy edition of Whizz Pop Bang, youâll find out what goes on inside your sleeping brain, discover ten animals with weird and wonderful ways to sleep and learn all about snoring. You can also build a hibernation station for sleepy wildlife, race around the clock in a pull-out board game and experience the chilling body temperature of a hibernating hamster!
Meet a turtle expert who tells us how these hibernating reptiles breathe through their bottoms, create your own sleep diary, snuggle up with hibernating bears, find out how sleep scientist Eugene Aserinsky discovered some dreamy sleep secrets and reduce Halloween waste by making an upcycled bat garland.
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!
The August edition of Whizz Pop Bang: ON THE MOVE is about amazing migrations and is packed with the science behind all sorts of incredible journeys made by animals and humans!
Inside, we chat to Tristan Gooley, a natural navigator who looks for nature’s clues and works out how they can help us to find our way. Learning more about this fascinating skill is a brilliant way to engage children with the natural word â keep reading to learn a nifty tricky you can teach them when you’re outdoors together.
We asked Tristan to explain a little about his unusual job:
“Every single plant, every single animal, even every single cloud is telling us something about what’s going on around us. I’m a nature detective, trying to solve each clue. I don’t look for specific things that are interesting or amazing: instead, I wonder what the signs around me can reveal. Sometimes it’s a plant showing me which way is north, or a stinging nettle telling me I’m near a town. It’s so much fun!” Tristan Gooley in Whizz Pop Bang: ON THE MOVE
Tristan Gooley, Natural Navigator
If you’re wondering how to keep children entertained on a long walk or how to help your child connect with nature, here’s a tip from Tristan all about the secrets of stinging nettles:
If you teach children a trick that is related to their experience of the wild then you could grab their attention
Find an area with both stinging nettles and white dead-nettles:
White dead-nettle
Stinging nettle
Ask the children what the white dead-nettle is â they will probably guess âstinging nettleâ. Most kids can identify this before any other wildflower, because it has a big impact on their experience of the outdoors!
Next, show how brave you are by running your hands up and down the white dead-nettle, then dare them to do the same. Once they realise that white dead-nettles are different to stinging nettles, they take an interest. They understand that the white flower is the important clue to which one stings, and that’s something worth remembering!
It also tends to stick as this is a great trick for showing it off to other kids!
Nature appreciation that leads to fewer stings AND the ability to show off? That’s a recipe for getting kids interested!
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!
