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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What’s on for February half term at the UK’s top science museums

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We’ve put together a list of the UK’s top science museums and found out what’s going on in February half term for kids and their families. Do you love hands-on science? Are your children always asking WHY? Go and see what’s on for science-lovers around the country! Just click on the image for each place and it’ll take you directly to the right page on the website to find out what’s going on. And don’t forget to tweet or post your #scienceiscool pics!

Science Museum London

Science Museum London

http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/holiday

Museum of Science and Industry Manchester

Museum of science and industry

http://msimanchester.org.uk/whats-on/activity/steam-sweat-spinners

Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum

Thinktank Birmingham science museum

http://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/thinktank/whats-on/family-activities-bcb9b340-f2f9-41d9-8d72-104e8ff14300

Discovery Museum Newcastle

Discovery Museum

https://discoverymuseum.org.uk/play-invent

Centre for Life Newcastle

Centre for Life

http://www.life.org.uk/whats-on/family

Catalyst Science Discovery Centre, Cheshire

Catalyst Science Discovery Centre

http://www.catalyst.org.uk

Eureka! The National Children’s Museum, Halifax

Eureka childrens museum

https://www.eureka.org.uk

Winchester Science Centre, Hampshire

Winchester science centre and planetarium

http://www.winchestersciencecentre.org

National Space Centre, Leicester

National Space Centre

http://spacecentre.co.uk/event/gastro-space/

Museum of the History of Science, Oxford

Museum of the history of science Oxford

http://www.mhs.ox.ac.uk/backfromthedead/

Techniquest, Cardiff

Techniquest

http://www.techniquest.org

World Museum, Liverpool

World Museum Liverpool

http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/wml/index.aspx

MAGNA, Rotherham

https://www.visitmagna.co.uk/science-adventure

@Bristol

At-Bristol hands-on science museum

https://www.at-bristol.org.uk/event/february-half-term-0
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How to make fake snow with a disposable nappy!

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How to make fake snow with a disposable nappy!
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All you need to make your own fake snow at home are some cheap disposable nappies! Tear open the nappies over a large mixing bowl and shake out the small amount of white powder, so that it falls into your bowl. Remove any fluffy bits of nappy padding, then pour in some water, a little at a time, while stirring. You’ll be amazed at how much water the powder can absorb. Watch the spectacular transformation into slushy fake snow! The white powder is sodium polyacrylate, a polymer (a long chain-like molecule) which can absorb 300 times its own weight in water (which is why it’s used in nappies!).
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Whizz Pop Bang January issue SNOWBALL SCIENCE!

whizz-pop-bang-science-magazine-for-kids-snow-science

Happy New Year Whizz Pop Bang readers!

Oh how we love January with wet hats, missing gloves and runny noses. Whether it’s snowing outside or not, snow time like the present to start investigating the winter wonderland! With science magazine Whizz Pop Bang your kids can simulate a snowball flightinvestigate the colour of snowmake their own snow globemake a barometer, a weathervane and a rain gauge – a storm of science fun!

As well as lots of COOL experiments we look at how a freezer works, tell the story of the snowflake and interview a Penguin Aquarist to find out what it’s like working with those adorable creatures. Kids can marvel at 10 Awesomely Amazing Extreme Weather Events, and learn about polar bears (did you know their fur isn’t actually white?) We also tell the fascinating story of the genius Albert Einstein.

Looking forward to a fun-filled year of science with you guys 🙂

From the WPB team x


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COLOUR EXPLOSION! A rainbow of science for your kids

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SO many reasons to be excited about our awesomely amazing dazzlingly bright October issue of Whizz Pop Bang! This month our awesome science magazine for kids is entitled ‘COLOUR EXPLOSION! A rainbow of science’. Here’s a quick low-down on what you can find inside… MISSION TO JUPITER * INTERVIEW WITH A BUBBLE SCIENTIST * SCIENCE OF LIGHT & COLOUR * CHAMELEONS * ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES * REFRACTION plus NINE EXPERIMENTS AND OUR NEW PULL OUT MAKE & DO SECTION! 

Kids you can experiment and make your own fabric dyes using spices, onion skins and beetroot (we suggest wearing an apron for this one), have yummy fun experimenting with sweets to make colourful patterns. Have a go at making colour changing art, and wow your friends and family with your handmade iridescent paper. There’s loads to make and do in this issue so what are you waiting for?!?

Why have a grey boring old half term, when you could have a whole kaleidoscope of science to brighten up your house! Buy your copy now: www.whizzpopbang.com/subscribe


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BFG-big-friendly-giant-roald-dahl

What’s On in September: THE BRITISH SCIENCE FESTIVAL, SWANSEA

British Science Festival, Swansea

What’s On in September: THE BRITISH SCIENCE FESTIVAL

Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th September, at the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 

Now this sounds like loads of fun; 2 days of Roald Dahl-themed hands-on science fun for all the family, what could be better?! Events include an Astronaut Bootcamp, 3D Space Show, Marine explorers, Splendiferous Science Show, Sealife Safari and LOADS more! They’ve even got a whizzpopping Roald Dahl science show with CBBC’s science communicator Jon Chase, pretty awesome huh?

All tickets are free, but booking is recommended at www.britishsciencefestival.org

Here’s what they say on the website:
“We’re celebrating Roald Dahl’s centenary with a scientific take on his books. CBBC’s Jon Chase reveals the Splendiferous Science in Dahl’s tales and we’ve left a trail of golden tickets for you to follow and claim a prize… keep your gogglers peeled for everything from frightswiping Gremlins to scrumdiddlyumptious chocolate!

We’ve also teamed up with the Marina Market to talk about food. You can take a taste test, learn how to keep yourself healthy, and explore the chemistry in your kitchen. There are even some insects for you to eat… if you’re brave enough!

‘Marine Explorers’ venture out and investigate everything that lives in the sea. Get onto Swansea University’s research boat ‘Noctiluca’, which is moored on the quay at the Waterfront Museum. You can control an underwater robot, explore scientific survey equipment, observe underwater video footage and be captain of the ship.”

Don’t forget to share your photos with us on Facebook or Instagram and tell us all about the best bits! #BSF16

10th and 11th September
National Waterfront Museum and surrounding venues including Swansea Museum and the Dylan Thomas Theatre
Open 11am-4pm
FREE!

https://www.britishsciencefestival.org/family-weekend/

British Science Festival supporters


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Win a John Adams Forensic Science Kit PLUS a copy of Home Lab Science: Exciting Experiments for Budding Scientists by Robert Winston

This month we have not one but two competitions for your budding scientists to enter! Up for grabs we have three copies of Robert Winston’s HOME LAB EXPERIMENTS BOOK and five John Adams Trading Co FORENSIC SCIENCE KITS!!!

What are you waiting for kids, open issue 13 of Whizz Pop Bang and get cracking. Enter before 5th September.

John Adams Forensic Science Kit Whizz Pop Bang Science Magazine for kids Home Lab book


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Mission Impossible? 53 Science experiment for kids for the summer holidays!

Bundle of six Whizz Pop Bang science magazines

KIDS: STEP AWAY FROM THE SCREEN!!
Your inner curiosity and brain cells are calling you…

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to groom yourself like a cat, to drain the rain, to feel the force and to alter your sense of touch. Taking it to the next level, your mission is to make your own fake blood, loop the loop and snore louder than your Dad without going to sleep. Then it gets tricky: could you grow your own stalactites and stalagmites? Could you lift your Mum off the ground? Could you move water with fire? 

How is this possible? For 6-11 year olds across the globe it is possible with science magazine WHIZZ POP BANG!

Buy now and put your child to the test – can they become world class mini scientists? Six copies for £20, free delivery and not a screen in sight: https://whizzpopbang.com/shop/all/


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Try this science experiment at home

What makes the best bubbles? Try this experiment and see!

Whizz Pop Bang what makes the best bubbles

Would you like to know what makes the best bubbles?

 

Make a base mixture of water mixed with washing up liquid. If you don’t already have one, you can make a bubble wand using a pipe cleaner. Experiment with blowing bubbles, and then try adding sugar, baking powder, corn syrup or glycerin to your mixture, one at a time. Test how each ingredient changes the surface tension and affects the bubbles.

Have you ever wondered why bubbles form in soapy water but not in ordinary water? The answer is surface tension. The surface tension of water is too strong for bubbles to last – the water molecules pull each other together and the bubbles quickly burst. When water is mixed with soap, the surface tension becomes weaker and the liquid can be ‘stretched’ more, allowing bubbles to form.

 


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