See inside science book review

Winning science book review by Alfie, age 5

 

Whizz Pop Bang science news for kids

A few months ago we ran a competition to win all six of the science books shortlisted for the Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize 2016 including two by our awesomely amazing Whizz Pop Bang writers Isabel Thomas and Dan Green 🙂

Without further ado here’s the winning review by Alfie, age 5. Well done to Alfie for being a super mini scientist AND being so passionate about science. Enjoy those books!

See inside science book review

See Inside Science by Usborne Books

  “It’s about the human body, cells, animals, plants, the beginning of the universe, space, energy and electricity, elements and the periodic table, putting things together, Protons, Neutrons, Electrons and Quarks inside an Atom and the final one, see into the future.
  I’ve learnt that there are all sorts of elements, 92 elements that aren’t made in a lab, if you’re counting the ones in the lab there’s 118, but loads of people forget about Dutrium, so there’s 119.  Dutrium is a gas that Brown Dwarfs fuse.  
  I like it because I like science.  I love science actually.  It’s got atoms in it.  I like it that it has flaps.  It’s easy to understand. 
It’s fun, fun, fun, fun, fun.”
Review by Alfie Jack Pile, age 5

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GOOD NEWS! We’re recruiting again!

Whizz Pop Bang science magazine for kids about-banner

Great news! We’re looking for a new person to join the awesome Whizz Pop Bang team 🙂 Got what it takes to be a top administrator and customer service person? Read all about the role below and if it sounds like you please get in touch!

Role: Office administrator/customer service representative

Introduction

Launchpad Publishing is an award-winning magazine publisher producing high quality magazines for children. Our flagship magazine, Whizz Pop Bang, is a monthly publication that makes science fun and accessible for thousands of 6-11 year olds. Each magazine is packed full of experiments, puzzles, science news, facts and features to enable children to have fun with science at home.

The business is growing rapidly and we are excited to be advertising for an office administrator/customer service representative to become part of our close-knit team.

The role offers the opportunity to work from our friendly Cirencester office, whilst also having the flexibility to work from home on occasions. The position will be for fifteen hours a week spread between Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, with a degree of flexibility to cover busy times.

Role responsibilities

• Provision of exceptional customer service via our email support system, telephones, and across our social media accounts – keeping our customers happy is one of our core principles; we aim to go the extra mile wherever possible to help create a positive vibe about our company and our products
• Timely mailing out of orders and post to ensure that customers are happy and that the company is run efficiently
• Data cleaning – checking and amending customer address data to eliminate errors
• Financial administration work – including raising invoices and quotes and some bookkeeping duties (training will be provided)
• Office administration – filing and ordering of office supplies to keep the office running like clockwork

Person specification

• We’re looking for someone who actively enjoys dealing with customers and is able to delight and impress our customers with super-friendly and efficient customer service
• We require someone with an excellent level of written and spoken English; as an educational magazine publisher, it is vital that all of our interactions with customers include a high standard of spelling and grammar
• Previous experience of office administration and customer service is essential
• We need someone who is competent with computers – the use of Word and Excel is a requirement of the position. We also use web-based accounting software and customer support systems – training will be provided on these platforms
• Depending on the successful candidate, there is the potential for this role to expand and evolve to include more responsibilities as Launchpad Publishing continues to grow

Remuneration

The hourly rate will be ÂŁ10 per hour with a pro-rata holiday allowance.

Location

The job will mostly be based at our new Cirencester office. There is also some flexibility to work from home on occasions too.

Our company

Launched in 2015, and already going from strength to strength, we publish a top-quality children’s magazine, making science fun and engaging for 6-11-year-old kids. We’re a new, dynamic company growing quickly yet organically. Our core goal is to help more families to enjoy and interact with science at home and in particular to ensure that girls are included just as much as boys. We are focussed on providing all of our customers with an excellent experience from start to finish – both in our products and in our customer service. We’re looking for someone who can help us to accomplish that and to join us on our journey at this very exciting stage of our business.

Next steps

If you think that you would fit this role we’d really love to hear from you. Please email your CV and covering letter to us – or feel free to email and ask if you would like any further information.


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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 â€“ 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 â€“ June 4th 2017! For more details visit msimanchester.org.uk


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Whizz Pop Bang science magazine for kids magnifying glass and hair

AWESOME SCIENCE FOR BUDDING YOUNG SCIENTISTS!

Whizz Pop Bang experimenting with nanotubes
A Whizz Pop Bang subscriber experimenting with nanotubes to see how carbon nanotubes behave

This month we zoom in on tiny science!

Imagine what it would be like to shrink to the size of a dot! This issue we’re doing exactly that to see how things work on a minuscule scale. 

This month we’ve got loads of supercool experiments and activities to turn your mini scientists into nano-scientists! Discover how a watch works, find out all about teeny tiny pygmy marmosets and find out what it’s like to be a nanotechnologist. Meet sensational scientist Richard Feynman, who encouraged scientists to “think small”. Plus, our 10 Awesomely Amazing tiny things that live on your body, blurghhh!

As always, happy experimenting 🙂

From the WPB team x


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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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Good news… we’re recruiting!

Whizz Pop Bang science magazine for kids issues six to eighteen

 

ROLE: EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Whizz Pop Bang is growing, in every direction! Kids and their families are loving our magazine and are telling their friends, families and teachers all about what an awesome job we’re doing inspiring kids in science. We’re also moving out of Jenny’s house and into a proper office which is very exciting! So we need more science-loving experts to join our little team. Are you a STEM ambassador? Have you got what it takes to help us to be the best children’s science magazine across the land???

We’re looking for an editorial assistant, someone who has experience and a passion for all things science to become part of our close-knit team. This role would be ideally suited to someone with a background or qualification in science communication.

This is a sought-after position for a talented and capable individual who would relish the opportunity to inspire children in science. The position offers the opportunity to work from our friendly Cirencester office, whilst also having the flexibility to work from home on occasions. Working hours can fit around school times if necessary, and will be based on three days a week.

Role responsibilities include

  • Editing contributors’ copy
  • Proofreading of final PDFs
  • Writing and/or checking of puzzles
  • Possible writing of content – depending on skill set
  • Commissioning and liaising with writers, designers and illustrators
  • Input into the planning of magazines
  • Writing and editing marketing copy, newsletters, blog posts, website copy and social media posts as required

Person specification

  • We’re looking for someone who can inspire children and can write and edit engaging and informative editorial. Prior editorial experience is required, preferably in the children’s sector, and we’re ideally looking for someone with a science background.
  • We require someone with an excellent level of written English – first-rate knowledge of spelling, punctuation and grammar are all requirements of this job. As an educational publisher, it is vital that we maintain an extremely high standard of spelling and grammar.
  • There is exciting potential for this role to expand and evolve to include more responsibilities as Launchpad Publishing continues to grow.

Read all the details here and share with your science-loving editorial friends and contacts: http://www.whizzpopbang.com/jobs


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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 flight, investigate the colour of snow, make their own snow globe, make 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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12 Days of Christmas Edible Science fun

Hello science-lovers! We’re super excited the Christmas issue of science magazine Whizz Pop Bang! Do you know the brilliant, crazy and uber creative Greg Foot? He’s the science guy on YouTube and presents science on Blue Peter, have you seen him? Well Greg has put together 12 awesome edible science experiments that really are the best entertainment for a very amusing (and tasty) family Christmas.

whizz-pop-bang-science-magazine-for-kids-issue-17

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And here are the 12 edible experiments, if you’d like to try these hop over and buy a copy of the Whizz Pop Bang Christmas issue here.

 

Remember experiments are experiments, which means you may not get them right first time – you’re scientists experimenting! If the lightning isn’t coming out of your sister’s mouth when you’re in the cupboard under the stairs don’t despair! Wait a little longer and try again, your eyes need to get really accustomed to the dark, and crunch really hard with your mouth open – you may dribble a little 🙂

Our raisins didn’t dance the first time, so we tried again with fizzier water. The lava toffee can be tricky too, add a little water if you need to and be careful with the hot pan in all that excitement.

We filmed our kids playing with the weird custard go, see their reactions here: whizz-pop-bang-science-experiment-custard-goo

Do you have questions about these experiments or Whizz Pop Bang? Send us an email hello@whizzpopbang.com and we’ll be only too happy to help.

 

 


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COLOUR EXPLOSION! A rainbow of science for your kids

whizz-pop-bang-science-magazine-for-kids-issue-15-sweets

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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