COMPETITION CLOSED: WIN Build Your Own marble run!

We’ve teamed up with Build Your Own to offer 6 lucky winners the chance to win a super cool Eco Marble Run.

This eco-friendly, STEM-inspired Marble Run is assembled using slot together techniques – no glue, no mess, no fuss. Everything you need is provided in the kit – follow the detailed instructions: press out the pre-cut parts, build and watch them go!

Wind the handle to raise the 10 swirly glass marbles up the elevator; then watch as they speed down one of the three different neon coloured tracks. Enjoy endless fun as the marbles twist, turn, drop down the steps, and then whizz round the vortex cone before racing to the finish! Which marble will win?

Budding engineers will enjoy the challenge of the construction. And once built, the Marble Run stands at an impressive 50 cm tall, and has 3 different neon courses with run switches to randomise the marble directions.

Building the Marble Run will encourage children to use their imagination and problem-solving skills. Plus, they’ll learn about physics and kinetic energy as they play.

Build Your Own are the creators of an exciting range of award-winning, STEM-inspired children’s toys that you can build yourself. The Build Your Own range is suitable for ages 8 to 100!

Marbles were a popular toy in the Victorian era, to be in for a chance to win one of 6 Marble Run Build kits simply answer this question in the comments:

What years did the Victorian Era span?

A 1837 – 1901

B 1850 – 1950

C 1890 – 1991

This competition closes at midnight on 30th May 2022. For full terms and conditions visit whizzpopbang.com/terms-and-conditions


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COMPETITION CLOSED: WIN A National Geographic Science Activity Kit!

Win a brilliant Earth Science dig kit and get stuck in with erupting volcanoes, growing crystals and uncovering pyrite!

The National Geographic Explorer Science Series Earth Science Kit is a must-have for any promising young scientist! There are so many fun activities in this kit that it’s perfect to share. It’s a great way to spend quality family time together or to use as part of your home school curriculum. Plus, you can learn the science behind crystals, volcanoes, tornadoes, and gemstones together with the help of the full-colour learning guides.

We have 3 Science Activity kits to give away!

To be in for a chance of winning, just answer this question in the comments:

How many elements are there?


A) 116
B) 117
C) 118

This competition closes at midnight on 31st March 2022. For full terms and conditions visit whizzpopbang.com/terms-and-conditions

Thanks to Bandai, National Geographic and Playtime PR for this brilliant prize!


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COMPETITION CLOSED The Cosmic Book of Space, Aliens and Beyond!

It’s your chance to win the galaxy’s most wacky activity book. Grab your pencils, Earthlings. Let our mission commence!

3, 2, 1…blast off! Are you ready to journey out of this world to discover what lies beyond? From space pirates and surfing aliens to galactic shark ships and mysterious planets, strap in, put on your alien mask and zoom through the stars for the ultimate cosmic activity adventure. We’ve got FIVE copies of The Cosmic Book of Space, Aliens and Beyond! to give away!

To win one of FIVE copies, just answer this question in the comments:

Which of these IS NOT one of Jupiter’s moons?

A Callisto
B Europe
C Ganymede

This competition closes at midnight on 31st January 2022. For full terms and conditions visit whizzpopbang.com/terms-and-conditions


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COMPETITION CLOSED: WIN a National Geographic Ultimate Gemstone Dig Kit!

Uncover hours of fun with this Ultimate Gemstone Dig Kit from National Geographic!

The extra-large dig brick has 20 amazing gemstones hidden inside. Your kids will love discovering them all using the included dig tool and brush and then get a close-up view of each with the magnifying glass. A full-colour learning guide provides fascinating facts about each gemstone, and easy-to-follow instructions make excavating each gemstone a whole lot of fun! Gemstones include two types of agate, three types of quartz, tiger’s eye, snowflake obsidian, amethyst, aragonite, aventurine, hematite, desert rose, a geode piece, green fluorite, pyrite, red jasper, sodalite, turquenite, blue calcite, and labradorite.


This National Geographic Ultimate Gemstone Dig Kit is available from very.co.uk!

To win one of THREE kits, answer this question in the comments:

What is the hardest gemstone?

A Topaz
B Ruby
C Diamond

This competition closes at midnight on 31st December 2021. For full terms and conditions visit whizzpopbang.com/terms-and-conditions


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glow-in-the-dark mega science kit competition bandai national geographic

COMPETITION CLOSED: WIN a Glow-in-the-Dark Mega Science Kit!

Explore glow-in-the-dark science with PUTTY, SLIME, CRYSTALS AND MORE!

The days are getting shorter and the nights are drawing in but fear not, this fun STEM kit from Bandai is sure to brighten any dark evening! Inquisitive minds will love discovering the world of glow-in-the-dark by making glowing slime and growing their own crystals! We’ve got THREE Glow-in-the-Dark Mega Science Kits to give away!

The National Geographic Glow-in-the-Dark Mega Science Kit is an astounding collection of experiments and activities that all glow when the lights are out! Inside the kit, you’ll find a crystal growing set that produces a glow-in-the-dark crystal specimen you can proudly display.

There are two DIY slime packs in this kit as well, allowing you to mix and play with your own glow-in-the-dark purple and green slime! And glow-in-the-dark putty will astound kids as they use the included UV light keychain to draw pictures and words that glow when the lights are off!

There is so much included in this Mega Kit: one glowing crystal seed, two DIY slime powders in glowing green and glowing purple, two slime containers, one glowing putty in a storage tin, one wernerite rock, one UV light, and a full-colour learning guide that takes you through each experiment step by step.

The National Geographic Glow-in-the-Dark Mega Science Kit is available from Next!

To win one of THREE kits, answer this question in the comments:

Which of these means glow-in-the-dark?

A Phonetic
B Photosynthesis
C Phosphorescent

This competition closes at midnight on 30th November 2021. For full terms and conditions visit whizzpopbang.com/terms-and-conditions


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COMPETITION CLOSED: WIN Swarm Rising by Steve Cole and Tim Peake!

Astronaut Tim Peake travelled to the International Space Station in 2015 and spent 186 days orbiting the Earth and has shared some tales from this epic adventure with Whizz Pop Bang magazine in this brilliant blog post: Tim Peake spills the beans on life in space!

He’s also just published his first children’s book, along with bestselling author Steve Cole, based on space-age science and technology: Swarm Rising. We’ve got SIX COPIES to give away!

When Danny is kidnapped by Adi – who can run through brick walls and make cars drive on water – he realises that all humans are in danger. Adi is part of a super-advanced hive mind, the Swarm, which intends to protect the Earth from the environmental catastrophe caused by the human race.

Adi – Alien Digital Intelligence in the form of a girl – can bend the laws of physics and control digital data, but as a digital being she wants to know what it’s like to be human. Which is where Danny comes in.

But what exactly is the ‘help’ the secretive Swarm is offering? Can Danny and his friend Jamila help Adi stop the Swarm Agents and give humanity a second chance?

Swarm Rising by Tim Peake & Steve Cole is available now.

To win one of SIX copies, answer this question in the comments:

What does ESA stand for?

A Egyptian Space Association
B Earth Seen Above
C European Space Agency

This competition closes at midnight on 31st October 2021. For full terms and conditions visit whizzpopbang.com/terms-and-conditions


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Tim Peake spills the beans on life in space!

Tim Peake spent 186 days on the International Space Station between 15 December 2015 and 18 June 2016 and has shared some of his amazing experiences with Whizz Pop Bang magazine. He’s also just published his first children’s book, along with bestselling author Steve Cole, based on space-age science and technology: Swarm Rising. Find out how you could win a copy here!

European Space Agency astronaut, Tim Peake.

How did you feel when you were preparing to go into space?

“I had so many feelings! On the one hand, there was a huge amount of excitement and adrenaline. The trip was a culmination of years of work and effort, so I was really looking forward to it. I was a little bit apprehensive as well – obviously there’s a rocket launch to go through, and then all eyes are on you. The eyes of the agency, the eyes of your crew mates, the eyes of the nation watching! There are times when you just have to step up to the plate and perform.

Catching a visiting cargo vehicle is a one-person job: it is your responsibility to connect an entire space station to an entire cargo vehicle, and nobody else can help with that. These tasks are very, very high-pressure!

I felt that pressure – as sports people do when they have to perform – when I went out on the space walk. So I was definitely apprehensive, but the majority of my feelings were excitement and adrenaline. Being up there on the space station is such a privilege and everyone supports you to try and be the best that you can be.”

What’s it like looking at Earth from space?

“I just loved looking down at Kamchatka on the east coast of Russia, for example, and seeing a volcano smoking away. I’d think, ‘Nobody but me knows that volcano is erupting,’ because there literally are no humans within 2000 square miles of that location. It’s just wonderful that you can visualise the entire planet having been around it about 3000 times.

There’s nowhere on Earth that I don’t know now. Although clearly, I haven’t visited every country, I’ve got a different perspective of the planet.

It’s very serene in space. It’s a beautiful environment to be in; weightlessness, to be floating, to be looking down, just gracefully passing over the Earth without any noise, no vibration. It’s a beautiful, beautiful feeling.”

Did you look out for aliens!?

“Absolutely! The funny thing about looking out away from Earth is that in the daytime, you just see the blackness of space. It’s a very strange black – the blackest black you’ll ever see. Here on Earth we never really see black like this, because there’s always ambient light around.

In space – wow! You feel like you’re falling into the void when you look out at the blackness of space. And of course, there are no stars because the Sun is so bright that it blinds out the light of the other stars. You can only see this black abyss.

At night, when we are in the Earth’s shadow, all the stars come out. It’s beautiful to look the other direction: you can see 100 billion stars making up the Milky Way with no light pollution. The interesting thing is, you can’t see other satellites which you can see clearly from Earth – I look up at the night sky here, and I’m always seeing satellites going overhead. But in space, because we’re travelling so fast, it’s very, very hard to see another satellite that’s also travelling very fast with the naked eye. So we don’t see lights coming towards us in space.”

What’s bedtime like in space?

“Sleeping in weightlessness is lovely once you get used to it. It’s a bit tough to begin with, because your body doesn’t know to go to sleep. Here on Earth, every day of our lives we lie down at bedtime, rest our heads on pillows, and these actions are such strong triggers to make us fall asleep. When you don’t have those triggers, you float around all day, you float into your crew quarter, you zip up a sleeping bag, you can switch off the lights, you can put in some earplugs in but your body says, ‘What now?’ Once you get used to it and your body can fall asleep, wow, it’s a lovely sleep. There are no pressure points, no tossing and turning, no restlessness and you wake up completely relaxed.

We only need six hours’ sleep maximum on the space station because the quality of sleep is so good.

I used to like to strap my sleeping bag loosely using tie wraps, just enough to allow me to float around a little bit – not so much that I’d bang my head on the roof, but enough to enjoy that floating experience.”

How do you eat on the ISS?

“You get very unpopular with your crew mates if you open a packet of crisps or something like that!

Crumbs go everywhere, even in people’s eyes, all week long – so we try and avoid that.

I had bags of pistachio nuts, already shelled, but they were a treat that were sent up in care packages every now and again. You just had to be careful about how you eat that kind of thing. But yes, you don’t really want to have crumbs in the space station!”

For fans of Alex Rider, Young Bond and Cherub, this exciting action-adventure is the first children’s book from astronaut Tim Peake and bestselling author Steve Cole, and is based on space-age science and technology.

When Danny is kidnapped by Adi – who can run through brick walls and make cars drive on water – he realises that all humans are in danger. Adi is part of a super-advanced hive mind, the Swarm, which intends to protect the Earth from the environmental catastrophe caused by the human race.

Adi – Alien Digital Intelligence in the form of a girl – can bend the laws of physics and control digital data, but as a digital being she wants to know what it’s like to be human. Which is where Danny comes in.

But what exactly is the ‘help’ the secretive Swarm is offering? Can Danny and his friend Jamila help Adi stop the Swarm Agents and give humanity a second chance?

Swarm Rising by Tim Peake & Steve Cole is available now.

If you want to find out more about Space, check out these issues in our shop!

Whizz Pop Bang 67: Mission to Mars
Whizz Pop Bang 62: Over the Moon
Whizz Pop Bang 48: Hello Sunshine
Whizz Pop Bang 39 Space Travel
Whizz Pop Bang 28: Planetary Adventures
Whizz Pop Bang 7: The Science of Attraction
Whizz Pop Bang 1: Zoom to the Moon


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COMPETITION CLOSED: WIN Build Your Own Dragonfly kits – we’ve got TEN to give away!

We’ve teamed up with Build Your Own to offer 10 lucky winners the chance to win a super cool Mini Builds Dragonfly

Made using 100% sustainable cardboard and paper, this awesome dragonfly is not only fun and engaging to play with, but also eco-friendly.

With a brightly coloured blue body and pull-tab flapping wing action, this water-residing minibeast is simply spectacular. And with a 37cm wingspan, it’s sure to impress!

Easy to assemble using slot-together techniques – there’s no glue, no mess, no fuss. Everything you need is provided in the kit – simply follow the instructions: press out the pre-cut parts, build and play!

This newly launched kit also comes with a press-out Dragonfly Fact Stand for children to learn about how this incredible creature has inspired engineers.

With 15 press-out parts and an estimated build time of 20 minutes, it’s set at a skill level of 2 stars out of 5.

Build Your Own are the creators of an exciting range of award-winning, STEM-inspired children’s toys that you can build yourself. The Build Your Own range is suitable for ages 8 to 100! 

Answer this question in the comments for a chance to win one of 10 Dragonfly Mini Builds kits:

When did the first dragonflies appear on Earth?

A Around 3000 years ago
B Around 300 million years ago
C Around 3 trillion years ago

This competition closes at midnight on 30th September 2021. For full terms and conditions visit whizzpopbang.com/terms-and-conditions


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COMPETITION CLOSED: WIN a Whizz Pop Bang Holiday Science Bundle!

Here’s your chance to pick up a prize that will keep scientists-in-training busy all summer long!

The Whizz Pop Bang Holiday Science Bundle is an ideal way to keep the kids happy over the holidays, or as a super birthday gift. Containing six issues of Whizz Pop Bang, this bundle is bursting with all sorts of amazing science to try at home or on holiday! It contains:

•  Issue 18, Snowball science A flurry of awesome experiments
•  Issue 20, Turn-up the volume: the supersonic science of sound
•  Issue 30, Water force: the awesome liquid that shapes our world
•  Issue 31, Sparkly science: glittering gems, jewels and crystals
•  Issue 34, Shocking science: get the buzz on electricity
•  Issue 35, Sporty science: experiments you’ll get a kick out of!

And best of all? We’ve got a bundle to give away to one lucky Whizz Pop Bang fan!

Just answer the question in the comments to be in with a chance of winning:

A saline solution contains pure water and…?

A) Sand
B) Salt
C) Sugar

This competition closes at midnight on 8th August 2021. For full terms and conditions visit whizzpopbang.com/terms


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COMPETITION CLOSED: WIN a family ticket to Just So festival!

One extremely lucky Whizz Pop Bang fan will win a family ticket (for two adults and two children) to the amazingly brilliant Just So festival this August!

Get set for an imaginative outdoor adventure when you head to Just So Festival! Families can step out of their day-to-day lives and into a wonderland of stories, science and creativity and experience a magical weekend of mischief and mayhem.

Photo: Samuel Mills Photography

Find out more at justsofestival.org.uk, where the line up has been announced! Find a celestial celebration of the planets in The Observatory, live bands and dance workshops on the Footlights Stage, stories galore in the Spellbound Forest, and so much enchanted adventure throughout the site. There’s something for every member of the family, from bumps to great grandparents.

Photo: Teneight

Just answer this question in the comments to be in with a chance of winning:

Which planet has moons called Phobos and Deimos?

A. Mercury
B. Saturn
C. Mars

Terms and Conditions:
The prize is one family weekend ticket (up to 2 adults and 2 children) to Just So Festival 2021 (Rode Hall, Cheshire, 20/21/22 August 2021, Rode Hall, Cheshire). Additional child tickets can be purchased on the Just So website. Under 3’s are free but need to book a free ticket on the Just So website. Prize includes festival entry and camping on Friday 21st, Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd August 2021. The winner must provide their own camping gear or book boutique camping separately – this is not included in prize. Travel to and from the festival is not included. Food and drink are not included. The prize is non-refundable, non-transferable, non-exchangeable and no cash alternative offered. Click here for full Whizz Pop Bang terms and conditions. This competition closes on Wednesday 16th June 2021.


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