Are you looking for free experiments for kids? Here’s an easy science experiment that doesn’t need any special materials or skills, just bags of curiosity…
This decomposing experiment is a great way to show composting in action. If you’re looking for STEM activities for primary school or home school science lessons about living things and habitats, this investigation is a winner!
Keep scrolling to be in with a chance of winning some awesome, earth-friendly prizes, too!
Decomposing experiment for kids
For this experiment you will need:
- Two jam jars of the same size
- Two pieces of old fabric
- Two elastic bands
- Compost or soil
- Finely chopped banana or other fruit
- Small pieces of plastic or polystyrene
The decomposing experiment
- Set up the experiment as shown. Each jar should contain the same depth of compost.
- Sprinkle a few drops of water over the fruit and plastic.
- Leave the experiment for at least five days, noting any changes in the jars.
You should find the fruit will have started to rot but the plastic will be unaltered. Bacteria and fungi eat food waste, helping it to rot, but they don’t usually eat plastic. The plastic won’t start to rot for another 450 years, so don’t wait around! After the experiment, you can reuse the jars and recycle the plastic.
If you’re a teacher or home educator looking for more teaching ideas and STEM activities covering the topic living things and habitats, check out the Rotting Rubbish investigation and an Investigation into Bacteria from the Whizz Pop Bang science and reading learning lab whizzpopbang.com/teaching-resources
COMPETITION TIME! WIN A SET OF PATCH BAMBOO PLASTERS FOR YOUR FAMILY…
PATCH adhesive bandages are crafted with 100% organic bamboo fibre with the added natural goodness of activated charcoal, aloe vera and coconut oil.
Did you know that most plasters contain plastic and so take a very long time to degrade? PATCH adhesive strips are wound coverings made from organic bamboo which break down in just a few weeks after they’ve been used.
Watch how PATCH plasters biodegrade…
We’ve got two sets of PATCH Bamboo Plasters to give away to two lucky Whizz Pop Bang readers! Each winner will get 25 Light Bamboo Patches (to help repair minor cuts), 25 Coconut Oil Patches (to soothe grazes), 25 Aloe Vera Patches (ideal for minor burns and blisters) and 25 Black Bamboo with Activated Charcoal Patches (for bites and splinters).
Grazed knees have never looked so good (or been so kind to the planet!)
PATCH, the natural alternative to wound care that just loves your skin!
LATEX FREE – PARABEN FREE-THIMEROSAL FREE – CRUELTY FREE
To enter this competition, answer this bamboo-zling question in the comments box below:
Bamboo is….
- The slowest-growing plant on the planet
- The most expensive plant on the planet
- The fastest-growing plant on the planet
This competition closes at midnight on 31st July 2019. For full terms and conditions visit whizzpopbang.com/terms
PATCH is available to buy from www.patchstrips.eu and from mid-July, you will be able to buy PATCH in most Holland & Barrett and Superdrug stores across the UK.
James Williams says:
Bamboo is…The fastest-growing plant on the planet.
Jeanette Leighton says:
3. The fastest growing plant on the planet
Ceri says:
The fastest growing plant on the planet.
Margaret Clarkson says:
The fastest-growing plant on the planet
Sean Kitson says:
3. The fastest-growing plant on the planet
Bridie Barber says:
3. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on the planet.
Michaela Fialova says:
Bamboo is the fastest growing plant.
Nicola Lynch says:
Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on the planet
Jill Wedge says:
Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on 🌍.
Fiona Hall says:
3. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on the planet.
William Hamilton says:
Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on the planet
Helen Gregory says:
The fastest-growing plant on the planet
Stephen Hamill says:
3. Bamboo is the fastest-growing plant on the planet.
Lucas Bates says:
Bamboo is: The fastest-growing plant on the planet!
Gemma Steel says:
The fastest growing plant
Phoebe Harrison says:
The fastest-growing plant on the planet
Felicity McClarty says:
3. The fastest growing plant on the planet
Martha Bown says:
Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on the planet.
Lucia says:
Bamboo is the fastest-growing plant on the planet.
Jack jeskins says:
Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on the planet
Manisha Cox says:
The answer is option 3. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant 🌱🌱🌱 on this planet 🌍. My daughter and I researched this and it grows at a rate of up to 91cm per day! Amazing!!!
Alison freeman says:
Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on the planet.
Rachel Wilton says:
3. The fastest growing plant on the planet.
Isabel says:
3. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on the planet.
Jade Hewlett says:
3 The fastest-growing plant on the planet
Sarah O'Prey says:
It is the fastest growing plant on the planet
Megan says:
The fastest growing!
Kathryn Barton says:
Answer 3: the fastest growing plant on the planet!
Michael Gill says:
3 the fastest growing plant on the planet
Leo Fabian says:
The fastest-growing plant on the planet.
Peter Davies says:
The fastest growing plant on the planet
Darwin Lambert says:
3. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on the planet.
Claire Campbell says:
The fastest growing plant on the plznet
Claire Campbell says:
3. The fastest growing plant on the planet.
Noah Hookham says:
3. The fastest growing plant on the planet
Lisa Lambert says:
3 The fastest-growing plant on the planet
Arlo says:
3 quick smart…
Louise Vaan says:
The fastest-growing plant on the planet
Robyn S says:
Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on the planet!
Gill Hollick says:
3. Bamboo is the fastest growing plan on our planet Earth
Debbie lucas says:
The fastest growing plant
Murray Herriot says:
3. The fastest-growing plant on the planet!
Zoe Cook says:
Bamboo is the fastest-growing plant on the planet
Karen says:
3. the fastest growing on the planet
Wendy Eden says:
3. The fastest-growing plant on the planet
Isaac Dutton says:
The fastest-growing plant on the planet
Noah Cartridge says:
Bamboo is the fastest-growing plant on the planet
Rachel says:
3. The fastest growing plant on the planet. 😊
Alex Grebot says:
3. The fastest growing plant on the planet.
Eszter Kosa says:
3. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on the planet!
Dawn Jessup says:
3-bamboo is the fastest growing plant on the planet, which is pretty cool!
Amie Upton says:
3. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on the planet.
Anna Wheeler says:
Fastest growing plant!
Lynsey Gray says:
Bamboo is: 3.The fastest-growing plant on the planet
Helen says:
Bamboo is…The fastest growing plant on the planet
Marlee Cass says:
3. Fastest growing on the planet
Amelia Whitfield-Seed says:
Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on the planet
Georgina Lovely says:
3. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on the planet
Lucy Murray says:
Answer 3 The fastest-growing plant on the planet
Ouramanahsourfutures@outlook.com says:
3 bamboo is the fasted growing plant.
Laraine Quinton says:
Bamboo is the fastest growing plant and can grow 36inches in a 24 hour period
Julie Cooper says:
3. The fastest-growing plant on the planet.
Jo Wicksteed says:
Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on the planet.
Leanne says:
3 bamboo is the fastest growing plant on the planet x
Carolyn Stroud says:
3. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on the planet
hafushayraa meem says:
3 . bamboo is the fastest growing plant
Barbara McGee says:
3-Bamboo is the fastest-growing plant on the planet.
Nicolette Neville-Lee says:
3. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on the planet.
Linda Lovick says:
3. Bamboo is the fastest-growing plant on the planet.
Grace southam says:
The fastest growing plant on the planet.
JB says:
3. The fastest growing.
Hena says:
Answer 3.
The fastest-growing plant on the planet
Christine Scantlebury says:
Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on the planet, answer 3.
Dawn Angell says:
The fastest growing plant on the planet
Julie says:
Chloe says ‘Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world’
Hanna Murphy says:
Bamboo is….
The fastest-growing plant 🌱 on the planet 🌍
Anne Harris says:
Bamboo is the fastest growing plant.
Caroline Davidson says:
The fastest growing plant on the planet.
Deborah Ratcliffe says:
3. The fastest growing plant on the planet 😁
Elizabeth says:
3 The fastest!
Ida and lottie says:
Fastest growing plant on the planet
Sarah C says:
3. The fastest-growing plant on the planet
Clare Holian says:
3. The fastest growing plant on the planet.
Emma says:
3. The fastest-growing plant in the planet
Collette Bradley says:
3. The fastest growing plant on the planet
Philippa Gale says:
The fastest-growing plant on the planet!
Cirhan says:
The fastest-growing plant on the planet 🌱
Steve Tonkin says:
Bamboo is the fastest-growing plant on the planet
Lucy F says:
Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on earth 🌱
Hollie France says:
Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on the planet
Millicent Holdsworth says:
3. The fastest growing plant on the planet
Cat Goumal says:
Bamboo is the fastest-growing plant on the planet
Kathryn says:
3. The fastest-growing plant on the planet.
Jo Tubbs says:
Congratulations Kathryn, you’re a Whizz Pop winner! Please email your name and address to hello@whizzpopbang.com with the subject ‘Patch plasters’ and we’ll send your prize out soon!
Tara says:
The fastest-growing plant on the planet
Ruth Kempson says:
Bamboo is the fastest-growing plant on the planet
Nicky says:
Answer:
3: The fastest-growing plant on the planet 🙂
Edie says:
The fastest growing plant on the plant.
Kerry-Anne Martin says:
3. Bamboo is the fastest-growing plant on the planet!
Emma Hood says:
Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on the planet.
Emma Campbell says:
Bamboo is the fastest-growing plant on the planet
Sarah says:
3. The fastest-growing plant on the planet!
Christine Orme says:
Bamboo is the fastest-growing plant on the planet.