Tag: KS2 science

FREE primary school resources to celebrate British Science Week 2025!

Posted on | by Jo at Whizz Pop Bang | Leave a Comment on FREE primary school resources to celebrate British Science Week 2025!

Are you looking for fun and simple British Science Week activities to celebrate this year’s theme, “Change and Adapt”? We’ve got you covered with a FREE science resource pack filled with hands-on experiments that your class will love!

Why ‘Change and Adapt’ is a Brilliant Theme

This year’s British Science Week theme encourages children to explore how things change in the world around them—whether through chemical reactions, forces, materials, or biological adaptation. It’s a fantastic opportunity to tie science into your curriculum in a way that’s engaging and memorable.

Free School Resources Pack – Throw A Science Party In Your Classroom!

To help you plan a curiousity-awakening, exciting (and most importantly, stress-free) British Science Week, we’ve got an amazing science freebie for you: a FREE ‘Science Party’ pack packed with six exciting experiments designed for KS1 and KS2. These hands-on activities will spark curiosity, encourage problem-solving, and bring science to life!

What’s Inside the Science Party Pack? 🎉

Each experiment explores the “Change and Adapt” theme through fun, interactive investigations that are easy to set up:

🟢 Making Chromatography Decorations – Explore how colours separate and create beautiful patterns! A perfect mix of art and science.

🔵 Bed of Pins Balloon Experiment – Discover how forces work by testing whether a balloon can survive being pressed against a bed of pins!

🟠 Fizz Pop Bang Edible Powder – Experience chemical reactions that you can taste!

🟣 Static Slime – Investigate static electricity while making an ooey-gooey slime that moves with an electric charge!

🟡 Magic Colour-Changing Icing – Learn about acid-base indicators in a fun and edible experiment that will leave your class amazed!

⚪ Incredible Invisible Ink – Uncover secret messages using simple kitchen ingredients—just like a real scientist (or spy)!

Each activity is easy to set up with minimal resources, making it perfect for busy teachers who want maximum impact with minimal prep!

Like all of Whizz Pop Bang’s science teaching resources, the science behind each activity is explained in simple, age-appropriate language, making planning and teaching these fun lessons an absolute breeze.

Find Out More About Our School Science Resources, Expertly-Written by Teachers

PLUS Here’s an Amazing Offer on School Subscriptions and Downloadable Resources!

Save 20% on our school subscriptions and downloadable resources for the first year as well as our school bundles. Simply add code SCIWEEK25 at check out.

How to Make British Science Week Unforgettable

British Science Week is the perfect opportunity to ignite a love for STEM in your classroom. Whether your pupils are experimenting with chemical changes, forces, or electricity, our Science Party Pack will keep them engaged and excited.

Download Your FREE Science Party Pack Now!

Discover more ideas for how to make British Science Week go with a bang in 2025!

Fun Ways For Parents, Teachers and Children To Celebrate British Science Week

Let’s make British Science Week 2025 a celebration of curiosity, discovery, and fun! 🚀


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British Science Week 2025: Fun Ways to Get Involved

Posted on | by Jo at Whizz Pop Bang | Leave a Comment on British Science Week 2025: Fun Ways to Get Involved

British Science Week 2025 is an exciting annual celebration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in the UK. Taking place from 7th to 16th March 2025, this nationwide event features a variety of science activities, workshops, and events for children and adults alike. Whether you’re a budding scientist or simply curious about the world around you, there are plenty of ways to engage with science during this week-long festival.

How to Take Part in British Science Week 2025

Getting involved in British Science Week doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are some easy and fun ways to explore science:

  • Try kitchen science experiments at home
  • Visit a science museum or exhibition
  • Attend a science talk or fair
  • Join a citizen science project
  • Enter the British Science Week poster competition

The goal of British Science Week is to spark curiosity and excitement about STEM subjects, making science accessible and enjoyable for all ages.

1. Try Fun Kitchen Science Experiments

You don’t need a high-tech lab to explore science—many exciting hands-on experiments can be done using everyday household items. Simple ingredients like vinegar, baking soda, and food coloring can lead to fascinating discoveries.

If you’re looking for easy science experiments for kids, check out these free home science activities or grab a copy of Whizz Pop Bang magazine for more ideas.

Visit the Whizz Pop Bang Shop

2. Visit a Science Museum or Event

Science museums and exhibitions are packed with interactive displays and hands-on experiments, making them a great way to engage kids with science. During British Science Week, many museums and venues host special STEM events, workshops, and science shows. Find your local science centre here!

Looking for science events near you? Check out the What’s On in Science Week listings to find both in-person and virtual science activities happening from 7th-16th March.

Find Your Local Science Centre

3. Download FREE British Science Week Activity Packs

The official British Science Week 2025 activity packs are now available! These free downloadable packs are designed for different age groups:

  • Early Years Pack (for preschoolers)
  • Primary Pack (for younger children)
  • Secondary Pack (for teens)
  • Community Pack (for group activities)

Each pack is filled with STEM activities, fun experiments, and planning tips for science events.

Download FREE British Week Packs

4. Get Involved in a Citizen Science Project

Citizen science projects allow anyone to contribute to real scientific research. Many projects are perfect for families, such as:

  • Birdwatching and counting garden wildlife
  • Tracking stars and planets
  • Identifying plants and animals in your local area

You can join a citizen science project online and participate from home.

Find Citizen Science Projects

5. Enter the British Science Week 2025 Poster Competition

The British Science Week poster competition is a fun challenge for children aged 3-18 years old. This year’s theme is “Change and Adapt”, and young scientists can submit creative posters for a chance to win all sorts of science prizes.

Submission deadline: 3rd April 2025

Encourage your child to showcase their creativity and love for science by entering the competition. Find out more here.

Enter the Poster Competition

Make Science Fun This British Science Week!

From DIY science experiments to museum visits and STEM competitions, there are so many ways to celebrate British Science Week 2025. Whether you explore science at home, attend an event, or take part in a citizen science project, it’s a fantastic opportunity to learn, discover, and have fun with science.

Fill your child with science wonder with a subscription to Whizz Pop Bang, the award-winning magazine for 6 to 12-year-olds. Watch their face light up with glee when their very own magazine zooms through the letterbox! Packed full of hands-on science awesomeness, it’s the gift that keeps of delighting, month after month.

Not a subscriber? Sign up here!

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Whizz Pop Bang 114: UNDERGROUND ADVENTURES – Kit List!

Posted on | by Jo at Whizz Pop Bang | Leave a Comment on Whizz Pop Bang 114: UNDERGROUND ADVENTURES – Kit List!

Oops – in all the Christmas rush, we didn’t manage to send this list to our subscribers. We’re so sorry and will do everything we can to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

You can find Whizz Pop Bang: Underground Adventures in our shop!

Here’s a list of things you’ll need to complete the science activities in this edition. We haven’t included basic items such as scissors, paper etc.

MAKE A CAVE (page 7)
A clean plastic bottle (a 1 litre drinks bottle is ideal)
A piece of aluminium foil
A rubber band
A cocktail stick or small nail
Modelling clay
Some sand (around 750 g)
Caster sugar

GROW YOUR OWN STALACTITES AND STALAGMITES (page 9)
Two glass jam jars
A saucer
Wool or string
Bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, washing soda or Epsom salts

MAKE EGGSHELL GEODES (page 11)
Eggs and an egg box
A paintbrush
Salt (table salt, Epsom salts or alum) or sugar
Food colouring
Newspaper

SEED BOMBS (page 16 & 21)
An egg cup
Wildflower seed mix
Compost
Flour
A plate

SETTLING SOIL (page 23)
Two glass jars with lids
Soil
Two sticky labels

⬇️ Here’s a kit list you can print out ⬇️

WPB114 printable kit listDownload

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Skydiving WITHOUT A Parachute?!

Posted on | by Jo at Whizz Pop Bang | Leave a Comment on Skydiving WITHOUT A Parachute?!

Here’s a record-breaking journey that needs to be seen to be believed!

In 2016, Luke Aikins set a record for skydiving 7,6000 metres without a parachute! While travelling at 193 km/h, he steered his way to a safe landing on a bouncy net.

Watch Luke’s record-breaking fall here:

Here’s a record you can try and beat at home – find out how to fold the best paper aeroplane in the world here!

Find out more about awesomely amazing record-breaking journeys in Whizz Pop Bang 113: FESTIVE SCIENCE FUN!


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Make a record-breaking paper aeroplane!

Posted on | by Jo at Whizz Pop Bang | Leave a Comment on Make a record-breaking paper aeroplane!

Here’s a record you CAN try to beat at home. The farthest flight by a paper aeroplane made from a single sheet of A4 paper is 88.31 metres! Find out how to make another record-breaking plane here:

Have you ever wondered if it’s possible to skydive without a parachute?! Head this way for the answer (and to watch a jaw-dropping video all about it!)

Find out about more amazing record-breaking journeys in Whizz Pop Bang 113: FESTIVE SCIENCE FUN!


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COMPETITION CLOSED – WIN The Science Museum Puzzle Book: Journey Into Space!

Posted on | by Jo at Whizz Pop Bang | 69 Comments on COMPETITION CLOSED – WIN The Science Museum Puzzle Book: Journey Into Space!

Here’s your chance to win one of ten copies of The Science Museum Puzzle Book: Journey Into Space. Keep reading to tackle some of the intergalactic puzzles featured inside!

Plan a mission, train to be an astronaut, launch a rocket and discover what it’s like to live in space as you tackle the teasers in this brilliant puzzle book!

As well as over 100 space-themed puzzles, this book is stuffed with essential space facts and profiles of significant people and moments linked to space exploration.

Put your brain to the test with these puzzles, taken from Journey Into Space: A Science Museum Puzzle Book. You’ll find the competition below these puzzles.

Click here to find the answer.

Click here to find the answer.

Click here to find the answer.

We’ve got ten copies of this book to give away! Simply answer the question in the comments to be in with a chance.

Which person has travelled into space?

A Helen Sharman
B Galileo Galilei
C Arthur C. Clarke

The Science Museum Puzzle Book: Journey Into Space by The Science Museum is published by Seven Dials available in trade paperback and eBook on 7th November 2024. RRP £14.99.

This competition closes at midnight on 30th November 2024 and is open to UK residents only. Whizz Pop Bang competition terms and conditions are here.


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Teaching the Vikings

Posted on | by Kirsty Williams | Leave a Comment on Teaching the Vikings

Are you looking for inspiring planning resources for teaching about Vikings in upper key stage 2? Here’s how you can use our new downloadable Vikings teaching resources to easily create a memorable lesson…

Where to start?

Before you use the lesson pack, pupils should already know when the Viking period was, and be aware of how they lived. This lesson pack links with history and science, particularly with the topic ‘Properties and changes of materials’.

Pupils will carry out a simple investigation to see what affects how well an oil lamp burns. This lesson involves making an oil lamp, which means using fire! We have checked the primary CLEAPS guidance and have given you some tips for your risk assessment. However, you will need to review it and make any alterations for your class. Pupils will plan their own investigation to answer one of three questions, which are included in the PowerPoint presentation, along with simple instructions to make the oil lamp.

Oil lamp lesson pack

The downloadable pack includes:

  • A differentiated lesson plan
  • A PowerPoint presentation
  • A suggested risk assessment
  • Vikings silly science puzzle
Download the pack here
Individual membership

Quality reading texts related to the Vikings

We have a whole issue dedicated to the Vikings, which is full of fun facts and information suitable for primary-aged children. Our teachers have created two reading resources with questions linked to the National Curriculum and Curriculum for Excellence:

Whizz Pop Bang magazine and teaching resources are brilliant ways to enhance your school’s science teaching:

  • We provide downloadable science lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations, hands-on investigations and science reading comprehensions written by primary school teachers.
  • Whizz Pop Bang teaching resources link to the National Curriculum, ensuring correct coverage.
  • All of our resources are year group specific, ensuring progression between the years.
  • We make cross-curricular links to other subjects, such as English, Maths, History, Geography, Art, Design and Technology and PSHE.

Prices from as little as £254.99 per year for a copy of Whizz Pop Bang magazine through the post each month and whole-school access to our ever-growing library of downloadable teaching resources, with unlimited teacher logins.

We’ve also launched a new individual membership option so teachers and home educators can access all of our amazing downloadable resources for just £20 for the whole year. 


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British Science Week FREE resources

Posted on | by Kirsty Williams | Leave a Comment on British Science Week FREE resources

Are you looking for some interesting resources on the theme of ‘Time’ for British Science Week? Whizz Pop Bang has produced a whole magazine called ‘Time Quest’.

Our teachers have created a STEAM-based lesson pack ready for you to use. Download it for FREE!

English curriculum sand timer lesson packDownload

There are also reading resources ready for you to use for FREE!

All other curricula Cuckoo clocks reading resourcesDownload
All other curricula Ten ancient living things reading resourceDownload
English curriculum periodical cicadas reading resourceDownload

We have thousands more resources available on our website.


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Teaching thermal conductivity in year 5

Posted on | by Kirsty Williams | Leave a Comment on Teaching thermal conductivity in year 5

Are you teaching the topic properties and changes of materials to year 5? One of the objectives is teaching thermal conductivity; continue reading for two great science investigations…

Save the ice cubes!

This lesson pack contains an investigation in which pupils try to stop ice cubes melting by wrapping them in different materials. It’s like giving the ice cubes their own little winter jackets! The PowerPoint presentation explains how items stay warm or cold. Pupils are expected to design their own comparative test, with some guidance given in the PowerPoint presentation. They should decide how to record their results and write their own conclusions.

Download now

Blubber glove

In this lesson, pupils will be able to feel the difference with their hands. This hands-on approach encourages students to actively participate in their learning, transforming them from passive observers to enthusiastic explorers. They will find out how animals stay warm in cold conditions by creating a blubber glove using different materials to see which is the best insulator. They will try to make it a fair test by using a thermometer to make sure the icy water stays a similar temperature during their investigation.

Download now

It can be a tricky topic to teach as pupils often find it hard to understand that an item can stay warm and cold. Issue 102 ‘BRRRRR! The science of keeping warm’ is the perfect companion for your book corner whilst teaching this topic.

How to get more science into your reading sessions

Using science texts in guided reading or whole-class reading sessions is an easy way for children to delve further into the subject matter and acquire more knowledge. Here are the reading resources that link with this topic:

Whizz Pop Bang magazine and teaching resources are brilliant for enhancing your school’s science teaching:

  • We provide downloadable science lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations, hands-on investigations and science reading resources written by primary school teachers.
  • Whizz Pop Bang teaching resources link to the National Curriculum, ensuring correct coverage.
  • All of our resources are year group specific, ensuring progression between the years.
  • We make cross-curricular links to other subjects, such as English, Maths, History, Geography, Art, Design and Technology and PSHE.

Prices from as little as £254.99 per year for a copy of Whizz Pop Bang magazine through the post each month and whole-school access to our ever-growing library of downloadable teaching resources, with unlimited teacher logins.

We also have individual membership option so teachers and home educators can access all of our amazing downloadable resources for just £20 for the whole year.


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How does huddling help penguins stay warm?

Posted on | by Jo at Whizz Pop Bang | Leave a Comment on How does huddling help penguins stay warm?

Many animals, including walruses, penguins and monkeys, huddle in groups to keep warm. The centre of a huddle of Emperor penguins can reach 24℃ when the air temperature is as low as -40℃!

Watch a video about how huddling works here!


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