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Hantavirus has been in the news a lot recently, but what is it? Hantaviruses are zoonotic viruses that usually infect rats and mice ( rodents ). Transmission to humans is rare, but infection then causes a severe respiratory illness. Cases of hantavirus infection are rare, but its high fatality rate makes it a public health … Continue reading “What is Hantavirus?”

Love or loathe them, dandelions are a common feature in spring. One day, there are just a few, then suddenly they seem to be everywhere. A combination of day length and increasing temperatures leads to a massive synchronised bloom in April or May. It might be tempting to get rid of the pesky weeds, but … Continue reading “Dandelion Magic Trick- Make Stems Curl in Seconds”

Celebrate all things spring with a FREE scavenger hunt! A scavenger hunt is a fantastic and inexpensive way to liven up a walk. To add to the fun, take a camera or sketchbook and draw or take a photo of what you can see! This idea also pairs nicely with my cloud spotting activity! FREE … Continue reading “FREE Spring Scavenger Hunt”

If you’re looking for a spring science project, the Great Spring Seed Race could be just the thing! It’s not a fast race, so you’ll need a few weeks and a little patience. The idea behind this activity is to plant several different seeds and make observations over time. It’s a great way for kids … Continue reading “The Great Spring Seed Race”

Submerging a dandelion in water always looks impressive, as the delicate puffball (seed head) appears wet in the water but is completely dry when removed. It’s a bit like a super high-tech rain coat. Several factors contribute to the waterproof properties of a dandelion seed head. Dandelion seeds are covered in tiny hairs called pappus, … Continue reading “Dandelion, Water and Surface Tension Investigation”

Have you ever wondered how plants know when it’s time to grow? It’s all down to something called photoperiodism. Plants have internal clocks that detect when daylight hours start to increase. What happens if it’s unusually warm but daylight hours are still short? When it’s warm but hours of daylight are short, or vice versa, … Continue reading “How do plants know when it’s time to grow?”

Can you save an egg astronaut from a sticky end? Test different materials to find out which protects an egg the best from a rocket launch and a crash to the ground! We used a mini baking soda and vinegar powered rocket, but you could also try this activity with a water powered bottle rocket … Continue reading “Save the Astronaut Egg”

If you’re looking for easy creative ideas to keep the kids busy over Easter, you’re in the right place. These Easter STEM projects are simple, use equipment you probably already have, and most importantly, are great fun! Raid your recycle bin and get ready for hours of science fun! Easter Egg Chain Reaction Last year, … Continue reading “Easy Easter STEM Projects to do with Kids”

Bright yellow daffodils are among the first signs of spring, along with birds singing and green buds emerging from trees. Daffodils are great flowers for science activities because they grow from bulbs and have distinct parts. You can learn about transpiration, competition for resources, phototropism and more with these five easy daffodil science experiments. Warning … Continue reading “Five Spring Science Experiments with Daffodils”

This fun parachute egg drop experiment is a great demonstration of the forces acting on parachutes. If you drop something, it falls to the ground. This is because it is pulled by the gravity of the Earth. You’ll notice that some things drop faster than others. This is because of air resistance. Try dropping a … Continue reading “Parachute Egg Drop Experiment – Gravity and Air Resistance”