Y Y E A R S

E A R L E
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P A C K
i e n c e Week
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British S h 2018
8 M a r c w e e k.org
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This resource pack aims to be your ‘one-stop-shop’ for supporting
you during British Science Week, but it can be used at any time.
Feel free to adapt or extend the activities to suit your students’
needs and the curriculum you are delivering. In addition to the
activities in this pack, there are lots of other ways to enthuse and
engage your students throughout the Week.

In developing this pack, we have British Science Week events The Year of Engineering
looked for activities which break
You can either create your own club, 2018 is The Year of Engineering.
down the stereotypes surrounding
class or school event or search for This is a chance to celebrate the
STEM and promote cross-curricular
things happening near you on our UK’s engineering heritage, invest in
learning. We encourage you to
website. Last year, there were over skills and inspire young people to
use British Science Week as an
5,000 events reaching more than 1 consider a career in engineering.
opportunity to link STEM to other
million people. Help us make Get your students to take a fresh
curriculum subjects and to your
British Science Week 2018 even look at engineering using activities in
childrens’ own backgrounds, lives
bigger and better! Visit this pack.
and interests. 
www.britishscienceweek.org

Early Years Explorer Award

least four activities
Each child who takes part in at
Science Week
from this pack can get a British
how to register
2018 Explorer Award. To find out
and get your certificates visit
xplorer-award
www.britishscienceweek.org/e

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 Contents
The theme for this year’s British Science Week is
exploration and discovery.

EXPLORING THE OUTDOORS

Bug hotel 3
Watch a seed grow 4

EXPLORING OUR HOMES

Escape from the ice 5
Music maker 6

EXPLORING THE WORLD

Ocean in a bottle 7
Giant bubbles 8
Rocket rescue – save the day 9

POSTER COMPETITION 10

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 Exploring the outdoors

Bug hotel
About this activity What to do
1. Find a good spot where you’d like to put your
Extra things to do
Your children could make a simple tally by
children
This activity is designed to get flower pot (perhaps near some trees or bushes) going out each day and counting how many of
wha t bug s can be found in
thinking about and put a few stones next to the flower pot to each type of bug they find in the hotel.
t materials
their natural environment, wha stop it rolling over or blowing away.
y like to eat.
bugs like to live in and what the Why not get creative and decorate the
by building 2. Fill it with twigs, bark and dried leaves that will hotel too?
Children will make a bug hotel make it cosy for your guests.
little critters
a nice cosy environment that Find more activities here 
creative by 3.
will enjoy living in. They can get Add a few sugar cubes to tempt them in, and www.okido.co.uk/schools
decorating it too! maybe add a personalised ‘welcome’ sign at
the front.

Kit list
Things to think about
A flower pot
Stones The children can consider:
Twigs Where could you look for bugs outside?
Bark What sorts of bugs might you find?
Dried leaves
What kind of places do bugs like to hide in? *** * *
Waterproof marker

*
What do you think bugs like to eat?
Sugar cubes

Key words
Bugs, eat, garden, live, environ
habitat, insects
ment
Watch out!
s as they
Be careful when handling bug
may bite or stin g.
.
Wash hands after working outside
3
 Exploring the outdoors

Watch seeds grow

About this activity What to do
1. Soak the beans in a glass of cold water
Things to think about
The children can consider:
children to
This activity is designed to get the day before.
seed turns
understand the concept that a What does a plant need to grow?
d water, sun 2.
into a plant and that plants nee Cut some dish cloths to fit inside the snap
How long do you think it will take for
and air to grow. lock bags.
the seed sprout?
sprouting 3.
In this activity, children will be Staple the dish cloth to the bag, leaving a few
bean seeds of their own! centimetres at the bottom for the roots to grow.
Extra things to do
4. Add some water to the dish cloth to keep it
Your children could draw pictures every
Kit list
moist. Then put a few beans in the bag.
few days to track the growth of the seed.
5. Seal the bag and hang it near a sunny window.
Find more activities here 
Clear snap lock bags Watch the beans grow!
www.okido.co.uk/schools
A few kitchen dish cloths 6. When the seedlings have leaves, they will need
d beans,
Different beans, e.g. black-eye air to keep growing. Plant each seedling in a
broad beans or runner bea ns small pot of soil and then transfer to a larger pot
Water or plant in the garden when they grow bigger.
Stapler

Key words
, air
Seed, grow, sprout, water, sun

Watch out!
ds may be
Don’t eat the sprouts as the see
pre-treated with chemicals.

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 Exploring our homes

Escape from the ice

About this activity What to do
1. Put a small amount of water in a yoghurt pot or
erstand
This activity helps children to und similar container and add a figurine. Put this in
of wa ter and tha t it can
the properties the freezer.
freeze and me lt.
a foil- 2. When it is frozen, top up the water and freeze
In this activity, children handle again so that the figurine will be inside the ice,
encouraged
wrapped object and they are not floating on the top.
to think about what might be insi
de. 8. After unwrapping, discuss what the best
small figure
3. Release the ice from its container. You might way to get the figurine out of the ice is.
When it is opened, they find a need to run the yoghurt pot under a little water Putting it in a bowl of warm water perhaps?
! How can they
trapped inside a block of ice to free the ice. Or maybe putting in on the windowsill?
help it escape its icy prison? How about tapping it with a hammer?
4. Wrap the ice in tin foil.
5. Hand out the foil parcels and ask them what
9. Finish up by going over what they learnt,
Kit list they think is inside? How would they know this?
making sure to use the key vocabulary.

le container 6.
Yoghurt pot or small freezab Have them try bang the parcel on the table, Things to think about
to find out if it is hard. See if it will bend and
A figurine, e.g. Lego person The children can consider:
stretch.
Water Where do you think this water is coming
A freezer
7. How does it feel in their hands?
from?
Foil Why are your hands cold and wet?
figure,
Other resources to release the
r or bow l of tepid What will make the ice melt?
e.g. a small hamme
water Would anything make the ice melt faster?

Watch out! How can we get the person out of the ice?

Key words Take care when breaking the

figurine out
to be used,
Extra things to do
id, solid of the ice. If a small ham me r is
Ice, melt, freeze, thaw, water, liqu sec ure to pre vent it You child could draw or tell a story about how
make sure the ice is
fing ers. the figurine got into the ice.
from slipping or hitting
any mess.
5 Have a towel handy to mop up
 Exploring our homes

Music maker
About Part one Part three

this You could start this activity by reading your

students the new Little Miss Inventor book to be
Have the children decide which is the best sound
for starting a race. You could go outside and test it!
activity released during British Science Week.
Things to think about
Join the newest character in the They can then explore what happens when you
e
Mr. Men & Little Miss series, Littl change the amount of liquid in a bottle. The Try filling a few similar sized bottles with different
to hel p all her
Miss Inventor, on her mission children will need several bottles all of the same amounts of water and then encourage children to
l inventions.
friends with new and fantastica size and should tap them gently with a spoon. put the sounds in order from low to high notes.
or wants to
For this activity, Little Miss Invent
ma ke a suit able noise Part two Extra things to do
help Little Miss Quick
a rac e. But how ?
to signal the start of Give them other things to explore, e.g. different Try blowing across the top of the bottles.
t’s how!
By inventing a music maker, tha sized glass bottles, jars, glasses, teapots, mugs or Try tapping other things like sticks, bowls, cups,
clay plant pots. glasses and flower pots. See what else you can do
how different
Your children will be exploring to make a musical sound.
sounds, to
levels of water make different
start Little
decide which is the best one to Visit www.egmont.co.uk/blog/little-miss-inventor-
Miss Quick’s race. joins-mr-men-little-misses for more information
about the Little Miss Inventor book.

Kit list
Several identical glass bottles
Additional glass or pot contain
ers of
mu gs,
Watch out!
different sizes e.g. flower pots, using glass.
Care needs to be taken when
cups, glasses or jars on’ s pol icy for using
pers Check your organisati
Spoons, pencils or other tap glass. Clear up water spil ls and bre akages
/or gently.
Tubes with one end sealed and quickly. Encourage chi ldre n to tap
nec ks to blo w across
bottles with narrow thoroughly
e.g. milk or water bot tles . Empty and clean all containers
before use.
6 Food colouring (optional)
 Exploring the world

Ocean in a bottle
with Mister Seahorse
About this activity What to do
1. You could begin by reading Mister Seahorse
Things to think about
The children can consider:
rn about
This activity is for children to lea by Eric Carle to your class and then describe
and water
the creatures of the sea, how oil that they’ll be making a habitat (home) for the
Look closely, what can you see in the bottle?
ves.
interact, and how to make wa characters of the book. Can you see all the creatures or are they
ke their
In this activity, children will ma 2. Wash and dry the two-litre bottle and remove
camouflaged (hidden)?
for Mister
own ‘ocean in a bottle’ habitat all labels. Can you make waves in your bottle?
Seahorse.
3. Fill the bottle halfway with tap water. What happens when you try to mix the oil
and water?
4.
Kit list
Add a few drops of blue food colouring and
swirl around to mix. What do you think will happen when you
leave the bottle still?
Empty bottle with lid 5. Add glitter and sea creatures if you’re using
Clear vegetable oil them.
Extra things to do
Water 6. Fill the bottle the rest of the way with vegetable
oil using a funnel. Your children could act out the journey of Mister
Funnel
Seahorse, meeting all his friends along the way.
Blue food colouring 7. Seal the cap.
toy sea
Optional: sand, toy shapes,
creatures, e.g. a seahorse or other Look how Mister Seahorse tumbles and turns in the
boo k, shells, water in the book. Turn the bottle on its side and gently
creatures mentioned in the
rock it to create a wave inside your ocean habitat.
glitter

Key words

04
Eric Carle 20
Wave, ocean, seahorse, oil, wa
ter, Watch out!
habitat, camouflage Take care pouring the water and
oil

copyright ©
into the bottle.
mess.
Have a towel handy to mop up any
shaking it.
7 Make sure the lid is on tight before
 Exploring the world

Giant bubbles
About this activity What to do
1. Dissolve the cornflour in the water, stirring well,
Things to think about
The children can consider:
n to
This activity aims to get childre then gently stir in the remaining ingredients.
bub ble s are ma de and How are bubbles made?
understand how Avoid creating too much froth. Allow your
ts go into a gia nt bub ble
what ingredien mixture to sit for at least an hour, stirring What goes into bubble mixture?
mixture. occasionally if you see the cornflour settling to
How do I make the biggest bubble?
the bottom.

Kit list
Can you see the rainbow colours in
2. Support your children to do all the mixing and
the bubbles?
measuring.
6 cups of water Which bubble wand makes the
3. Whilst the mixture is settling, make your bubble
1/2 cup of washing up liquid wands. You can do this in a few ways; first, feed
best bubbles?
1/2 cup of cornflour string through the drinking straws and tie to
Extra things to do
1 tablespoon of baking powder make a circle. The straws can act as handles
when you dip it in the solution. Next, try tying You could try adding colouring to the mixture or
1 tablespoon of glycerine
, e.g. string or wool to a stick, one end at the top of experimenting with different items that could be
Materials to make bubble wands the stick, the other about half way down. used as wands.
string, sticks, straws, hoops
4. Finally, you can create varying sizes of hoops.
5. Now, go outside and make giant bubbles! The
Key words first few out of the solution may pop, but persist;
they will start to get stronger and stronger. The
Bubble, mixture, giant, rainbow best days to do this are slightly sunny with little
breeze.

Watch out!
Do not swallow the mixture.
8 Mop up any spills quickly.
 Exploring the world

Rocket rescue
Save the day
About this What to do 4. Decorate your rocket, add wings or
draw yourself on as the pilot. Stand back
activity 1. Draw a planet on the card.
Add numbered circles to make a
and 3-2-1 launch! Did you rescue your toy?
Try to make changes to improve it, then
r who target. Place a toy to be rescued
Bitz is an 8-year old female enginee test again.
and inve ntin g in the centre. Get engineering!
loves exploring, making
. The y ma ke
with her brother Bob 2. Roll up small bits of paper. Point the Key words
c
amazing creations and have epi bottle opening at them and squeeze.
som etim es ther e are Rocket, engineering, planet, rescue,
adventures, however, The air coming out pushes the paper
mu st solv e pro blems push, forces
surprises, so Bitz and Bob balls. What happens with a larger
k in teams, usin g their
as a team. Engineers wor bottle or if you squeeze softly?
build and test , solving
knowledge to design, Things to think about
problems to help the wo rld aro und the m. 3. Cut a strip of paper, roll it
into a tube and tape up the edge. What happens to the rocket when you
st imagine
In this activity, your children mu Stick a cone or a paper ball on one squeeze the bottle?
lost planet
their favourite toy is stuck on a end. Put the other end over the bottle
What makes the rocket move?
g a rocket!
and they must rescue them usin and squeeze. What happened?
ma ke and test a rocket
They will design, What would help it How can you make your rocket fly further?
y to sav e the day !’
to ‘Invent a wa fly better?
How could you improve your rocket?

Kit list Extra things to do

Watch out!
tles Bitz & Bob is a pioneering, stand out new pre-
Selection of empty water bot school series, exploring the principles of science
without lids and of engineering through creative play,
s with
A4 paper Take care cutting the paper strip crafting and invention. Tune in to CBeebies.
Sticky tape the scissors.
bottles
Child-friendly scissors Remove the lids from the water
y are a
Large piece of card and recycle them as the
choking hazard.
Pens and coloured crayons
ards
Toy figure to be rescued Do not shoot your rockets tow
copyright © BBC and FremantleMedia Limited MMXVI
anyone.
9 An extra pair of hands!
 Poster competition
About this activity What to do Extra things to do
For more details, along with the full set of rules
Science
Get creative and enter the British Plan your poster
and tips for educators, check out our website
ual pos ter com pet ition.
Association’s ann Ask your children about exploration and www.britishscienceweek.org/plan-your-
ter about
Your children can make their pos discovery activities/poster-competition/
discovery
whatever type of exploration or
competition
they like, and enter our UK-wide Explore ideas such as:
of prizes.
with the chance to win an array Exploring your back yard
Discovering something you didn’t know
Exploring the science in our everyday lives.
Kit list Make your poster
Paper (A4 or A3) It’s time to get creative!
s, pencils,
Creative materials, e.g. pen The poster must be:
nt,
scissors, glue, watercolours, pai
e cle aners,
colouring crayons, glitter, pip 2D (flat) – if you make a model, you need to
ws,
felt, thread, wool, foil, clay, stra just send us a photo of it
eyes,
string, beads, stamps, googly On A4 or A3 paper
foam, sequins, pom poms
They can use materials such as paint, drawing
pencils, crayons and paper.
Send us your poster
Posters will be judged on how creative and how
well the poster has been made or drawn. Once
the poster is complete, write your children’s
information on the back, fill in the online
registration form, and then post their entries to us.

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www.britishscienceweek.org
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