Science party, anybody done one? What do you think of...

[pickie]

DS will be 5 next month and as we've just been to the science museum in London plus reguarly go to SO (science Oxford) DS likes to have a science party (phew saved from a Ben 10 party!).

Think he is too young to have a party at the museum or have the science boffins over as it will be mainly 4 and 5 year olds so thought maybe organising a party here at our house and do some experiments such as bottle diver & sky diver & floating test & optical illusions, ballon blow up, vinegar volcano and last but not least magic milk.

Will probably pick 4/5 activities and have corners in the garden where they can do these activities given it is good weather!
Anybody done this where the Dc are so young? Am I mad to do this? Will be roughly 12 DC.

Any tips/hints welcome!!

I found some science entertainers once

before I realised that I would never ever pay for someone to come and entertain kids who can entertain tehmselves

www.scienceboffins.com/

you might get some ideas from the site, or want to hire them

oh and the science museum in London do parties so maybe the Oxford one does too?

I have to ask. what is magic milk?!

I could think of loads of things...

Making slime is fun - borax, PVA glue, and food colouring.

Secret writing - lemon juice and an iron.

If you have a sunny day, they would be absolutely fascinated by burning holes in paper via a magnifying glass.

Flying mice are fun (look at the Sci Mus website, KS2) - make a little cone (which you decorate into a mouse, and place it over an empty 2L bottle or milk bottle, and hit the bottle to make the mouse fly.

wooden skewer through a balloon and it doesn't pop is fab

film canister rockets with alka seltzer tablets

You can have loads of fun with vinegar/bicarb and candles

thanks for the great tips, they certainly will be fascinated by the magnifying glass & paper.

magic milk: fill a plate of milk to the rim add drops of food colouring and then add a little washing up liquid and see what happens :-)

Off to try the wooden skewer& balloon, why wouldnt it pop?

oooh someone posted loads of fab stuff a while bacck - a teacher was asking for fun things for a big high profile science week

i posted on the thread but cant fin it

Another fun thing to do at home is Red Cabbage Indicator. They won't understand what is going on, but would be absolutely fascinated by the vibrant colours it produces.

If you decide not to have Science Boffins (they were fab for DS's 8th) then I'd say you'd need a few adults helping you out.

there are some US websites with great ideas (such as builing a volcano) if you google "science parties".

this science experiment book is great. Off the top of my head, I think kids that age would love the witches potion, cornflour and water goo,
floating raisin but there are probably loads of others that would work.

www.usbornebooksathome.co.uk/catalogue/browse.asp?css=1

hmm ballon popped with a full bang when I put skewer through but didnt when I put tape over the balloon!

LS- have 3 lovely 10 year olds helping me out as wouldnt manage on my own . Do you think Science Boffins is suitable for 4/5 year olds? As think their attention span might not be long enough or prefer to just run around.

There's always the Mentos and Diet Coke demo

Ok I think I did it wrong. The food coloring colored the milk all one color, and adding washing up liquid did nothing?

Nutterly, see this video magic milk

came up 1st googling magic milk, Cbeebies should have a demo somewhere as well but couldnt find it

Large jar of water
Picture of animal facing one way
Place it behind the jar of water and it will magicaly "flip" to face the other side

have fun - it sounds great

thanks silkcutmana.

invites ordered, helpers sorted now only need to get large empty drinks bottles!

Am going to do:

Bottle diver
Vinegar volcano
Magic milk
Optical trick with bird and cage
Magnifying glass if good weather
Making slime and or making huge bubbles

many thanks for all your help!

I found a good website www.e-entertainers.co.uk they entertain children with fab science themed parties for a small cost, seem much cheaper than other similar companies :-)

I found a good website www.e-entertainers.co.uk they entertain children with fab science themed parties for a small cost, seem much cheaper than other similar companies :-)

There is another thread on this topic, started by Katz. Her DD is having a science party next month. She has a list of experiements ready suitable for this age group.

I will go look....

Thread here