Specialist equipment? Who needs it? There’s a wealth of science to be gained from everyday items

Marble runs and ketchup splats can form the basis of you next investigation without a beaker or pipette in sight

“So, Jasmine, why exactly is there an empty bottle of shampoo in the fridge?” This was a question I posed to my youngest daughter a while ago. Her response: “It’s not empty, it’s got water in it”. This deserved further exploration on my part, as a thinking and curious scientist (or as a nosey parent). As it turned out, it seemed that Jasmine was trying to cool the water so she could throw it over her sister in the bath. She was very disappointed to discover that the water wasn’t there anymore.

This led to an explanation as to what evaporation was (and wasn’t) followed by a series of short experiments in the home to explore further: we made dippy egg for breakfast, measuring the water in the saucepan both before and after cooking the egg; we made tacos for dinner and reduced the sauce for the mince, observing how the liquid changed; and we went outside to look at the pond and the ‘tide mark’ around the edge.

There wasn’t a single piece of science equipment in sight, which is all part of our personal philosophy about science – if it doesn’t come out of the toy box, the kitchen or the garden, how is it going to make sense to a child? What purpose will she see in studying it?

Smooth apparatus

So what sorts of science can you do, and what objects can you use? The answer, surely, is ‘all of it’ and ‘anything’! Science, in common with the other subjects that make up STEM, is all around us. It is the basis of all our world. Take the humble balloon: a favourite, inexpensive toy, used in many a party game. How much science can you get out of this simple piece of latex rubber? Let’s see.

First, you need to have a curious mind that is full of questions – a trait we should encourage in all our children. These are just a few of the thoughts running through my own head as I think of a balloon and all the things I could ask. (You could even develop this further by asking about hot air balloons and how they work.)

• How much air can it hold?
• Why does it make noise when you let it go?
• If you fill it with water and drop it, will it bounce or burst? Why? How can I change the result?
• Why do helium balloons rise up?
• Why do balloons deflate if left for a long time?
• Is it easier to blow up a long balloon or a round one?
• How do you make a balloon?
• Do some colours blow up bigger than others? Or pop sooner?
• If you put a hexagonal nut in a balloon, blow it up, tie it off and spin it, why does it make a noise? How can you change that?
• Can you make a tune by letting the air out of a balloon?

Let’s get physical

So what would be the science behind questions like these? Would they lead to viable lessons or ‘just a bit of fun’? Why not both?

Science should be fun. Just because something doesn’t look like a ‘traditional’ activity, such as thermal insulation, doesn’t mean you can’t do it, or that there won’t be a learning gain.

There are, however, some questions you need to ask yourself before you provide children with a range of balloons and expect meaningful science and learning to emerge. Take any of the questions above and ask yourself:

1. What type of enquiry would this be?
Is it pattern seeking? Or a survey? What about classification? Or, dare I say, a ‘fair test’? (In actual fact, with a couple of exceptions, none of the above would be a fair test in the strict sense: they can be made fairer, but it would be a mistake to bill them as a fair test investigation.)

2. What variables would you have?
Just because it isn’t a fair test doesn’t mean there isn’t something to measure or observe (dependent variable), because of what is changed (independent variable).

3. Which skill would it be appropriate to develop?
Would it lend itself to recording and presenting the information? To sharing the findings and applying prior knowledge to explain these? Or to evaluating the method used, or the quality of the results?

4. Would you be able to cover an aspect of the National Curriculum?
If you’ve thought about the first three questions, then obviously ‘yes’, as ‘working scientifically’, or ‘enquiry’ (in old money) is part of the science Programmes of Study. In terms of knowledge and understanding, then many of these questions would provide an opportunity (e.g. ‘sound’ when investigating if you can play a tune). So why not think up some of your own questions and see how you could use a balloon?

Playing ketchup

Something else that’s fun to consider is ‘splats’. Just get some large rolls of wallpaper , a range of ketchups or sauces and provide children with a range of questions. How does the height from which you ‘splat’ affect the size of the splat? What’s the widest splat you can create? Is Heinz really better than any other variety?As well as that, there is, of course, the taste test. It’s subjective, I know, but it qualifies as a survey, so it’s a type of enquiry.

The ‘science’ behind it may be beyond many primary-aged children (viscosity and thixotropic substances) but they would certainly be able to work out the principles even if they didn’t have the scientific vocabulary to go with the concepts.

Does this matter? Personally, I think not. Being able to experience, describe and explain in your own words, and showing a clear understanding, is far more effective that using science words that you don’t really understand.

So, next time you’re in the kitchen or opening the toy box and want to make science fun and relevant for your class, don’t hold back. Consider the questions, the skills and types of investigation. You’re still doing ‘real science’.

Everyday activities

Any kinds of toys work well with a bit of imagination. Here are a few examples to get you going:

• Marble runs can lead to investigations on speed versus slope, and size of marble versus slope or speed, etc. See ASE’s Primary Science (ase.org.uk/journals/primary-science) or The Discovery Corner in the Netherlands (ontdekhoek.nl) for ideas.
• Consider blowing bubbles. Ask questions such as ‘which soap makes the biggest bubble?’,  ‘How does the price of the soap affect the time the bubble lasts?’, and ‘Does the amount of air blown into the bubble affect the size of the number or bubbles?’. All these are clearly investigation skills of different types of investigations and also linked to STEM subjects, e.g. considering the time a bubble lasts could be a washing-up liquid manufacturer’s problem.
• What about M&Ms in water? What happens to them (observation over time)? Why does it happen (secondary sources)? Does it happen to other sweets as well (classification)? Just a few ideas to set you on your way to using everyday objects with your class.

About the author

Tara Lievesley is an independent consultant for primary education and editor of the ASE’s primary publication.