I Spy...

For our next science activity we are going to be experimenting with invisible ink!

We will be releasing this activity on the Surrey Libraries Facebook page on Thursday 16th July at 10.30am. 

For this activity you are going to need:

• some paper
• a cotton bud
• lemon juice
• water

For more information watch this introductory video.

Follow Surrey Libraries on Facebook and Twitter for the latest information and don't forget to visit Science Club on the Surrey Libraries YouTube Channel

Make a Zoetrope

A zoetrope is a spinning cylinder with slits that allow you to see an animation, that predates film. If you have ever used a flip book it works in a similar way. The way it works is that your brain is able to fill in the gaps between frames. So as you look at the image our brain converts the individual images into a moving picture. 

The first thing that you need to do is get your piece of black paper and fold it in half longways. It is then time to do some measuring to make the slits that is going to make up your zoetrope. You are going to measure 2.5cm along the length of paper and then make another mark after 0.5cm. You then need to measure 2.5cm down and make this into a rectangle. You can then cut out this rectangle. 

You are going to repeat this along the length of the piece of paper and then cut the paper along the fold. You are then going to stick the two pieces of paper together so that you have a long strip of paper with slits along one edge.

You are then going to stick your long strip of black paper into a cylinder and attach it to your paper plate

You are next going to want to cut two strips of paper that are no higher than the start of the slits in the black paper. You can then draw your animation on this strip of paper. It could be something easy like my example of a ball bouncing up and down or something more difficult. You could even find some examples or templates online.

You are then going sick your animation strip to the inside of your black paper cylinder.

The last thing that you need to do is make a hole in the middle of the paper plate and attach a straw. You may need to use some sticky tack to secure it in place. 

You are now ready to spin you Zoetrope and see your animation.

To see the video tutorial for this activity have a look at the Surrey Libraries Facebook Page

Spinning Around...

For our next science activity we are going to be making a Zoetrope!

A Zoetrope is a spinning cylinder with slits that allow you to see an animation and works in a similar way to a flip book.

We will be releasing this activity on the Surrey Libraries Facebook page on Thursday 9th July at 10.30am. 

For this activity you are going to need:

• A paper plate
• A piece of black paper
• A piece of white paper
• A ruler
• A pencil
• A pair of scissors
• Tape
• Sticky Tack
• A Straw

For more information watch this introductory video.

Follow Surrey Libraries on Facebook and Twitter for the latest information and don't forget to visit Science Club on the Surrey Libraries YouTube Channel

Make a Birdfeeder

There are lots of different birds that are common to parks and gardens. By making a bird feeder you will get the chance to observe the birds when they come and visit your bird feeder as well as helping the wild bird population around you!

Some parts of this activity may be a bit tricky and so you may need an adult to help you!

The first thing that you are going to need to do is cut some holes in your milk bottle for the birds to get inside. You will want to cut holes on two sides of the milk bottle.

The next thing that you need to do is to make two holes near the top of the milk bottle and thread some string through so that the milk bottle can be hung up

You next need to push two wooden skewers through the milk bottle. They need to go through underneath the holes that you have cut and go in at opposite directions. They will act as perches for the birds to sit on while they are eating the bird seed in the bird feeder.

When you have finished making your bird feeder you can decorate it with pens, paints or other decorations if you want to and then add some bird seed and hang it up outside.

You are now ready to start looking for birds

If you would like some help recognising some common garden birds then download this birdwatching worksheet to help you. 

To see the video tutorial for this activity visit the Surrey Libraries Facebook Page or the Surrey Libraries YouTube Channel.

What can you see???

For our next science activity we will be making a bird feeder!

We will be releasing this activity on the Surrey Libraries Facebook page on Thursday 2nd July at 10.30am. 

For this activity you will need:

• A plastic milk bottle
• A pair of scissors
• String
• Wooden skewers

You may also like to collect some colouring pens or paint to decorate your bird feeder and some bird seed to put into your bird feeder.

For more information watch this short introduction film.

Follow Surrey Libraries on Facebook and Twitter for the latest information and don't forget to visit Science Club on the Surrey Libraries YouTube Channel

Building Bridges

Building a bridge can be a really fun activity that you can do either on your own or in a group. You can make one out of recycled materials or anything that you can find. You may like to look at some pictures for inspiration or make it from your own design.

We are going to be designing a bridge that is at least 30cm/12inches long. This is the length of a large school ruler or the length of the long side of a piece of A4 piece of paper. You will want to build it over a gap, there may be one at home you can use or you may be able to design one.

Bridges support weight both horizontally and vertically so you will need to think about this or your bridge may sag or buckle. 

You will also want to think about what shapes you are using to design your bridge. Some shapes are stronger than others. What shape do you think is the strongest? You may like to experiment with some different shapes and see what happens...

If you take 3 pieces of paper and fold 1 into a circular column, one into a triangle column and one into a square column and test to see which one holds the most books...

You may want to use these results to help you build your bridge...

I hope you have fun with this activity. To see the video tutorial for this activity visit the Surrey Libraries Facebook Page or the Surrey Libraries YouTube Channel

Can You Build It???

For our next science session we are going to be building a bridge!

To do this you are going to need to collect a few things:

You can use whatever you want or have available to build your bridge. Your bridge will need to be at least 30cm/ 12inches long. You may like to collect some recycled materials such as - cardboard boxes, toilet roll/ kitchen roll tubes, plastic packaging, or whatever you can find. You will also need a pair of scissors and tape or glue to help put your bridge together and you may want to use craft materials such as lolly sticks, string or other useful things...

For more information watch this short introduction film.

This activity will be released on Thursday 25th June at 10:30am on Surrey Libraries Facebook page.

Follow Surrey Libraries on Facebook and Twitter for more information and do not forget to visit Science Club on the Surrey Libraries YouTube Channel