How would I make science fun for children? I pondered this while sipping tonic water, watching the bubbles nucleating in the liquid and at the glass interface, rising through the translucent liquid.  

Then it hit me – what if I added some raisins? Raisins add nucleation sites for the bubbles to form faster and larger. When the bubbles stick to the raisins, an upthrust force is created, counterbalancing the raisins’ weight and making the raisins rise through the liquid. And just like that, I thought, this is science. Simple, captivating, and full of surprises – exactly what sparks curiosity in young, and not so young, minds. 

Making science fun is not about expensive chemistry kits or the like. A science experiment can be done with basic household items. For example, Richard Feynman, one of the greatest physicists of the 1900s, once gave uncooked spaghetti to each of his guests and asked them to apply opposite forces at each end to see how the spaghetti would break. It would never break in half.  

I know you want to try that now – that’s the curiosity of the scientist, an inner child like curiosity that tempts us to experiment and experience the world. The excitement of breaking spaghetti reflects the emotional experience that sparks curiosity and the realisation that science is not just a subject, but a journey of discovery. At home, sharing this excitement through a simple science experiment helps to show a child how science can feel almost magical… though there is no magic, and it can (most of the time) be explained. 

To make science even more engaging, I encourage dialogue with your child/children. Guide them to articulate what they observe and ask them to make connections or use analogies to explain their thoughts. This not only strengthens their observational skills but also develops their vocabulary and communication abilities. Their responses offer a glimpse into their thinking, providing valuable insight into their developing understanding of the world.  

I still remember when I, while still at primary school, went on a walk with my family and found an ammonite in a field. My parents got me to look it up in some books, which led me to imagining its life and surroundings in the Cretaceous seas, and because of the experience, I started collecting fossils. Eventually, I went on to study geology and active volcanoes at university, before travelling the world for my PhD. 

If the prospect of having broken bits of spaghetti spread around your kitchen floor or going for a long explorative walk does not appeal to you, there exists many beautiful children friendly science books that can bring the same excitement. 

Finally, to further develop their science capital, take them to science-related centres. There is so much joy to experience in hands-on, superbly crafted science displays. My favourites are The National Science and Media Museum in Bradford, The Thackray Museum of Medicine in Leeds, Eureka! in Halifax and Jodrell Bank Centre for Engagement in Cheshire. 

Science is not a static body of knowledge that is stuck in the past, but something that develops and evolves every day. I would not be writing this blog without someone pushing the frontiers of science to design the electricity network, the computer, the screen, the electromagnetic waves, and all the paraphernalia needed for you to read this.  

Making science fun is about getting children to realise that, through standing on that accepted body of knowledge, they will observe further and help make their world a better place.  

Whatever you do, stay curious. 

Dr Caroline Neuberg is a Senior Lecturer in Secondary Education (Science) at Leeds Trinity University.