Backyard Science

A stolen diary is recovered with the help of a home-made compass; how to defy gravity with a bucket of water; making dirty water clean with a couple of plastic containers; sorting salt from pepper the easy way; why the heart is the body’s strongest muscle; and why saliva is an essential part of any kid’s eating equipment. What’s going to be first into orbit—a lemon fizz powered cork or a foot-pump powered plastic bottle? What’s the strongest food in the kitchen? How to capture your fingerprints; make a clanging bell with a coat hanger; learn a rope trick or two; and build a soap-powered boat.

Finding the cookie-stealing culprit with some clever backyard detective work; how to get rich by taking coins from the bottom of a pile without touching them or toppling them over; make a new watering device from an empty soft drink can; build a balloon-powered mail delivery system for your love letters; work out how fast your reactions are, and tipping a glass of water over your friend while they stay dry! How to build a rubber band powered paddle steamer; why two eyes are better than one; how to stick two books together using just the pages; a “hands-free” way to move an egg from one eggcup to another; how to see sound waves at work; and how fast does water flow?

How to stop your newly-designed bike track being swept away in a storm; how to walk on eggshells without cracking them; making a musical instrument that will really annoy any adults within earshot; scare your friends with your very own mummified apple; how to keep a coin rolling along inside a balloon, and life in an igloo—how cool is that? Make your very own mould farm with kitchen leftovers; find out why some dinosaurs had rocks in their guts; see why a wet sock will cool you down much quicker than a dry one; a card trick to amaze your friends; build your own lava lamp and find your centre of balance.

How to clean up an oil spill in a fish tank; using detergent to break up surface tension in a bowl of milk; making a plant water sprayer with a couple of straws; how to make eggs bounce; build your own submarine, and how to distinguish between diet and regular soda. Finding out what really saves crash test dummies when cars hit the wall; discover what gets your heart pumping; turning a boring bunch of flowers into a colourful display; how your height changes between morning and night; find out what makes you dizzy, and using static electricity to get those soft drink cans racing!

Blast a Stunt Man across your backyard, turn flour into sugar with a wave of your wand, poke a flimsy straw into a tough old potato, make some snowshoes out of Dad’s new tennis racquets and turn your friends into a slithering snake. Learn how to make a bubble in a bubble, create a revolting-looking fake wound, whip up a whirlpool in a bottle, whip off a tablecloth without breaking a dish and meet the fastest ice cube melter in the West.

Concoct your own ice cream in a plastic bag, make a paperclip look like it’s floating in mid air, teach your brain to perform amazing new tricks, find out why bubbles always form spheres and make a megaphone that’ll have your friends jumping to your every command. Build a super two-level camping shelter, concoct a face full of pus-filled boils, make your morning breakfast cereal jump up and dance, put together a plastic replacement lung and make a silver spoon stick on your nose.