Bug guns are a good tool for catching bugs. They suck the bug up when you pull the trigger into a catch jar. There is an extra jar so you can catch more bugs and bring them inside for awhile. My Dad hates the bugs inside, but he hates it more if we carry them inside in our hands. We have not lost any bugs that were in jar except when my brother dumped some on the sofa.
My bug gun is from a company called Backyard Safari. They make a lot of good toys. I have the bug gun, the bug house, and the bug scope. They also make bug guns with laser lights, bug nets, belts to put your stuff in and a compass. I would really like to have the compass. Some of their sets have badges you can collect too. I have a bug badge with a beetle.
Also appears with my Mom's review on dooyoo:
http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/child-development/backyard-safari-bug-vacuum/1710451/
Wednesday, 12 June 2013
Monday, 3 June 2013
Ants
Ants are a good pet to keep because they are easy to take care of. Ants are fun to watch, but I wish I had bought a queen ant because if we had a queen we would get a whole colony. The queen would lay eggs for the worker ants to carry, and the workers would take care of the larvae and pupa. We only have worker ants, and they have lots of food so they don't have much to do and they stay in their tunnels most of the time. Worker ants only live a few months so when my ants die I am going to get a queen. I will buy yellow ants because they are see through and have different colours. Yellow ants are native to Britain, so if they get out it won't hurt anything and they do not sting.
I keep my ants in an antosphere set. This is much more sun than a plain ant farm because you can different types of spheres. Some of our spheres have plants. We do not have to water the plants anymore because the sun makes water into vapour. This goes up to the top of the dome and turns into water. The water falls like rain and makes the soil wet. Then the sun makes the water in the soil into vapour again. Vapour looks like steam, and when there was too much water I couldn't see in the dome, but now we have it right. The ants go into the domes with plants when they are thirsty and drink water from the top of the domes or the leaves of the plants. They do not like to live in the plant domes. They built their houses in the dryer domes. They have to walk through tubes to go to different domes or to their food dishes.
Ants have lived since the Mesozoic Era. That is the same time as the dinosaurs. I think ants survived the Mesozoic extinction because their homes were underground. That means they would be safer from falling dust and debris and it doesn't get as hot or cold under ground. Also ants eat lots of different foods - even dead things. They are small so they do not need a lot of food. I think they lived because they had a safe home and could still find enough of the right kinds of food to eat.
I keep my ants in an antosphere set. This is much more sun than a plain ant farm because you can different types of spheres. Some of our spheres have plants. We do not have to water the plants anymore because the sun makes water into vapour. This goes up to the top of the dome and turns into water. The water falls like rain and makes the soil wet. Then the sun makes the water in the soil into vapour again. Vapour looks like steam, and when there was too much water I couldn't see in the dome, but now we have it right. The ants go into the domes with plants when they are thirsty and drink water from the top of the domes or the leaves of the plants. They do not like to live in the plant domes. They built their houses in the dryer domes. They have to walk through tubes to go to different domes or to their food dishes.
Ants have lived since the Mesozoic Era. That is the same time as the dinosaurs. I think ants survived the Mesozoic extinction because their homes were underground. That means they would be safer from falling dust and debris and it doesn't get as hot or cold under ground. Also ants eat lots of different foods - even dead things. They are small so they do not need a lot of food. I think they lived because they had a safe home and could still find enough of the right kinds of food to eat.
Thursday, 7 June 2012
KLutz Book of Paper Airplanes
This is one of my very favourite books. This book is about how to make paper airplanes and how to make them fly right. This book tells you how to make 10 paper airplanes. It is very big and really good pictures of the planes made with coloured papers. The instructions are easy to read and the pictures help a lot, but it is very hard to get the folds right. You have to make both sides exactly the same. Even though I try the best I can, my planes do not come out as well Mom's. But I still really like this book. I love the planes Mom made, I love the coloured paper that comes with this. It makes the best airplanes ever. I like reading this book and I like practising making the planes. I can make one of the planes well now, and I will keep practising until I can make them all.
Another good thing about this book is that it tells you ways to fix your air plane if it isn't working right and it tells you which planes are best for inside and which planes are best for outside. It shows you the best way to throw your plane. It tells you how to make them turn and tells about parts on real airplanes.
My favourite airplane in this book is the professional. It is for indoor and outdoor. It has triangle shaped wings. It one of the easier planes to make, and flies really well, It goes fast and makes loops. The people who make the book say it can go up to 71 feet. Mine haven't gone that far, but Mom says we can make a whole bunch of planes and test them all. We can use a measuring tape and see how far we can make them go.
I like this book a lot. I think other kids will like it too. My brother likes it too and he is only 3, but he can not make the planes. he just likes Mom to make them. I think this would be best for kids my age or maybe bigger. I am seven. I think this would make a very good Christmas or Birthday present because you can make so many planes.
The only bad thing about this book is you can not get more of the special paper when it runs out. You can make the planes with other paper, but this paper is really colourful with nice designs like space and bubbles.
* Mom's comment - my full review for this product, along with Billy's can be found here:
http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/book-of-paper-airplanes-doug-stillinger/1643595/
Another good thing about this book is that it tells you ways to fix your air plane if it isn't working right and it tells you which planes are best for inside and which planes are best for outside. It shows you the best way to throw your plane. It tells you how to make them turn and tells about parts on real airplanes.
My favourite airplane in this book is the professional. It is for indoor and outdoor. It has triangle shaped wings. It one of the easier planes to make, and flies really well, It goes fast and makes loops. The people who make the book say it can go up to 71 feet. Mine haven't gone that far, but Mom says we can make a whole bunch of planes and test them all. We can use a measuring tape and see how far we can make them go.
I like this book a lot. I think other kids will like it too. My brother likes it too and he is only 3, but he can not make the planes. he just likes Mom to make them. I think this would be best for kids my age or maybe bigger. I am seven. I think this would make a very good Christmas or Birthday present because you can make so many planes.
The only bad thing about this book is you can not get more of the special paper when it runs out. You can make the planes with other paper, but this paper is really colourful with nice designs like space and bubbles.
* Mom's comment - my full review for this product, along with Billy's can be found here:
http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/book-of-paper-airplanes-doug-stillinger/1643595/
Thursday, 31 May 2012
Vinegar science experiments
Fun things to do with vinegar:
Vinegar and baking soda make a chemical reaction. They make a gas called carbon dioxide. That's boring but the things you can make with it aren't boring.
We have a lot of science kits, and one of them came with a plastic volcano. You put vinegar and red food colour in, and then you put in baking soda and put the lid on very fast. The baking soda reaches the vinegar and hisses out. It shot up very high and made mess in the kitchen. When it gets enough gas it explodes. Gas makes real volcanoes explode too.
We use vinegar and baking soda to make a rocket fly too. Our rocket goes really high. We played with this all day today. It is called "Cosmic Rocket". Mom did it first I gave her goggles but she didn't wear them. It blew up too soon and Mom got it all over, even in her mouth. It was funny - it would have been more funny if it was Dad. Then I made the rocket go until I ran out vinegar. I went to to the shop more but I ran out again.
We also made a super bubbler by just pouring vinegar on baking soda.
Alien egg;
We made an alien egg by adding vinegar and green food colour to a cup with an egg. The vinegar rotted off the shell, so the egg only has a squishy stuff called a membrane. The egg is see through and green - we pretend it is an alien egg. We have kept it for 3 weeks now. It feels squishy and wet.
Blow a balloon: Put baking soda ina balloon add vinegar and tie it. It didn't get very big - but it did grow.
Explosions: This is really fun when it works but Mom has to help. You need magnesium tape. Smash it up and put it in a test tube. Add enough vinegar to cover tape. Mom cooks this with a spirit burner, and then shakes it. You have to keep your finger on the top. Take your finger off fast and hold match over tube. It makes a bang. Mom really jumped the first time. We got to try it later. But if you aren't fast enough it doesn't work.
Angry Dad:
We made angry Dad! We put vinegar in the super soaker. It stung his eyes and now he stinks. He was very angry but it was very funny - try it with your Dad.
*Mom's note the volcano came in Galt's Horrible Science Explosive Experiments
http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/child-development/galt-horrible-science-explosive-experiments/1638941/
You can make a volcano from paper mache or sand if you don't have one.
The rocket used was Science Museum Cosmic Rocket.
http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/novelty-toys/great-gizmos-science-museum-cosmic-rocket/1485124/
We used magnesium tape from Trends chemistry set, but you can buy it seperately online. It needs to be kept in a sealed bag or conatiner - if it get exposed to the open air and dampness it will not work as well. The vinegar and magnesium create hydrogen gas, but it is safe in this quanity. Do not try to make a bigger bang with a larger quanity though. If you don't have a spirit burner you can use a tea light. You just hold the bottom of the test tube in the flame. The test tube will go black at the bottom but it washes off easily. This was brilliant when we were studying airships and the Hindenburg explosion.
Vinegar and baking soda make a chemical reaction. They make a gas called carbon dioxide. That's boring but the things you can make with it aren't boring.
We have a lot of science kits, and one of them came with a plastic volcano. You put vinegar and red food colour in, and then you put in baking soda and put the lid on very fast. The baking soda reaches the vinegar and hisses out. It shot up very high and made mess in the kitchen. When it gets enough gas it explodes. Gas makes real volcanoes explode too.
We use vinegar and baking soda to make a rocket fly too. Our rocket goes really high. We played with this all day today. It is called "Cosmic Rocket". Mom did it first I gave her goggles but she didn't wear them. It blew up too soon and Mom got it all over, even in her mouth. It was funny - it would have been more funny if it was Dad. Then I made the rocket go until I ran out vinegar. I went to to the shop more but I ran out again.
We also made a super bubbler by just pouring vinegar on baking soda.
Alien egg;
We made an alien egg by adding vinegar and green food colour to a cup with an egg. The vinegar rotted off the shell, so the egg only has a squishy stuff called a membrane. The egg is see through and green - we pretend it is an alien egg. We have kept it for 3 weeks now. It feels squishy and wet.
Blow a balloon: Put baking soda ina balloon add vinegar and tie it. It didn't get very big - but it did grow.
Explosions: This is really fun when it works but Mom has to help. You need magnesium tape. Smash it up and put it in a test tube. Add enough vinegar to cover tape. Mom cooks this with a spirit burner, and then shakes it. You have to keep your finger on the top. Take your finger off fast and hold match over tube. It makes a bang. Mom really jumped the first time. We got to try it later. But if you aren't fast enough it doesn't work.
Angry Dad:
We made angry Dad! We put vinegar in the super soaker. It stung his eyes and now he stinks. He was very angry but it was very funny - try it with your Dad.
*Mom's note the volcano came in Galt's Horrible Science Explosive Experiments
http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/child-development/galt-horrible-science-explosive-experiments/1638941/
You can make a volcano from paper mache or sand if you don't have one.
The rocket used was Science Museum Cosmic Rocket.
http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/novelty-toys/great-gizmos-science-museum-cosmic-rocket/1485124/
We used magnesium tape from Trends chemistry set, but you can buy it seperately online. It needs to be kept in a sealed bag or conatiner - if it get exposed to the open air and dampness it will not work as well. The vinegar and magnesium create hydrogen gas, but it is safe in this quanity. Do not try to make a bigger bang with a larger quanity though. If you don't have a spirit burner you can use a tea light. You just hold the bottom of the test tube in the flame. The test tube will go black at the bottom but it washes off easily. This was brilliant when we were studying airships and the Hindenburg explosion.
Introduction
My name is Billy and I am 8 years old, so I am posting under my Mom's account. This blog will be all about the fun projects, trips and experiments we try as part of my school work. I am in P4 and home educated. My favourite subject is science and we do all sorts of fun experiments. I especially like anything from the Mesozoic era. I like dinosaurs but I like the plants and bugs from then too. I also like carnivorous plants, or just ones that attract different bugs.
I would like to hear from other kids who are home educated so please leave a message if you visit.
I would like to hear from other kids who are home educated so please leave a message if you visit.
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