What is Earth Day?

Earth Day is an annual event dedicated to raising awareness of climate change, deforestation and other environmental challenges facing the Earth. It has taken place on the 22nd of April each year since 1970!

As the threat of climate change deepens, we need to take action now more than ever. Together, we can make meaningful changes and protect the Earth for future generations.

Earth Day 2024 focuses on plastic pollution, which has become one of the most challenging issues we face. Did you know that half of all plastics were made in the last 15 years?

Why do we make so much plastic?

It's thought that around 50% of plastics made are single-use plastics! The convenience of plastic has led to a throwaway attitude toward it. Plastic is relatively inexpensive to make, versatile and durable. While plastic shopping bags are handy, they are used for a short amount of time and then can take hundreds of years to break down.

Plastic waste often ends up in the ocean, where it is broken down into microplastics. Microplastics have been found all over the world, including in the Mariana Trench.

What can you do?

Earth Day is about raising awareness, so why not try one of our activities related to climate change and pollution and then tell your family and friends?

Take the plastic pledge and reduce your plastic use and impact on the planet. This is a good activity to do with friends or in a group so children can brainstorm ideas together.

The activity sheets below are FREE. Just click on the image to get your copy!

Other ideas are to plant trees or help clean up an area local to where you live, perhaps by clearing litter or improving wildlife habitats.

Make a list of how you can live more sustainably. Some ideas are to use renewable energy sources, perhaps eat less meat, recycle and reuse, travel less, walk or cycle more and think about what you buy!

Work out your own carbon footprint using this carbon footprint calculator on the WWF website.

Activity Ideas for Earth Day

Learn about melting polar ice caps with this cool activity using lumps of ice in warm water.

Find out what we mean when we talk about greenhouse gases by making edible molecule models.

Discover how pollution affects marine habitats with this simple demonstration.

Do you have any activity ideas for Earth Day for us?

The post Easy Activity Ideas for Earth Day appeared first on Science Experiments for Kids.

Most penguins live in and around Antarctica in the southern hemisphere. This means they have to be able to survive in extreme cold conditions. Penguins have several adaptations that allow them to stay warm when temperatures plummet.

This simple science investigation uses a wax crayon to show how a waxy coating acts as a water-repellent.

Penguin adaptations

• Penguins produce oil from a gland near their tail which they spread over their feathers. This gives the feathers a waxy coating, allowing them to repel water.
• Densely packed feathers trap air, which acts as an insulator.
• A thick layer of blubber.
• This very simple science activity demonstrates how the waxy coating protects penguins from the extreme cold of their environment.

Why don't penguins freeze?

You'll need

Penguin printable experiment sheet ( or draw your own )

Wax Crayons

Marker pens / felt tip pens

Colouring pencils

Water

Instructions

Colour one penguin from the printable sheet with wax crayon. This needs to be a thick coating, so go over each area a few times with the crayon.

Leave the second penguin blank. This is the control.

Colour the last two penguins with two other types of pen. Marker pens ( felt tips ) or colouring pencils work well.

Carefully drop five drops of water onto each penguin.

Watch what happens to the water.

The wax crayon will repel the water. You should see beads of water form on the penguin coloured with crayons. The paper should absorb the water for the other three penguins as they don't have a waterproof coating.

Threats to penguins

Climate change and the warming of the Earth's polar regions are a huge threat to penguin populations. The melting of sea ice means penguins are losing their natural habitat.

Fishing - overfishing in Antarctic regions has reduced the food supply for penguins. They are also at risk of getting caught in nets.

What is an adaptation?

Adaptations are features which make an animal or plant well-suited to life in their environment.

Penguin adaptions

• Heavy, solid bones to allow them to stay underwater.
• Two layers of feathers to trap air for insulation.
• A thick layer of blubber for insulation.
• Streamlined shape for swimming.
• Strong claws and short legs for gripping on the ice and rocks.
• Paddle-like wings for swimming in water.

More penguin science activities

Experience first-hand why and how a thick layer of blubber helps keep penguins warm.

Learn about the effects of melting polar ice caps with a hands-on demonstration.

The post Why don't penguins freeze? Science Experiment appeared first on Science Experiments for Kids.

Find out what pollution is, why it's harmful, and how we can reduce it with these simple but effective science activities to teach kids about pollution. They are all great for teaching kids about pollution in a fun, hands-on way.

Plastic pollution has become a vast global problem. Plastic rubbish ends up in the oceans, which immediately impacts marine life and builds up in the food chain, causing unknown damage to human health. It's a crisis we all need to pull together to solve, which means educating people around us!

Would you want to swim in a swimming pool full of rubbish?

Pollution activities for 3-5 year olds

This simple visual demonstration of marine pollution is great for younger children to see the impact of Plastic waste on marine life.

Make a Plastic pledge to encourage children to think about changes they can make to reduce plastic waste.

This activity from Kindergarten Worksheets and Games uses celery and coloured water to demonstrate the effect of pollution on water sources. It's a very visual demonstration of the effects of water pollution on plants.

The effects of pollution on wildlife can be scary for little ones, but we can make a difference if we all change how we live.

Pollution Activities for 6-10 year olds

Set up a pretend oil spill using cooking oil for children to clean up!

Create your own water filter using filter paper, stones and sand.

Set up a sorting activity where children group items from their kitchen cupboards depending on whether they are recyclable.

Pollution Activities for 11-15 Year Olds

Have a recycled fashion show with clothes and accessories made from plastic rubbish!

Find an item of clothing that's too small and turn it into something new, for example, jeans into shorts or a skirt.

Write to shops and companies that aren't using recyclable or biodegradable packaging.

Set up a second-hand swap. This works well for things like Halloween costumes and Christmas jumpers that aren't worn very much.

Websites for teaching kids about pollution

Kids Against Plastic is a fantastic charity full of ideas and inspiration for how to take action against Plastic pollution!

Watch the video and read the facts in this article from the WWF to see just how real the plastic pollution problem is!

Surfers Against Sewage have brilliant water pollution lesson plans and printable resources to work through.

Greenpeace has lots of great initiatives you can join to help us move towards a plastic free future. Will you join them?

Finally, don't forget to look through my other climate change activities and resources.

The post Science Activities to Teach Kids About Pollution appeared first on Science Experiments for Kids.

What is a carbon footprint?

Your carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide and methane gas released into the air as a result of your activities!

Every time you fly or take a journey in a car you add to your carbon footprint. The food you eat also adds to to it. Food that has been flown from a far away country has a much bigger carbon footprint than locally grown produce.

However, even local food has some carbon footprint attached as it still needs resources to grow and possibly machinery to be harvested.

When you cook food you add to your carbon footprint again as cooking requires energy.

It's hard to have a carbon footprint of zero as we all need to eat and travel, but there are ways to reduce your carbon footprint by making simple changes such as eating less meat, reducing waste or walking instead of taking the car for short journeys. You can also offset carbon emissions by contributing to projects that remove carbon from the atmosphere such as tree planting, but this isn't always as simple as it sounds.

This handy tool from WWF lets you calculate your personal carbon footprint.

How to reduce your carbon footprint

Remember lots of small changes really do add up to a big overall change, so any action no matter how small is worth it!

Locally produced and organic food can be much more expensive than food with a bigger carbon footprint. We can all only do what we can, so choose the ideas that work best for you!

These free carbon footprint worksheets are great for helping think about which small changes you can make!

Ideas for reducing your carbon footprint

Use both sides of paper when writing or drawing.

Walk or cycle instead of taking the car.

Share car journeys when you can.

Buy locally produced food and other items where possible.

Share and re-use items as much as possible.

Fill an exercise book before getting a new one.

Turn off lights when you leave a room.

Shut down computers and televisions when they are not in use.

Eat more veggies! Meat and dairy production releases more greenhouse gases than growing fruit, vegetables and beans.

Don't waste food. Freeze leftovers, plan meals and buy in bulk where you can.

Use reusable shopping bags.

Avoid fast fashion - buy good quality clothes that will last a long time.

Check if your energy supplier uses green energy sources.

Check to see if your house is energy efficient.

Consider an electric or hybrid car.

Finally....

Tell your parents, friends and anyone who will listen about how to reduce their carbon footprint too!

The post How to reduce your Carbon Footprint appeared first on Science Experiments for Kids.

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges humans have had to face. This post gives an overview of climate change, what can be done, and lots of fun and FREE climate change resources for kids of all ages.

What is Climate Change?

The Earth's climate has changed many times over the last 4.5 billion years or so, and while some climate change is natural, the changes we are seeing now are the result of human activity.

Manmade gases from factories, power stations and cars are building up in the atmosphere where they trap heat from the sun like a greenhouse. This is why we call them greenhouse gases. We need some greenhouse gases, as without them the planet would be much colder, but too many greenhouse gases mean the Earth will get too hot!

Greenhouse gases mostly come from burning fossil fuels ( coal, oil, natural gas, petroleum ) for energy.

What will happen?

As the Earth warms, dangerous weather such as hurricanes, floods, and wildfires becomes more likely. Sea levels will start to rise as the ice caps melt, and large areas of land could flood. Some areas of the world will become so dry that nothing can grow, and others will become waterlogged. These effects are called climate change.

What can we do?

There is hope, but we need to act now. Emissions of greenhouse gases need to be drastically reduced as a matter of urgency. As a single person, it can be hard to imagine how your actions can make a difference, but to halt climate change, we all need to make small changes that add to a huge change.

If you choose not to use a plastic cup, for example, perhaps friends and family will do the same. This will ultimately save hundreds of plastic cups from ending up in the ocean or landfill.

Actions to save the Earth

Walk or share travel where you can.

Educate friends and family about what they can do.

Turn off the lights when you leave a room

Write to local governments and demand action.

Shop locally

Try to fix things rather than buy new

Buy and use less plastic

Avoid single-use plastic

Plant trees

Buy less stuff - share or buy secondhand.

Reduce Waste Printable Worksheets

With these FREE recycling worksheets, you can create your own plastic pledge and brainstorm ideas for reducing waste and using less plastic. Click the buttons to print, or scroll down to find a complete booklet.

I would love to see your ideas and plastic pledges, so don't forget to share!

Climate Change Design Worksheets

FREE Climate Change Pledge and Activity Pack

Get all the resources in one easy document. Remember to print in black and white and only the pages you need.

Easy Climate Change Science Activities

Greenhouse Gas Activities

Learn about greenhouse gases by making models using sweets.

Find out whether cows REALLY contribute to global warming!

Effects of Rising Temperatures

Discover what will happen to sea water levels if the ice caps melt.

Renewable Energy Activities

Learn about wind power with these simple wind powered pinwheels.

Carbon Footprint

I also have some FREE printable carbon footprint resources full of ideas for reducing your carbon footprint!

Learn about hydroelectric power with my water wheel!

Nature Activities

Find out why bees are so important and why we need to look after them.

Insects and other small animals are vital for our future. Help keep them safe with a bug hotel. The one below is amazing, but Red Ted Art has a mini bug hotel for smaller spaces.

Great Climate Change Information Websites for Kids

The WWF has lots of useful information about the effect of climate change of different species.

Friends of the Earth is full of up to date articles and information about climate change. This is aimed more at adults and older children, but a great place research what you can do to help save the planet and how to do it!

The post Great Climate Change Resources for Kids appeared first on Science Experiments for Kids.

Our changing climate and loss of bee friendly habitats are not good news for bees or the planet. Some species are already extinct, and many more are on the threatened list, but why are bees so important?

Why do we need bees?

Bees pollinate flowers

Bees pollinate 75-80% of food crops worldwide. Without bees to spread pollen between flowers, plants wouldn't be able to reproduce, and there would suddenly be a lot fewer plants in the world.

Without pollination, plants can't reproduce

Fewer plants mean less food, clothing and even medicines!

Plants are useful for lots of reasons

Plants also absorb carbon dioxide from the environment and produce oxygen ( by a process called photosynthesis ). Humans and animals need oxygen to breathe, and plants play a vital role in reducing carbon dioxide levels in the air.

Animals eat plants

Plants are an important food source for many animals, not just humans. If plant populations decline, the ripple effect will spread up the food chain.

What can we do to save bees?

Build a bug hotel

Building a bee or bug hotel will attract bees to your garden and give them a safe place to live.

If you have a lot of space, this pallet bug hotel is amazing! Old pallets are ideal for constructing a large bug hotel. Carefully stack them on top of each other and fill them with natural materials that provide bugs with numerous hiding places. Remember to leave enough space for bugs to move around, but not so much that bigger animals like hedgehogs can get in.

Make sure to add a roof to keep the bugs dry, and if you want to make it extra welcoming to little critters, plant some insect-friendly wildflowers close by!

Be more natural

Reducing the number of chemicals you use in the garden is another easy way to help save the bee population. Search for natural solutions to pests rather than reaching for pesticides. The RSPB has some great natural ideas for getting rid of pests!

We've had some success with copper tape stopping slugs from reaching our plants.

Create a bee-friendly garden

Creating a bee-friendly garden is another way to help. Bees need a supply of nectar and pollen from early spring to late autumn, so planting lovely flowering plants is very helpful to the bee population. Bees also need water, so a shallow dish of water and some flat stones to land on are a good addition to a bee garden, too.

If you need more ideas, Friends of the Earth has lots of suggestions for how to be more bee-friendly.

Record your ideas for saving the bees on one of my FREE worksheets!

The post Why do we need bees? appeared first on Science Experiments for Kids.

The Earth is known as the Goldilocks Planet, as rather like the littlest bears' porridge it is neither too hot nor too cold. It is this favourable temperature which allows life to exist.

Earth is the only planet we know of where water can be in the form of a gas, liquid or solid ( remember water is essential for life ). When scientists look for life on other planets, they usually look for water as an indicator of life.

At the North and South pole of our planet are vast sheets of ice which have more of an impact on global climate than you might think. As the ice melts, water absorbs warmth from the sun, which white ice would've reflected back into space, this contributes to the increasing temperature of our planet. Fresh water from melting ice sheets also changes ocean currents, affects conditions for wildlife and will potentially contribute to extreme weather conditions in the future.

Did you know sea levels are thought to have risen 15-20cm in the last 100 years due to melting ice?

What is an ice cap?

An ice cap is a thick layer of snow and ice covering less than 50,000 square kilometres. Ice caps form as snow falls, melts and falls again. Snow that melts slightly becomes harder and compressed. New snow falls on top and the snow underneath becomes even denser. This happens over and over again with layers of compressed, hard snow forming on top of each other. Eventually, a huge mass of solid ice forms, known as a glacier.

Ice caps in polar regions are known as polar ice caps.

What is an ice sheet?

An ice sheet is a glacial ice covering more than 50,000 square kilometres. The Antarctic ice sheet is the largest single mass of ice on Earth. If this melted it's thought that sea levels would rise by up to 60m!

Ice sheets form when snow that falls in winter doesn't entirely melt in summer. Over time the snow accumulates and compresses to form ice sheets.

What is an ice field?

An ice field is an expanse of ice caps and glaciers.

Why are glaciers melting?

Glaciers have been melting since the beginning of the 19th century. Scientists think this is because of human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels, which has increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, leading to global warming.

Projections show that over a third of the world's glaciers will melt before 2100 even if we reduce carbon emissions.

We set up a very simple activity to demonstrate how melting ice caps and sheets lead to sea levels rising.

Melting Polar Ice Caps

Large Icebergs

A container

Water

Stones

Polar Animals

Ruler

Timer

We froze some ice caps using bowls filled with water and placed them in a large metal container.

I added a bit of blue food colouring to our water, but this was purely decorative.

Children can design this investigation however they wish, but we measured the height of the water to start with and then every 20 minutes afterwards until the ice had completely melted.

You can see how there was less space for the animals as the ice melted and how the water started to rise above the level of the land.

The final water level was significantly higher than the first.

This activity is obviously dramatic and oversimplified, but it is a great visual demonstration of some of the consequences of melting polar ice caps and ice sheets.

More Climate Change Science Experiments

Model greenhouse gases with sweets.

Find out how cows contribute to global warming.

Try one of these easy climate change demonstrations.

Find out how to reduce your carbon footprint and make a pledge!

If you enjoyed this activity why not take a look at my complete collection of climate change activities for kids?

David Attenborough's A Life on Our Planet is a wonderful read if you want to find out more.

The post Melting Polar Ice Caps - Science Experiment appeared first on Science Experiments for Kids.

Today we are looking at filtering and how it can be used to clean dirty water. This water filter science project is very simplified but gives kids a great overview of how water purification is carried out to give us lovely clean drinking water.

Do not drink the water in the activity

Water Filter Science Project

Filtering Water - What you need

Dirty water ( or mud and clean water )

Funnels

Coffee filter/paper towel/muslin

Sand

Stones

An empty bottle or other containers

Filtering Water Experiment

The great thing about this experiment is that you can design it however you like.

We set up coffee filters containing sand, stones and then just plain filters.

We carefully poured the same amount of water through each filter and observed the results.

More ideas to try - Water Filter Science Project

Set up an experiment where the conditions are:

1 coffee filter

2 coffee filters

3 coffee filters

Is kitchen roll better than a coffee filter, would just a sieve work?

You could also work in stages, so try a colander, then a sieve and then a paper towel. Each stage should trap smaller and smaller particles.

How do filters work?

A filter is a porous material which a liquid can be passed though to separate the liquid from solids suspended in it.

More Filtering Investigations

Make a toy filter.

Try filtering potions using a sieve and colander.

Can you filter water using sand and stones?

More Science for Kids

I've got a fun collection of water science experiments, including a water cycle activity, dissolving experiment, ice investigation and density trick!

Try one of our easy science experiments for kids to do at home! We've got egg experiments, ice experiments, paper helicopters, STEM challenges and lots more science fun for kids of all ages!

Suitable for Key stage 2 Science

Properties and Changes of Materials

Use knowledge of solids, liquids and gases to decide how mixtures might be separated, including through filtering, sieving and evaporating.

The post Homemade Water Filter Experiment appeared first on Science Experiments for Kids.

Think how it feels when you enter a greenhouse or when you sit in a room with lots of windows on a hot day. It feels very hot. This is because sunlight passes through the windows creating heat which cannot escape. The same happens in our atmosphere. Sunlight passes through, bringing with it heat, which then cannot escape.

It's not greenhouse gases themselves that are bad, without them the Earth would be too cold for life to exist, but humans are adding too many greenhouse gases into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels and our general over consuming lifestyle. Even a small temperature increase could have a catastrophic effect on our planet.

What are Greenhouse gases?

Greenhouse gases are mainly:

Water vapour

Carbon dioxide

Methane

Ozone

Nitrous Oxide

Chlorofluorocarbons

Greenhouse Gas Models

We modelled greenhouse gases using sweets, but balls of plasticine would also work well.

You'll need:

Toothpicks or cocktail sticks

Gummy sweets or plasticine ( lots of different colours )

Assign a colour to each of the following atoms.

C - Carbon

H - Hydrogen

Cl- Chlorine

O - Oxygen

Fl - Fluorine

Build your greenhouse gas models!

Methane Model

Methane is the gas often linked with cows. The chemical formula is CH₄

This is 1 Carbon atom surrounded by 4 Hydrogen atoms.

Methane is released from livestock, landfill sites and when coal, oil and natural gas are extracted from the Earth.

Ozone Model

Ozone is a gas composed of three atoms of oxygen. It's blue and has a strong smell. The oxygen we breathe has two atoms of oxygen and has no colour or odour.

The ozone layer blocks radiation from the sun. Good ozone occurs naturally in the upper stratosphere ( the layer of space 6-30 miles above the surface of the earth ). It forms when UV light hits oxygen molecules, splitting them into two atoms of oxygen. If one O atom combines with an O₂ molecule, ozone is created.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

CFCs are made up of chlorine, fluorine, and carbon.

If they contain hydrogen in place of one or more of the chlorine they are called hydrochlorofluorocarbons.

Chlorofluorocarbons are the greenhouse gas responsible for the depletion of our ozone later. They are man-made and not found in nature.

CFCs were found in aerosols, fridges and foam products. They break down ozone gas, which depletes the ozone layer, reducing its ability to protect us from the sun's harmful rays.

CFCs were banned from use in developed countries from the year 2000, but they are highly stable molecules that can last up to 100 years! There is some evidence that the ozone layer has started to repair itself thanks to the ban, which is great news and shows how fast and efficient action can make a difference.

The CFC molecule below contains 1 carbon atom in the centre, surrounded by 3 chlorine atoms and 1 fluorine atom.

Nitrous Oxide Model

Nitrous oxide N₂O is a natural part of the nitrogen cycle. Too much Nitrous Oxide ( from burning fossil fuels ) can lead to smog and acid rain.

Water Vapour Model

Water vapour is water ( H₂O ) in its gaseous form. It forms clouds and drops back to Earth as rain.

It might surprise you to know that water vapour is the largest contributor to the Earth's greenhouse effect, but this is directly related to the Earth's temperature. It's the increase in temperature that has led to an increase in water vapour in the atmosphere.

Carbon Dioxide Model

Carbon dioxide is probably the most famous of the greenhouse gases.

CO₂ is released whenever fossil fuels are burned, carbon powered power plants and transportation are the main causes of the increase in CO₂ we see.

How can we reduce global warming?

To slow down climate change we need to drastically reduce the amount of Carbon Dioxide ( and other greenhouse gases ) that we are pumping into the air.

How to reduce Carbon emissions

Use electric or hybrid cars.

Use heating and air conditioning less.

Recycle and reuse as much as possible.

Buy energy-efficient products such as light bulbs and unplug electrical devices when not using them.

Walk or cycle instead of taking the car.

Eat less meat, grow your own food and don't WASTE food!

Consume less generally.

Fight for renewable energy and for change!

The post Know your Greenhouse Gases appeared first on Science Experiments for Kids.

Do you think of cows and global warming in the same sentence? Most people think of carbon dioxide as the most troublesome greenhouse gas, but actually, methane is the more damaging of the two, as it traps much more heat than carbon dioxide.

Methane pollution is thought to cause around a quarter of the global warming the Earth is currently experiencing.

Do cows contribute to global warming?

Cows and Global Warming

When you hear the word methane, you probably think of cow farts, but cow burps are also a big contributor to methane levels in the atmosphere. Livestock ( cows, pigs, sheep and other animals ) are responsible for 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions!! ( source - United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization)

How many cows are there?

There are thought to be over 1.3 billion cows on the planet, which amounts to a huge amount of methane!

Breeding cows is very inefficient, as they are often fed maize and soy ( potential human food sources ) and need a lot of water and land.

If grazing land has been made available to cows by deforestation, this is a double blow, as when trees are felled, they release carbon dioxide gas, whereas living trees take in and store carbon dioxide through the process of photosynthesis.

However, before you assign all the blame to cows, humans are actually responsible for most methane emissions.

Sources of Methane

Decaying vegetation

Livestock and farming

Leakage from industrial processes ( the oil and gas industry is thought to create ⅓ of emissions ). Read more about this here.

Plastic bags - studies have shown that plastic releases methane at several stages of its life.

Microorganisms feeding on vegetation also release methane. This is exacerbated by melting permafrost, leading to the thawing of vegetation, which wouldn't normally be available for microorganisms to feed on.

How can we reduce methane emissions?

Reducing plastic usage is a good start, and we're already seeing fantastic steps forward with this. WWF has some great tips for changing how we use plastic.

Scientists are exploring ways to reduce emissions from cows, including feeding them specialised diets.

The world going meat free probably isn't the answer as this article explains.

If you want to learn more about greenhouse gases, check out our candy greenhouse gas models too!

The post How do Cows Contribute to Global Warming? appeared first on Science Experiments for Kids.

We've all heard about climate change, but what is it, and how can we teach our children about it? First, children need to be informed, and second, they need to feel empowered, to feel like they can make a difference. Remember, lots of small actions add up to a big result.

What is Climate?

Climate refers to weather conditions ( rainfall, wind, temperature ) over a large region and over time. When we talk about the weather, we usually mean what the weather is like on that day or week. For example, the overall climate in Britain is temperate with cool winters and warm summers, but the weather can be cold in summer for a short period of time. Weather is generally local and temporary.

What is Climate Change?

Climate Change ( sometimes referred to as global warming ) is the process of our planet heating up. This is largely caused by deforestation, burning fossil fuels and farming. The Earth is warming up faster now than in any other time period we know about.

How much has the Earth's temperature increased?

Did you know the average temperature on Earth has increased by 1°C in the last century? That might not seem like much, but oceans cover 70% of our planet, and it takes a lot of energy to heat all that water, as well as air and land. So, a one degree increase in the average global temperature is a big thing!

Rising temperatures don’t just mean that we’ll get warmer weather, the increasing temperatures will make worldwide weather more extreme. Some areas will get wetter and some drier. Animals and humans could start to find it difficult to adapt to their changing climate. Low lying coastal regions could flood or disappear as sea levels rise as the ice caps melt.

How do we know the climate is changing?

Scientists know that the Earth's climate has warmed up and cooled down several times over millions of years, but the current temperature increase is happening much faster than previously known.

The main reason Earth is getting warmer is an increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases ( for example, Carbon Dioxide and Methane ) trap heat from the sun in the Earth's atmosphere, contributing to its warming.

Why are greenhouse gases increasing?

Humans burning fossil fuels is a big contributor to the increase in carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.

How do scientists know what the Earth's climate was years ago?

One way scientists can tell what the Earth's climate was like in the past is to study ice cores.

Ice cores are tubes of ice taken from deep below the surface of the ice today. Scientists can analyse the bubbles in each layer to calculate how much carbon dioxide they contain.

Rising sea levels also tell us that the climate is warming up, and this isn't just due to melting ice caps. As the oceans warm up, water expands, too!

Why does it matter that Earth's climate is changing?

Over millions of years, Earth's climate has warmed up and cooled down many times. However, today, the planet is warming much faster than it has in any other time period.

Even a small increase in global temperatures can have a huge impact on the health of the plants and animals on our planet.

What can we do to halt climate change?

There are lots of small actions individuals can take to help.

Change the way you travel

Reducing how much you use a car is one of the most effective measures a single person can take. Using public transport more or switching to an electric vehicle is a great start.

Aeroplanes also contribute massively to increasing carbon dioxide levels, so holidaying locally and generally travelling less is another good way to reduce carbon emissions.

Eat Less Meat

A person who reduces their animal protein consumption by half also reduces their carbon footprint by 40%! Isn't that incredible?

Avoid Fast Fashion

Choose good quality clothes that will last a long time rather than fast fashion that's not worn for long.

Shop locally

By shopping locally, you can reduce the number of miles your food travels and therefore your carbon footprint.

Reduce plastic usage

Shop thoughtfully. Don't buy heavily packaged products. Yes, they will still be on the shelves for now, but if everyone stops buying them, perhaps the manufacturers will change their processes.

Take a stand and refuse to buy plastic toys that won't get used.

Take your own reusable containers to supermarkets, and if you buy a lot of hot drinks, a reusable cup is a great investment.

You could argue that one person eating less meat, buying less plastic and not going on holiday abroad isn't going to make any difference to climate change, but people follow the example of others, so by setting a good example to family and friends and speaking out about your actions YOU can actually end up making a huge difference around the world.

Learn about Climate Change - Hands on Science

Demonstrate melting polar ice caps with this melting ice activity.

Learn about greenhouse gases and make edible models.

Take a look at my collection of FREE climate change resources.

This Earth toast is a great visual activity from Left Brain, Craft Brain.

Find out how cows contribute to global warming.

The post What is Climate Change? appeared first on Science Experiments for Kids.

Did you know that the sea around the UK is home to more than 8000 different species of plants and animals? However, this wonderful marine environment is being ruined by pollution, including rubbish left on beaches, sewage, and chemical and oil spills.

Sea Pollution Demonstration

A clear bowl or vase

Plastic fish

Black food colouring

Litter

Shells or sand

Water

How to set up a sea pollution demonstration

Set up your mini ocean with lovely, clean water.

Add some rubbish and black food colouring ( to represent oil/sewage )

How different does your mini ocean look after the pollution has been added?

Whilst doing this activity, we talked about how litter and pollution might impact fish and other marine life, and where we had seen litter recently.

Another idea is to set up a beach scene and then add pollution to the sea and shore. I know which version of the beach I would rather spend time at.

What can we do about pollution?

Buying local products reduces the need to ship items around the world.

Buy cleaning products that use natural/biodegradable ingredients.

Recycle as much as you can, and never drop litter. Things like plastic bottle tops or balloons can be fatal to animals, who may mistake them for food.

Can you think of anything else you can do to help save our planet from the enormous amount of rubbish and pollution humans create?

This illustration shows visually how much plastic rubbish we have created since 1950 and where it has gone.

Make a plastic pledge, thinking about how you can reduce the amount of plastic you use.

Pollution storybook ideas

We've been reading The Lorax to accompany this activity. Inspired by the book, we created a clean and a polluted Lorax sensory rice tray.

More pollution activities for kids

Can you try filtering dirty water to clean it up?

Take a look at my easy activities for Earth Day.

More ocean activities for kids

Discover how deep the ocean is and which creatures have adapted to survive at the bottom.

Do you know why the sea is blue?

Suitable for Early Years Foundation

Understanding of the World

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