December Christmas Holiday Camp

Every day at this 5-day camp is a festive science expedition into the unknown and over the week your child will do 40+ science activities, exciting demonstrations, hands-on experiments, team games and fun quizzes.

Every Day includes: 4 classroom-based fun, hands-on, science sessions and 3 ‘Activity Playground Breaks’.

Disclaimer: Please note the day order of the Activity Week Programme is subject to change. Should you wish to confirm the order of the Activity Week Programme at your camp venue; this will not be available until 2 weeks before the start of the camps.

Day 1> Oh Christmas Tree!  

Decorating your Christmas tree makes everyone feel really Christmassy. We grow our own Christmas tree, (hopefully ready in time for Christmas!) and through investigation and experimentation, we will create sparkling candy cane crystals to hang from the branches, discover how light can really brighten up our mini Christmas tree and complete our first Christmas Challenge sent by our very own Scientific Elf on the Shelf!
Oh, Christmas Tree! – We learn about greenhouse gases and create a mini greenhouse to grow our Christmas tree.
Candy Cane Crystals – We investigate saturated solutions to make a crystal candy cane.
Fairy Lights! – We use fibre optic technology to light up our mini tree!
Towering Tree Challenge – Planning, cooperation, and problem solving will be needed in Santa sackfuls to create the tallest, most stable Christmas tree.

Day 2> Arctic Adventure!

The North Pole seems an inhospitable place, but many of our favourite Arctic and Antarctic animals are supremely suited to the cold and frosty environment. We explore the waterproof properties of penguin feathers, test the insulating properties of blubbery fat and work out what stops a heavy polar bear from sinking into the snow. We learn how we can help flying winter visitors to our gardens and help another flying visitor, Rudolf and his team, harness the force of gravity in our next Elf on the Shelf Challenge.
Penguin Problems! – We create a waterproof penguin and examine feathers!
Feed The Birds! – Some birds migrate during our cold winters but those that stay here can enjoy a tasty treat!
Arctic Ice! – How cold is the North Pole? And how do animals there keep warm?
Elf Challenge I – Reindeer Racing – We work in teams to help the reindeers overcome inertia and zoom across the room!

 Day 3> It’s Snow Fun

Father Christmas loves all things snowy and so do we! We dive deep into the science of liquids and density to create a snow globe winter wonderland, then investigate exothermic and endothermic reactions to make hot and cold snow! We create a Christmassy atmosphere with some mystery Xmas scents and make a fizzy snowman bath bomb. Our Tricky Elf on the Shelf Challenge today sees us battling blizzards and bumpy sleigh rides to make sure Father Christmas gets a Christmas treat.
Snow Is Falling – We make ‘thick’ water to create a swirling snow storm in a globe!
Snow Storm – We investigate hot and cold with some cool chemical reactions!
Christmas Smells – Our sense of smell is very strong – we identify soome christmassy scents.
Elf Challenge II – Christmas Cookie Calamity – Can our team get Santa his Christmas cookie safely?

Day 4> Christmas Gifts!

Christmas is a time for presents! We investigate non-Newtonian fluids and make peppermint ooze and gingerbread sparkle slime, look at the properties of oil and water and create some marvellous marble art, then we use magnets to make sure our present gets through the arctic maze.
Our Elf on the Shelf has told us the penguins need a new Christmas tree, but is our tree too tall to fit through the igloo door? Time for a science challenge.
Marble Paper! – When oil floats on water you can create beautiful marble-patterned paper!
Christmas Slime! – Here’s one present you wouldn’t want to find in the bottom of your stocking!
Present Puzzle – We use the power of attracting magnets to move through a maze!
Elf Challenge III – Tall Trees! – Trigonometree! We use a maths trick to work out how tall our Christmas tree is! 

Day 5> Christmas Countdown!

It’s nearly Christmas and it’s time for some last-minute preparations. Follow the Christmas star while learning about light, use terrific topology and gorgeous geometry to create some tree toppers, and give Rudolf a refresher course on the Four Fantastic Forces of Flight.
Our final challenge – Disaster! Santa’s Sleigh is old and can’t hold all the presents, Our Elf on the Shelf wants our help to design and build a new Sleigh!
Christmas Lantern – Translucent, opaque and transparent, we find out what they mean by shining lights!
Brilliant Baubles – We turn 2D shapes into 3D shapes and thread wool by numbers to create some bauble tree decorations.
Fly Rudolph, Fly! – Can Rudolph really fly? We discover aerodynamic shapes and help him fly!
Elf Challenge IV – Santa Sleigh Disaster! – In our teams we design

Parents, don’t worry you get something too – you will also receive a ‘TOP SECRET Parent Handout’ that tells you:

1. What they DID?
2. What they LEARNT?
3. Other cool science you can EXPLORE AT HOME?