Weird Science: 40 Strange-Acting, Bizarre-Sounding and Barely Believable Activities for Kids

Science News, June 19, 2004

JIM WIESE

Experiments in this book trigger children's enthusiasm about science by appealing to their inherent attraction to things that are gross or bizarre. By example, one experiment asks kids to gather the sweat from between their toes, grow microbes from it in a jar, and learn why their feet sometimes stink. There are also directions for making a geyser, growing slime molds, and producing eerie sounds. The science behind each activity is clearly defined, as is its context in day-to-day life. Topics include plants, animals, weather, Earth, sights, sounds, microbes, and physics. Common household items are all that's required, outside of some logic and curiosity. Recommended for ages 8-12. Wiley, 2004, 122 p., b&w illus., paperback, $12.95.