Using recycled plastic bottles, balloons and crunchy autumn leaves collected from our garden, the learners took part in a fun hands-on science experiment. With support, we carefully cut the bottoms off the bottles, filled them with leaves and attached a large inflated balloon to the top. When we released the balloon, the air rushed through the bottle and sent the leaves shooting into the air like a colourful firework display!

The learners thoroughly enjoyed watching the leaves burst out and were excited to repeat the experiment again and again. We also explored how changing different variables affected the outcome. For example, we tested whether crushing the leaves made a difference and experimented with using more or less air in the balloons to see how far the leaves would travel.

This simple activity provided lots of opportunities for scientific thinking, prediction and investigation, while also encouraging teamwork and outdoor exploration. Most importantly, it was great fun and brought lots of smiles and laughter to our afternoon outdoors!