On Thursday 11th December, 46 budding young scientists thronged to a laboratory in the Chemistry department in the Faculty of Science, to apply their scientific skill and brain to a Fun Science workshop. The group of eager 5 to 10 year old scientists are all children of UCT staff and when asked by the presenters who wanted to be scientists, the majority raised their hands - so expect a surge of applications in the Science faculty in 10 years time!

They started off the workshop making shadow prints and seeing them develop. They then donned gloves and worked with polymers to make slime. The slime making process was, however, interrupted by having to evacuate the building, as a result of an explosion in a laboratory above their lab! One 7 year old told his parent that when he grows up he wants to be a slime scientist!

The group made lava tubes, played with magic sand and watched a number of fun demos; including making elephant toothpaste, freezing flowers with liquid nitrogen and using liquid nitrogen to blow up balloons. The lab was a cacophony of sound, colour and excitement and the youngsters enjoyed an interactive experience thanks to the dedication and caring supervision of the lab assistants. Dalielah Jappie and Eileen Murray, who organised the workshop said the young scientists were responsive, eager and engaged in the experiments with great enthusiasm.