Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome to our festive science adventure!
This year The Week Junior Science+Nature has teamed up with Winchester Science Centre (and lots of other exciting brands) to offer young people a festive feast of science and nature-themed activities. Plus there are lots of fantastic prizes up for grabs every day.
The online event opens on 11 December 2021 and will last for 12 days (ending on 22 December 2021). Each day we release a fresh URL revealing a new activity. Keep an eye on our Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram accounts to see the links. Each competition lasts only a day, so you’ll need to get your entries in quickly.
Scroll down to see the activity and daily competition.
DAY 11 - Maddie Moate's Christmas eco tips
Share these tips and this activity with your child.
Protect the planet this festive season with TV Presenter Maddie Moate. The Week Junior Science+Nature talked to Maddie and she told us all about the eco-friendly activities in her new book, Stuff: Eco-Stories of Everyday Stuff. Read Maddie's Christmas eco-tips then download a PDF from her new book!
Christmas wrapping
Before reaching for brand-new gift wrap, reuse any gift bags or paper you have in the house. I love to get creative and use things like festive tea towels and scarves. Cloth is great for wrapping presents because it can be washed and used year after year.
Christmas lists
If you want to give somebody a gift, ask them what’s on their Christmas list. It’s much better to give a gift that will be appreciated and put to good use, rather than sitting unused in a cupboard or – even worse – being thrown away.
Christmas treats
Everyone loves a yummy Christmas treat. Biscuits, sweets, satsumas, chocolate, cheese, and chutneys all make fantastic edible presents. Homemade goodies are best because they’ll be gobbled up over the festive season and leave very little waste.
Christmas decorations
There’s no need to buy new decorations every year. I love the tradition of getting the same decorations out and finding my favourites again. If you do want some new decorations then try making your own using natural materials. Pinecones, tree branches, cinnamon sticks and dried oranges all look (and smell) beautiful and festive.
Christmas leftovers
Make sure you don’t waste delicious Christmas Dinner leftovers. Freeze anything that didn’t get eaten, send family and friends away with food or use the leftovers to make new dishes the next day. Our family likes to use leftover veggies to make Boxing Day “bubble and squeak”.
Win a copy of Stuff: Eco-Stories of Everyday Stuff by Maddie Moate
Do you ever wonder where your stuff comes from, and what happens to it when you're finished with it? Did you know that you can make paper out of elephant poo, and plastic packaging out of seaweed? Maddie Moate’s first children’s book is full of mind-bursting facts and extraordinary stories of the ingenious ways people around the world– and throughout history – have made, used and reused the stuff around them. To be in with a chance of winning one of five copies of Stuff: Eco-Stories of Everyday Stuff, send your name and address to competitions@science-nature.co.uk by 23:59 on 21 December 2021. Make sure you put MADDIE MOATE in the subject line.
For all rules head to sciencenature.theweekjunior.co.uk/12Daysterms.
The Week Junior Science+Nature is a monthly magazine that brings science, technology, engineering and maths topics to life for 8–15s.
Enjoy our best offer with 9 issues for £25.99, including a free Christmas activity pack
The activity pack and a Christmas card are sent straight to you to give on the big day
The gift subscription will start with the first issue of the new year - delivered plastic-free to your lucky recipient
