Free CREST Star activities
Worshipful Company of Horners
The company has been around since at least the 1200s, although the craft dates from centuries earlier. In 1943 they started to work with the horn's modern equivalent, plastics. This activity introduces children to the world of polymers, and to help them understand the many uses they have in our world today. For more information and ideas visit www.fantasticplastic.org.uk
You don't need to be a teacher or have a science background to run CREST Star activities and they can be used in a club, the classroom, or at home.
Each activity resource is in two parts:
- an "activity" card for the children to use, which sets out the problem and contains the questions for the children to discuss and helps them decide how to solve the problem.
- an "organiser" card which contains step-by-step instructions for running the activities; it also lists the resources you will need and gives the background science.
Each activity typically takes one hour to complete. Children should work individually or in small groups with as much autonomy as possible to come up with their own questions and answers to solve the problem. Star and SuperStar are single activities, but the MegaStar activity is just one of three that make up a complete MegaStar project based around the life and future of an old tree. The emphasis should be on the hands-on investigation rather than a "right" answer but there are lots of fun ways for the children to share their results; why not have them make a poster or display?
Download the free activities
Star Activity – Discovery Bag (OPAL)
This activity gets children interested in trees and the that they trees support, and begin to be aware of the differences between trees. For this activity you will need to collect leaves and other tree parts for the children to investigate, and a magnifying glass to study them. You can also download a free tree identification guide from the OPAL website.
SuperStar activity – Windy Ways (OPAL)
Have you ever tracked the wind? Use bubbles to follow the gusts and find out which way the wind blows. For this activity you will need a compass, a timer, measuring tape, and of course bubbles!
SuperStar activity - Polymer Problem (Horners)
The scientists at Horners use special substances called polymers to create great new product but now they have run out of ideas... Can you design a great new product using one of their polymers? You can even submit your ideas to be showcased on their Fantastic Plastic website!
MegaStar activity– Tree Trouble (OPAL)
Children get the chance to identify the importance of trees and their biodiversity, carry out a survey, make decisions about how to choose a tree for a particular purpose, and use the internet for research. For this activity the children will need a magnifying glass, binoculars, a net, a bug box, and the OPAL Nature free tree identification guide. This is one of three activities that form the MegaStar Tree for Life project.
Why not get involved in citizen science by taking part in the OPAL Tree Health Survey and help protect our trees.
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