Dr Sai Pathmanathan releases children’s science experiment book ‘Utterly Jarvellous’

Dr Sai Pathmanathan (DPhil Biochemistry, 2000) is celebrating the release of her children’s science book, Utterly Jarvellous: 50 Primary Science Activities You Can Do In A Jar.

Written and developed by Sai, and published by Bloomsbury Education, Utterly Jarvellous is a jam-jar-packed science activity book for teachers and parents of Key Stage 2 children, containing more than 50 activities.

‘I was inspired to write this book having seen the amount of single-use plastics used in educational activities,’ says Sai. ‘While it was great to see so much repurposing, I couldn’t help but feel that much of it would inevitably end up in landfill.’

Sai adapted existing science activities and developed new ones, using a simple household object that everyone can find: a jar!

Along with a few little extras that anyone can find, such as paperclips, string and fruit peel (making these activities truly inclusive), Sai hopes that children everywhere can do science and be environmentally-friendly at the same time.

Science experiments in the book include stimulating a solar eclipse, building a wormery, making a lava lamp and watching a volcano erupt – all in a jar!

Sai worked as a neuroscientist before moving into science communication and education, covering all STEM subjects and all ages from nursery to postgraduate.

Her MA research looked at how young people learn accurate science from entertainment media.

Dr Sai Pathmanathan website