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Science begins when someone asks “why?”

“Science doesn’t begin in the laboratory; it begins when someone asks why?” (Óscar Ocampo)

playful science: 10 physics and chemistry experiments

Why a book like this?

Playful Science is not just a book of fun and interesting experiments, but a different way of thinking about and experiencing science, because experimentation is not an end in itself but a means to access modern scientific thinking.

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Few books are as simple as this one

You won’t need a laboratory, equipment, or complicated language.

Master the scientific principles

But without boredom: through action, creativity and imagination.

Each experiment is a small challenge

It will lead you to observe, think, try… and be surprised.

Everyday materials

Watch how they transform into fun and learning.

the project coordinator

Óscar Ocampo Cervantes

Playful Science is the result of collaborative work promoted by the Research Node in Science, Technology and Education (NICTÉ), a civil association dedicated to articulating education, science and technology as axes for social and human development.
The project’s academic coordination is led by Óscar Ocampo, a biochemical engineer with a master’s degree in science from the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN). He has extensive experience in teaching, research, and science outreach at institutions such as the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN), and the Autonomous University of Mexico City (UACM). His work has focused on designing learning experiences that allow students to understand science through practice, with conceptual rigor and a pedagogical approach..
More than an individual work, Playful Science is an interdisciplinary product, built by a team that integrates scientific, educational and communicative knowledge, with the aim of bringing science closer to students as a way of thinking, experimenting and understanding the world.

UNAM Personal Page

This work represents the author’s most recent effort to bring a complete Physics course to the classrooms of the National Preparatory School.

This Physics course was distributed to secondary schools nationwide, for which it approved the rulings made by the Ministry of Public Education.

Óscar Ocampo has published several Physics and Chemistry courses with the most prestigious national and international publishers in the country.

playful science: 10 physics and chemistry experiments

Who was this book created for?

This book was created for young people who want to experience science directly and meaningfully, for teachers seeking rigorous resources without sacrificing clarity, and for families or facilitators interested in supporting authentic learning processes. Playful Science is designed for those who believe that understanding science involves doing it, questioning it, and reflecting on it, going beyond memorization or mere wonder.

Students

Science can be spectacular, but above all, it’s something that is tested and tried again. This book invites you to experiment, ask questions, and discover for yourself.

Teachers

Explaining science isn’t about simplifying it, it’s about making it understandable without sacrificing rigor. Here you’ll find experiences designed to encourage thinking, discussion, and learning by doing.

Tutors

Curiosity doesn’t end in the classroom: it continues when someone guides and asks questions. These experiments create opportunities to learn together and engage with science.

free Experiment

Defying gravity?

The disc that seems to defy gravity

Build an object that rises, stabilizes, and moves through the air in a surprising way… without tricks or magic. This experiment introduces, in a visual and accessible way, some of the most important principles of the physics of motion, pressure, and action-reaction. It’s an experience designed to first amaze and then help you understand: the very spirit of Playful Science.

Download the Full Experiment (Free 5-page PDF)

Beyond the book

This book doesn’t end with its last page. It continues online, in the form of expanded ideas, new questions, additional experiments, and clarifications that arise from the learning process itself. The intention is not to close a method, but to open a path: to accompany those who study, teach, or learn to continue exploring, reflecting, and improving over time. Here, knowledge is not delivered as a conclusive answer, but as an ongoing conversation.