Science starts young – IChF’s spring outreach for children and youth

The second quarter of 2025 at the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences (IChF) was filled with colorful experiments and scientific curiosity, thanks to a series of outreach activities dedicated to children and young people.

For the youngest science enthusiasts, our team brought hands-on demonstrations to kindergartens and primary schools, as well as hosted groups at the Institute itself. Beata Pleskot and Tomasz Andryszewski, with support from Konrad Giżyński, led workshops showing how to inflate balloons using baking soda and vinegar, explore pH reactions, create “lava” in bottles, and observe “a bubble inside a bubble.” These joyful, engaging sessions sparked imagination and early interest in chemistry. The following activities were held:

• April 8 – at IChF for 1st-grade students from Primary School No. 263,
• April 28 – at Primary School No. 118 for two groups of five-year-olds,
• May 23 – at Radosne Private Kindergarten on Vogla Street,
• June 5 – at IChF for 2nd-grade students from Primary School No. 10,
• June 16 – at Kindergarten No. 293 for two preschool groups.

For older students, four thematic lessons were held, led by Roman Luboradzki, entitled. “Solids, liquids, gases - and what's in between”; two in April and two in May.

Additionally, IChF was actively present at key public science popularization events. On May 10, 2025, we took part (for the 28th time!) in the Science Picnic at the PGE National Stadium. On May 23 we took part in the Ursynów Science Festival, where:

• Roman Luboradzki presented “How scientists see the world and why they don’t like artifacts?”
• Emilia Witkowska Nery demonstrated “The Electronic Tongue – chemical sensors (not just for taste) in the age of AI.”

Thank you to all educators, parents, and children who joined us this spring. Each of these meetings is an opportunity to introduce young people to the world of science — in a way that is accessible, engaging, and full of passion. It is through such initiatives that chemistry can become close, understandable, and potentially present in their future choices. For this reason, outreach is not merely complementary to our research—it is integral to how we connect science with society.