YOUNGSTERS learned about the rich history that can be contained within a single rock during a hands-on science workshop in Oxford.

Children who attended Science Oxford’s ‘Science Rocks’ event at the Oxford Innovation Centre on Saturday were able to bring a rock with them to explore its history and create their own fossil preserving soap.

The session which was aimed at children aged between five and nine was one of Science Oxford’s Saturday Science Clubs. Other workshops have seen children making their own robot cars and learning magic tricks with a scientific twist.

Keen young scientist eight-year-old Harry Lloyd was one of the youngsters stepping into the role of rock-detective on Saturday.

He was taken along to the workshop by his grandparents, who live in Appleton, near Abingdon.

His grandad Rhys Lewis explained how his grandson and others learned about the ins-and-outs of fossilisation.

He said: “One of the things they were doing was making this mould then melting it down and putting in a little plastic spider, which he got to take home.

“It was great fun and he really enjoyed it. He loves science and he loves making things so he really had a good time.

“It was really well done. It was the first time Harry had ever been to one of the sessions but he’s very keen to go to another one.”

Harry, and others taking part in the activity, were in fact making their very own fossil-preserving amber soap to maintain their plastic arachnids.

They were also given the opportunity to make a dinosaur shaped mould during the course of the day’s sessions.

More ‘Science Rocks’ sessions will be on offer in Abingdon School on January 20.

A Saturday Science Club at the beginning of next month will coincide with International Feed the Birds Day on February 3.

The workshop, aimed at five to nine-year-olds will be exploring how birds adapt to and survive in their environment.

Young explorers will be ‘voyaging’ overseas to Darwin’s Galapagos Islands to meet some feathery inhabitants and playing evolution-based games that involve spoons, straws, chopsticks and barbecue tongs.

Packed with problem-solving bird-based fun, the session will give children across the county a great chance to learn about how animals overcome nature’s challenges.

For more on these workshops go to scienceoxford.com

Science Oxford is the public-facing part of The Oxford Trust – an independent charitable trust that was founded in 1985 by entrepreneurs Sir Martin and Audrey, Lady Wood.

The Trust’s mission is to encourage and facilitate the study, application and communication of science, technology, engineering and maths.