This Week we're talking Cuckoo Spit!

This week we're talking about cuckoo spit! 

Have you seen this mysterious, foamy substance in your garden or outside in the springtime? Ever wondered what it is?
You might have heard it called 'Cuckoo Spit' but don't worry! It's not really spit and it doesn't have anything to do with cuckoos.
Cuckoo spit is made by this little guy, he's a froghopper (Sometimes called leafhoppers). Leafhoppers make cuckoo spit to protect themselves from predators and the weather while they transform from nymphs (babies) into adults. Think of how a caterpillar changes into a butterfly, this is similar, it's called Metamorphosis. 
A baby leafhopper, finds himself a nice leaf and then blows these bubbles out of his bum, like this ->
It's pretty impressive. This foamy, bubbly substance will keep the nymph safe an moist until he changes into an adult with a hard outer casing called an exoskeleton. Froghoppers belong to a group called Hemiptera also known as the 'True Bugs', there are many different types of froghoppers and they come in all sorts of beautiful colours and shapes.
Check out the tutorial below and find out how to make your very own cuckoo spit and leafhopper!

Making Cuckoo Spit!

You will need:

• 1/2 a cup of clear school glue 
• 1/2 a cup of liquid starch (or add water to powdered starch!)
• 1/2 a cup of water
• A measuring cup
• A bowl and a spoon

Step 1

Use your measuring cup to add 1/2 a cup of glue to 1/2 a cup of water in a bowl. Mix this really well to make sure they are fully combined!

Step 2

Mix in 1/2 a cup of liquid starch, your slime will start to form instantly!  Mix well with a spoon.

Step 3

Switch to mixing with your hands, to make this look more like cuckoo spit we want LOTS OF BUBBLES so try folding the slime to trap lots of air inside. 

This air will escape when you stop playing with your slime, but you can add more bubbles by using the same folding trick. 

Awesome! You've made some beautiful cuckoo spit! Next, let's make a little froghopper to live inside!

You will need:

• Different colours of playdough
• A leaf
• Craft Feathers/ sequins/ glitter/ pipe cleaners - Whatever you like!
• The Cuckoo spit we just made

Step 1

Use whatever colour playdough you like to make the basic shape of your leafhopper. Start with a round head and then flatten the body, this is really important, leafhoppers have a flat body to make them Aerodynamic this means that their bodies move through the air easily and help them jump really far!

Step 2

Use any decorations you like to make your leafhopper really stand out! Don't forget the big eyes -  Leafhoppers need great eyesight to help them land safely when doing a big jump.I was inspired by some pictures I found online, leafhoppers really do come in so many different colours and shapes! 

Step 3

Place your leafhopper on his leaf and place your homemade cuckoo spit on top. Snug as a bug in a rug slime!

Thank you for giving this experiment a go! Let me know how it went and send me your pictures on Facebook and Twitter!

Until next week my friends! - Sarah 💚😊💚