AN ELECTRIC summer of science across Oxfordshire blasted off with an out-of-this-world space camp.

Building a model space station, launching bread rockets, creating cloud chambers and making planets out of Play Doh were just some of the astronomical activities.

Dozens of kid cosmonauts joined the five days of fun in and around Oxford's Rose Hill Community Centre last week.

Nine-year-old Tallulah Wells said afterwards: "We made fizzy drinks and ice-cream.

"It's really exciting – basically fun science! The plasma light is cool, like a mini brain sending out messages."

The school-age scientists also used secret agent-style ultra violet torches to read 'invisible' ultra violet writing.

The wondrous week, run by Science Oxford, aimed to engage youngsters aged seven to 11 in science and technology.

The community-focused camp was supported by Explore Your Universe? Atoms to Astrophysics – a national project celebrating the physical sciences, developed by the UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres (ASDC).

Thanks to that support, the camp was free to Rose Hill families.

Camp organiser and Science Oxford family manager Sophie Batin said: "We have run summer camps in Rose Hill for the past two years and it’s always an enjoyable week. "The children get really into the activities and give us some lovely feedback when the camp finishes.

"We know that they love the space topic so we tried create lots of different challenges that combine the space theme with some cool science activities."

But the intergalactic fun does not end there.

The Rose Hill Science Camp is just one of a range of activities Science Oxford is running for families this summer.

Through August the charity is running its Animal Agents library tour across the county; Tuesday sees an art lab pop up at Didcot's Cornerstone arts centre and next Wednesday (August 9) a science kitchen will run at Cogges Manor Farm in Witney.

Animal Olympics in Woodstock and a 'colour lab' in Oxford are also on the line-up.

For full details see scienceoxford.com