CHILDREN started the school holidays with a mixture of mess and madness at Oxford’s Story Museum.

Ice cream, pop-rockets and gloop were on the menu for the creative summer workshops at the Pembroke Street museum inspired by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

The session looked at thermal insulation, liquids and gases using cornflour and water gloop.

Nine-year-olds Zebedee Noble and Jacob Charity-Williams enjoyed themselves. Jacob said: “It is just really weird. It trickles though your fingers like porridge but it is water that can take your weight – it goes hard.”

The Extreme Experiment sessions run until Friday for children aged eight to 12.

Visit storymuseum.org.uk/whats-on/science-and-story-extreme-experiments