EXPLOSIONS, electricity and scientific slime could soon be oozing through a letterbox near you.

The former CEO of Oxfordshire Science Festival is about to launch her latest experiment: a monthly subscription science box for families.

The Curiosity Box will come each month bursting with fun experiments for all ages that are also educational and tie in with the national curriculum.

Renée Watson has already been trailing some pilot packages on willing guinea pigs and said the results had been fascinating.

Ms Watson, who describes herself as Head of Explosions at the new company, said: "The response so far has been brilliant.

"We have had some amazing feedback, people saying it is a great way to spend quality time together, and people say it's made them feel more confident about doing science in the home.

"Adults like it but the kids just love it."

The first foray, which will go out to families in August in time for the summer holidays, will be buzzing with experiments in electricity.

The "sparky box" will contain contain a Playdough-like putty which conducts electricity and all the equipment to make a circuit so home scientists can make a light-up Playdough sculpture.

Subscribers will also get everything they need to play static-electricity ping pong ball racing, a static electricity fishing game and a DIY light-up greetings card.

Ms Watson, who was CEO of Oxfordshire Science Festival for seven years, said the idea for Curiosity Box came about from her other life as director of WATS.ON, a company which runs live science shows for families and children.

She said: "We do loads of shows in schools and I realised that actually your home can be a great laboratory.

"Kids love exploring the natural world around them and all parents need to support their children – this just provides a few tools and a bit of support.

"The idea is to get science happening in every household."

The Curiosity Box is currently aimed at seven-to-11-year-olds, but Ms Watson and her team are now planning kits for younger and older children.

A single box can be bought as a gift for £25, or, if parents subscribe for a year, each box works out at £20, including postage.

Ms Watson added: "We try to make it cost less than a family cinema ticket and we hope they'll get a lot more out of it."

Despite the extensive testing already carried out, Ms Watson and her team are still looking for families to trial the first few boxes before they go public in the next few months.

Anyone interested in being a test subject can email renee@curiosity-box.com or, to find out more and subscribe, go to kickstarter.com and search for "curiosity box".

A portion of profits from the boxes will go to science education charities working in Africa and in European refugee camps.