Science Week: Erupting volcanoes, overflowing vats of giant bubbles, indoor snowstorms and buckets of bouncy slime all comprise merely a fraction of a science lesson from Ms Sue McGrath.
But this physicist-turned-magician of sorts wouldn't be doing her job unless she was making a mess.
Whirling through the audience in mystical dress and an authoritative-looking tool belt, Ms McGrath performed her one-woman show, Science2Life, in front of nearly 500 children at IT Carlow. For those who came to see her unusual form of controlled chaos, she didn't disappoint.
There is a method to her madness, though. By teaching the basics behind the practical science at the heart of the tricks, "Sploose", as she is known on stage, empowers participants to create their own magic in boisterous, often explosive ways.
"I come up with what would look like a magical trick, and then immediately show them how to do it," Ms. McGrath said.
While she doesn't use any traditional lab equipment during her shows, all the tricks she performs can be safely replicated at home and provide teachers with different approaches to the science curriculum.
"We give children all the concepts of science but then we give them equipment they've never seen before and words they've never used before and expect the child to take it on board," Ms McGrath said.
At various points during the show and using familiar household objects and materials, Ms McGrath demonstrates the principles of flight, blows snow into the air and vacuum-packs a member of the audience, all with a typical household vacuum cleaner.
"Children have been doing science since they could talk," Ms McGrath said. "Any time they are messing about the kitchen, or the garden, they're using science. They just don't know it."
The engaging approach of the show is a product of Ms. McGrath's extensive background in science and education.
"Sploose" McGrath and Science2Life will perform six more shows in Carlow and Sligo during this year's Science Week Ireland.