Science is cool.
Really cool.
Kids are natural scientists, because they’re born curious—and that curiosity makes them explore.
So why is it that most of them finish school thinking science is distant, difficult, and out of reach?
That question is what pushed me, 8 years ago, to leave my position as a researcher at the CSIC—Spain’s top scientific institution—and launch a project designed to spark children’s natural curiosity and keep their explorer spirit alive.
A project that turns classrooms and homes into exciting laboratories.
Now I’ve gathered ALL the hundreds of teaching resources I’ve created over these years into one place.
A Fabolous Club:
Danio Science Club
What’s Included in the Danio Science Club?
The Danio Science Club 🐠
Access to all the teaching resources created in Danio Science for Kids throughout its history.
For the past 8 years, I’ve been bringing science closer to children.
And in that time, I’ve created every kind of material you can imagine: stories, videos, tutorials, step-by-step guides, activity notebooks, emails…
These teaching resources are incredibly valuable both for families and for schools. They teach, inspire, entertain—and most importantly—they spark children’s natural curiosity.
For teachers, they’re an endless source of inspiration and ready-to-use materials to bring science to life in the classroom.
And no, you won’t find them on YouTube: these resources are different, original, and exclusive to members of The Danio Science Club.
And the best part? As we keep creating new resources, they’ll be added to this growing library.
Specifically, you’ll get access to:
Danio, the zebra fish
The zebrafish is widely used in science for many reasons, mainly because its eggs are transparent.
This means you can actually watch a living being develop in real time.
I fell so in love with this fish when I was a scientist that I left my job to create a science project and bring into schools the magic of showing how life develops right before our eyes.
In this module, I’ll show you how a fish goes from zero cells to a tiny autonomous larva in just 3 days.
Producto exclusivo del Club Danio
6 Videos on Danio rerio and Its Embryonic Development
Little Scientist’s Notebook
The best sources of knowledge to fuel their curiosity and passion for discovery.
The Aquarium
There’s no better way to take care of our planet than by understanding how ecosystems work.
And there’s no better way to understand what an ecosystem really is than by creating one.
An aquarium is the perfect ecosystem—one you can build with nothing more than a simple glass tank.
To help you succeed in creating and studying your own ecosystem, I’ll guide you through the key steps you need to know.
1. How to set up an aquarium
We’ll go over the main components of an aquarium: how to choose them, what they’re for, and the key aspects you need to keep in mind when designing your own setup.
I’ll share practical tips and even a cost estimate so you can get the materials you need without running around asking for advice in every shop in town.
2. Aquarium maintenance
I’ll show you the essential care routines to keep your aquarium in perfect balance.
We’ll also cover how to test the water and which key parameters you need to keep under control.
3. Observing our aquarium
You’ll learn what animals, plants, and microorganisms you can spot—and how to observe them.
We’ll explore how all the inhabitants interact to maintain balance, and what happens when that delicate balance breaks down in nature.
You’ll also get ideas for classroom projects to discuss the causes of major environmental disasters from our recent history.
6 Videos on Setting Up, Maintaining, and Exploring the Micro and Macro Inhabitants of the Aquarium
Project Introduction
Setting Up the Aquarium
Aquarium Maintenance
Who Lives There: What We See (plants, fish, and snails)
Who Lives There: What We Don’t See (algae, protozoa, and bacteria)
An Ecosystem in Balance
16 Activities to Do in Class or at Home to Deepen Observation and Learning
Artemia salina
A tiny, playful crustacean that you can hatch from an egg and raise until it grows into something that looks a bit like a dragon.
Producto exclusivo del Club Danio
A step-by-step video tutorial on how to hatch Artemia salina eggs.
A selection of the best sources of information to spark their curiosity and inspire them to keep learning.
Build Your Own Microscope
Make the most important tool of a scientist with your own hands—and use it to discover the tiny, amazing world around us.
A step-by-step video tutorial on how to make your own microscope.
A 53-page downloadable teaching guide in PDF format
A selection of the best stories and resources to spark their curiosity and keep them learning.
Onion Cells
All living beings are made of little building blocks called cells:
you,
your dog,
a pretty little butterfly,
and plants too.
In fact, in plants, cells are especially easy to see.
In this experiment, I’ll give you the recipe to look at onion cells.
An animated 5:03-minute video with a step-by-step tutorial on how to see onion cells.
A 17-page downloadable PDF you can print and use to reflect on everything you’ve learned.
Feathers
Birds have their bodies covered in…
Feathers.
And if we look at them under a microscope, we’ll see something like this picture.
But why do they have that structure?
What do birds actually use feathers for?
Why don’t ducks get wet?
Is an owl’s feather the same as a magpie’s?
And why do we call a winter jacket “a feather jacket”?
A 5:23-minute video where I show you how to observe feathers under the microscope—
and answer all of these questions.
Protozoa
There are countless tiny creatures—billions, even trillions—
living right alongside us,
yet invisible to the naked eye.
I don’t know if they’re “kind” or not,
but in their own dimension they’ve built great civilizations…
and they manage to live with just a single cell.
They’re called protozoa, and they are absolutely fascinating.
I’ll show you how to culture them and observe them.
A step-by-step video tutorial on how to culture protozoa and observe them under the microscope.
Mulberry stomata
You breathe through your nose. Plants breathe too, just like you.
But they don’t have a nose—though you’ve probably already noticed that, right?
Instead, they do it through tiny little openings called stomata.
Here, I’ll show you how to observe them under the microscope.
A step-by-step video tutorial to observe mulberry stomata (with nail polish!)
Silkworms
Do you remember that little worm you fed mulberry leaves, that grew, spun a cocoon,
and then became a butterfly?
Your kids or students can learn a lot of science from this classic little creature we all
had as children—and remember with real fondness.
Here’s what you’ll find inside:
The biology of the species explained simply and clearly—everything you need to know so you can confidently share it with your students or children.
The fascinating history of the domestication of this animal, complete with its own legend (and a goddess included!)
How a tiny caterpillar helped create one of the most important trade routes in human history, connecting East and West.
How this little creature gave rise to an industry that still exists today and continues to support many people’s livelihoods.
How to observe silkworms like you’ve never seen before, understanding exactly what you’re looking at.
How to raise silkworms—and a crucial detail you must know (one that caused me to lose them on several occasions).
The substance that turns a butterfly into an irresistible object of attraction—a discovery that earned a brilliant scientist a Nobel Prize.
When you absolutely must avoid touching a silkworm—and why.
An unforgettable way to explain to your kids or students the characteristics of animals, plants, and insects.
A foolproof trick to stop your eggs from hatching before you’ve gathered mulberry leaves.
A hands-on way to explain breathing—with a silkworm, a child, and a plant—that no one will ever forget.
A curated selection of the best stories and resources to spark curiosity and keep learning.
References and direct links to the exact materials I recommend buying, so you don’t waste time searching.
4 in-depth videos about this animal that you can use both to learn yourself and to show in class.
12 classroom activities designed to help you get the most out of working with silkworms.
Each activity comes with a detailed PDF you can download, so you’ll always have the objectives and instructions at hand.
Plus, step-by-step video tutorials to show you exactly how to carry them out.
4 hands-on experiments that let you practice the scientific method the real way—by doing experiments just as scientists do.
(And of course, none of them cause any harm to the animals.)Detailed guidance on how to present your findings in a scientific poster, just like real researchers do.
Bats
They’ve got fur, but they fly.
They live for many years.
Their eyesight is pretty bad… but they don’t really need it.
With this resource, your kids or students will learn fun and fascinating facts about bats.
And I’d bet they’ll even stop being afraid of them.
An animated 3:52-minute video designed for their age.
No ads.
Just fun and learning.
Field journal for real young scientists.
To help them reflect on what they’ve discovered.
A downloadable 18-page PDF.
Plus, a selection of the best stories and resources to spark their curiosity and keep them learning.
Play-Dough Vaccines
You might not believe it, but just 5 years ago,
a new and deadly virus appeared in the world.
It spread like wildfire across the entire planet,
putting humanity to the test in an unprecedented way.
The solution to this crisis came from SCIENCE.
We need the new generations to understand this, so they can face
future pandemics and global challenges—which will surely come—
with confidence and success.
In this project, you’ll build models of the main vaccines that saved us from the crisis—using play-dough.
That way, children will understand how they actually work.
That transparent liquid injected into their arms will stop being something magical, abstract, or mysterious—
it will take on a clear, tangible form.
And they’ll see that the design doesn’t include microchips.
√ They’ll realize that pandemics aren’t new, but have accompanied humanity throughout history.
√ They’ll become aware that vaccines have been helping us overcome infectious diseases for many years.
√ They’ll understand that we are not defenseless against germs, but protected by a well-structured army called the Immune System.
√ They’ll see how vaccines work—by helping our immune army get ready for the germs’ attack before they arrive.
7 Videos on:
The History of Vaccines
The Immune System
The Anatomy of a Virus
Introduction to Vaccine Design
Vaccines Made from Killed or Attenuated Viruses
mRNA Vaccines
Vaccines Based on Other Viruses
Teaching Guide for Elementary and Middle/High School
7 biosafety videos for students, adapted to the pandemic, leading us to the following reflection:
Why did we have to do those things?
Will we have to live through something like that again?
Alcohol and adolescence
Alcohol is a toxin—scientifically speaking.
The adolescent brain is in the middle of a major reorganization.
Toxin + brain reorganizing = a ticking time bomb.
The damage may show up during adolescence itself… or later on.
But our society doesn’t really see it as a real risk.
We don’t fully understand the dangers of alcohol consumption.
Neither teenagers.
Nor adults.
Our proposal is simple: to show teenagers that alcohol is, in fact, a toxin.
How?
With a toxicology test.
The very same kind real scientists use.
As it happens, one of those tests is done with the eggs of Danio rerio, the zebrafish.
To investigate whether a substance is toxic to vertebrates, zebrafish eggs are exposed to the test substance.
We did it with alcohol.
We recorded the experiment.
And we show it to you in the Alcohol and Adolescence Project.
⚠️ Important: The eggs are not exposed to alcohol in the classroom. The project is in video format only. There’s no hands-on experimental part.
What students actually do is interpret the results of a real experiment based on photographs.
Coloring animals
So that the little ones can start getting familiar with animals.
Exclusive in the club
Stories
There’s nothing more beautiful and natural than learning through a story.
In the Club, you’ll have access to the digital versions of all the stories about science and animals that I write.
I hope to write many more, but for now, here are these:
The story of a cormorant who knew how to count.
Based on scientifically proven facts and illustrated with the drawings of a 7-year-old girl.
The story of my friend, Dr. María Luisa Cayuela, who works with zebrafish to find cures for cancer and other rare diseases.
A true role model for young girls who dream of becoming scientists.
The life cycle of a silkworm, told by the silkworm itself. With real photographs taken through the Danioscope—photos you’ll be able to create too.
And who am I to be running such a fabulous Science Club for kids?
Pues me llamo María Jesús Molina Cimadevila, Txus para los amigos.
Me he pasado 25 años trabajando en ciencia.
Hace 8 años dejé el CSIC para acercar la ciencia a las escuelas con un proyecto precioso llamado Aprende con Danio.
En este club puedes encontrar el resultado de todo mi trabajo durante este tiempo.
Y lo que me queda por hacer.
Se dice pronto.
En resumen, si te unes al Fabuloso Club Danio tendrás:
My name is María Jesús Molina Cimadevila, but friends call me Txus.
I’ve spent 25 years working in science.
Eight years ago, I made a big decision: I left my position at the CSIC (Spain’s National Research Council) to pursue a dream—bringing science into schools through a beautiful project called Danio Science for Kids.
This club is the result of all that work over the years.
And the best part? There’s still so much more to come.
Sounds simple, but it’s been quite the journey.
👉 In short: when you join The Fabulous Danio Science Club, you’ll get access not only to everything I’ve created so far… but also to everything that’s still on the way.
¿Y qué opinan en los coles que hacen mis proyectos?
“Good evening, Txus. I bought this learning unit some time ago, and now I’m putting it into practice this term with my students. I have to say: they’re loving it—and I’m blown away! Thank you so much for making me enjoy science like this.”
“The passion you feel for science shines through in every word.”
“I truly admire people like you, capable of creating a universe of beauty and wonder out of your own knowledge. I spent the whole day listening to your talks about how Danio sparks curiosity in children. Honestly, I had no idea such a fish even existed… and I was moved to tears when I saw its tiny heart beating. From the bottom of my heart, I hope your project succeeds, because it’s one of those that leaves a positive mark on the world.”
“Right now, we’re relaxing in the big hall of your tent in a campsite somewhere in southern France, singing and drawing, when your email pops up. And I have to say, I got goosebumps reading it. Thank you for conveying such an essential message so beautifully. I hope many people read it, that it helps raise awareness, and that at least one person feels compelled to act. Keep going—this world needs more people like you.”
“Congratulations on your work—it’s truly amazing what you do. I’m sure any story you write will hook us in. We can’t wait to read them!”
“I feel a bit shy writing this, but I had to thank you somehow for your contribution to my work. I’m writing from Bermeo. I read your stories because they’re fresh, science explained simply and with charm, covering topics that are part of our daily lives—without complicated jargon. Little by little, I keep learning. I especially enjoyed your latest season (on viruses, vaccines, and women scientists). I work in secondary school with students who have diverse learning needs, and since they’re also curious, I use your newsletters in class. I assure you, they find them much more interesting and engaging than the textbooks. Thank you so much!”
Frequent Ask Questions
❓Who is this Club for?
👩🏫 For elementary and middle school teachers who want to turn science lessons into real-life adventures.
👨👩👧 For families with curious kids ages 6–12 (and beyond).
🏡 For homeschoolers looking for motivating, structured, easy-to-follow science activities.
🌱 For adults who still ask questions like they did when they were kids.➡️ In short: for anyone who wants to experience science as an adventure, not as a boring textbook.
❓What ages is it designed for?
Most of the resources are perfect for kids 6 to 12 years old (elementary and early secondary).
Some modules can even be adapted for high school depending on the maturity of the students.
👉 Think of it as a “science bank” that grows with your child — or with your classroom.
❓How much does it cost?
💶 Only €20 per month.
👉 No commitment, cancel anytime.
❓What language are the materials in?
All resources are available in Spanish and English.
❓Does it include physical products?
No — the Club is 100% digital: videos, tutorials, activity workbooks, teaching guides… everything I’ve described above.
From time to time, I’ll offer special physical products at exclusive prices for Club members.
⚠️ Please note: Danio in the Classroom and Danio at Home are not included.
❓From which countries can I access the Club?
Since it’s a digital product, you can join from anywhere in the world 🌍.
❓Is there a money-back guarantee?
No — the Club does not offer refunds.
But here’s the good news: if you don’t like what you find inside (which is pretty unlikely 😉), you can cancel anytime with no strings attached.
⚠️ Important Safety Note
The activities in the Club are designed for kids and are not dangerous.
Still, some projects may involve small parts or interactions with living organisms. That means they must always be done with adult supervision.