Nina and the Neurons

Have some scientific fun with Nina in her lab as she demonstrates experiments and answers children's questions.

Skip to: Fun with Nina and the Neurons

Super scientist Nina returns to the science lab for lots more experimenting in the sixth series of CBeebies' popular science show. In this series children from around the UK visit Nina to investigate why our bodies are brilliant. Also on hand to help are Nina's five animated sense Neurons.

Nina and the Neurons is a series of 15-minute programmes made by BBC Children's Scotland for CBeebies - aimed at the four to six age group - which focuses on the five senses.

Each programme starts with Nina practising an experiment or demonstrating an activity for her Science Show later that day.

Nina is then interrupted by a video message (on a TV screen in her lab) arriving from a child. The child is asking Nina a question, eg. "Why can I only see stars at night, Nina?"). She thanks the child for question and promises to come and help them find out the answer.

Nina then meets the child and family at either their home, or a suitable location to do a series of very simple experiments with them which will answer the child's question.

Once Nina receives the child's question, she states that she will need some help from the Neurons to help her with the answer. Nina selects one neuron of the day who will be most apt to operate the required sense relating to the question. So if question is "Why can I only see stars at night, Nina?" then the experiments will require much use of the sense of sight, and so LUKE will be the neuron of the day for that programme. However, all neurons will be involved in each programme, as we do, of course, use all our senses for most daily activities.

The Nina and the Neurons website raises awareness of the five senses and asks children to explore them in a humorous way. It does this by drawing on children's' experience of the real world and the way that their body works.

The educational value of the show

Nina and the Neurons helps children to:

Become aware of the five senses and the ways they affect their body (and in doing so, their day-to-day lives).
Learn some basic scientific facts and skills by watching Nina carrying out some fun experiments in her lab.
Be inspired to discover more about the world around them.

Read about the characters

Nina

Nina is a neuroscientist who works at the Glasgow Science Centre. She is fun, bubbly, but has the presence and authenticity of a real scientist who knows her stuff.

The Neurons

The Neurons are characters who live in Nina's brain and, like real human neurons, send messages from her brain to the parts of her body which control her senses. Nina has some dialogue with the neurons, but most of their activity and chatter is amongst themselves, commenting on the action while 'looking out' from Nina's brain.

Each neuron is named to reflect the sense they control:

Luke is the sight neuron. He's the group leader, but in a very laid back and relaxed. He is very cool!

Belle is the sound neuron. Her character is quite loud and slightly bossy, but still likeable.

Felix is the touch neuron. He is slightly sensitive, speaks in a deliberate, posh accent. Fussy about his appearance, he regularly fixes his hair.

Ollie is the smell neuron. She is very sweet, self assured and a bit of a goth. Though her little brother, Bud, can bug her at times, she loves him dearly.

Bud is the taste neuron. He is the baby of the bunch, and talks in a slightly childlike manner. Bud oozes enthusiasm and is easily excited by whatever is going on.