CHILDREN were enticed to become mad about science to help a social media project.

A range of eye-catching science experiments were demonstrated in front of shoppers as part of Darlington Experiment Market.

The special stalls, set up in the town centre on Saturday, pitched two different projects side by side.

A team from business Mad Science helped provide striking experiments which were filmed for Darlington Experiment 2.0.

The project uses the internet, including sites such as YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Flickr, to promote the town.

A separate website, known as the Darlington Experiment's Tube Train, allows people to view and add to a bank of videos, photographs and comments.

On Saturday, the two stalls highlighted the project and provided guides of how to join.

Experiments included dry ice, making candyfloss, slime and a vacuum-based car.

One of the most bold experiments used fizzy drinks and sweets to produce a geyser-style eruption.

There was also a Van de Graaff generator and a hoverboard.

Teams from the Darlington Experiment 2.0, known as Lab Rats, were on hand to video the results, including the crowds' reactions and even other people recording the excitement.

Tim Stephenson, from Mad Science, said: "We are doing a few demonstrations to show how science affects everyday life.

"We want to get across to kids, who are often bored in classrooms watching someone write on the blackboard, that science can be some pretty cool stuff.

"We put the dry ice out and it brings loads of them in and we have other stuff for them to do. They love the Van de Graaff generator and really like making slime."

A spokeswoman from the Darlington Experiment 2.0 team said: "The science experiments are a way to attract people in so we can explain to them what Darlington Experiment is all about.

"We've had crowds all day long."

The internet project was launched at the end of September. More than 100 videos have been uploaded during the first month.

For more information see www.darlingtonexperiment.org.uk.