According to scientists at the Royal Society of Chemistry, licking an ice cream stick should be an integral part of the national curriculum for primary school children in England.

Whether it’s an old-fashioned Fab, Twister or Calippo, it not only tastes good, but scientists say it also teaches children important scientific concepts such as heating, cooling and how temperature works.

According to the new recommendations, primary school students should also have the opportunity to knead bread dough, dig in the soil, plant vegetables and play with shadows as part of their early science education.

These “essential lessons” are just some of numerous proposals for changes to the science curriculum for children ages 3 to 11 that have been put forward by leading professional science organizations.

The Royal Society of Chemistry, the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Biology and the Association for Science Education say the reforms will help reduce inequalities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and teach basic scientific concepts that every child should understand.

Their recommendations follow the government’s review of the curriculum and assessment launched last month. Education Minister Bridget Phillipson said at the time: “The launch of this review is an important step in the government’s mission to reduce barriers to opportunity, provide better life chances and help more young people into working life.”

Aylin Ozkan, a teacher and education policy officer at the Royal Society of Chemistry, explained the importance of eating lollipops: “One of the recommendations in chemistry is that all children should start to understand how temperature works and how heating and cooling can change things by the age of 11.”

“What better tool is there for a teacher to explain this than a popsicle? Such important experiences promote learning on a personal level, which is why we believe they should be part of the curriculum.”

The English school inspectorate Ofsted had previously expressed concern that science was in danger of being pushed out of the primary school curriculum because English and mathematics took up a disproportionate amount of teaching time.

In some cases, students were not required to take any science classes at all for entire semesters, while in other schools students were expected to study too technical subjects, such as genetics in sixth grade.

Physicists not only want to make chemistry lessons more accessible, but also want to integrate light and music into the lessons, and biologists want children to grow vegetables at school and learn about recycling in class.

Charles Tracy, senior adviser for learning and skills at the Institute of Physics, said: “Many children enjoy making noise – but using this in the classroom can help teach the basics of concepts such as pitch and volume.”

“We want to help the review team make the primary science curriculum as inclusive as possible. We recommend that teachers are supported to incorporate global, historical and societal contexts into their science teaching, and that they build science capital equitably by giving all students access to real science experiences that are currently reserved for only a lucky few.”

Lauren McLeod, head of education policy at the Royal Society of Biology, said: “By promoting green spaces, growing vegetables in the classroom and visiting the local garden centre, children can experience the life cycles of living things and be involved in decision-making for healthy and sustainable things.”

“Not all children have access to a garden or school grounds. We want children to experience the world around them while giving teachers the opportunity to incorporate science into their everyday activities.”

The proposals were welcomed by teachers. “Any initiative that promotes hands-on learning is to be supported, and this is particularly important for STEM subjects,” said Matt Jones, co-head of St Jude’s, St Peter’s and Peter Hills Church of England primary schools in south London.

“Explaining scientific concepts using everyday experiences, such as melting popsicles, helps students understand and remember more because what they have observed is directly applicable to their own lives.”

However, Sarah Hannafin, head of policy at the National Association of Head Teachers, said: “What we need is not a completely new STEM curriculum, but to build on what works best and scale back the current bloated programme.”