From effective learning research, there is a general consensus that hands-on experiences help students to learn. The question that this paper seeks to answer is what it is about these activities that fosters student learning. In a review of the literature, three factors have been identified as making a significant contribution to this strategy's success. They are peer interaction through cooperative learning, object-mediated learning and embodied experience. By taking these factors into account, teachers of Science can design lessons that explicitly utilise this knowledge. (Contains 1 figure.)