Physics

Exploring the Science of Sound

By Marnie Craycroft Filed Under: Science Tagged With: Easy Science for Kids, Physics This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

I am over on Playdough to Plato's blog today share fun ideas to learn about the science of sound. Not only will kids learn a ton of really cool information, they will get their bodies moving and no doubt be inspired to want to discover more science. This activity ideal for a kindergarten and older classroom or group. With that said, my 4.5 year old had a blast, too.

The post shares a few ideas on how to explore the science of sound, specifically the science of echolation. Hooked, yet? The absolute best part about these activities is that thy are easy to execute and inexpensive to put together. That is my kind of activity! I hope you enjoy reading about the science of sound activities and are inspired to discover more with questions and resources to get you started on your learning journey! For more awesome information on the science of sound, visit the NPS website!

Marnie

Science of Flight Activities for Kids

By Marnie Craycroft Filed Under: Science Tagged With: Easy Science for Kids, Physics This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

This month's Tinkercrate is awesome. It is all about the science of FLIGHT. Kiwi Crate's Tinkerzine has quickly become my sons' (and my) favorite piece of monthly content. It is jam packed with awesome learning goodness for children…and adults.

Ever since I brought home the Klutz Book of Paper Airplanes, my boys have been really excited about making paper airplanes. Their imaginations and ingenuity with making adjustments to their creations to “see what happens” astounds me. So, we were particularly thrilled with this month's TinkerCrate. {I am an affiliate.}

Science of Flight

The Tinkerzine gives history, the science with specific and real life example, and awesome activities for children to try on their own in addition to the materials supplied in the TinkerCrate. After taking look at the magazine, we took a closer look at the 4 Forces of Flight – Thrust, Lift, Gravity, and Drag. {Take a look at this fun science activity on learning thrust.}

Easy Science of Flight Activity to Demonstrate Lift

Such a simple and powerful activity that we found in the Tinkerzine! The activity involves a piece of paper and a breath of air. Okay, to be fair, I used scissors, too, but you can even just tear the paper into the appropriate size (about 5 x 2). After you cut your piece of paper, curl the paper slightly using your finger or a pencil. Hold the paper up to your mouth (curling down) so you can blow air into it.

Ask your child: “What do you think might happen when you blow air into the top of the paper?”

Then blow air and observe Newton's Third Law: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. When you blow air onto to the paper, the shape of the paper pushes the air downwards, which creates an equal and opposite reaction pushing the paper upwards! That is how wings of an airplane function. Simple and amazing!

Further Learning

Examine what happens when you blow air onto the paper holding it in the other direction.
Try the experiment using a balloon. Fill with air and let it go. What do you observe?
Examine various types of planes

My sons had been asking about different types of planes. So I created these Montessori Types of Planes Cards for reference. They are great because we get to combine science, language, history, and geography into looking at them. Ask your child to choose one to examine more closely, or to make his own booklet of planes using the cards or his own research.

I hope you found this post helpful to you! Definitely check out Kiwi Crate. They offer a variety of crates perfect for your little inventor, artist, or crafter! Enjoy!

Marnie

How to Build a Magnetic Car with Your Kids

By Marnie Craycroft Filed Under: Activities, Science Tagged With: Physics This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Kids love learning about magnetism! Building a magnetic car is simple and packs a big punch with science learning. Plus children have a great time! Magnets? Cars? Sign me up! This post includes steps on how to build a magnetic car.

Materials Needed for Magnetic Car

Two magnets (you can use two bar magnets, or in our case, we used a round magnet and a magnetic wand)
Small box
Straw or Dowel
Clay
Tape
Toothpicks (not needed if you use a wooden dowel)
Wheels (we used lego wheels but you can use cardstock cut into circles, too)

How to Make a Magnetic Car

Tape a magnet inside the small box
Cut the straw or the dowel into two pieces to match the size of the box
Tape down to the outside of the box
If you are using cardstock to create the wheels, cut out four circles at this point, then push the toothpicks through the straw and attach the cardstock wheels onto the ends
We used lego wheels so we attached the wheels to the dowel
Place the car onto a flat surface and use your second magnet to pull and push the car

My sons were enamored with this car! They had a blast making it go backward and forwards, creating a road, obstacles, and experimenting with the magnets. We placed magnets in different spots and used different sized magnets varying in strength, too. Lots of science learning!

What is Magnetism in Simple Terms?

Magnetism is defined as “a physical phenomenon produced by the motion of electric charge, resulting in attractive and repulsive forces between objects.”

How a Magnet Works:

A magnet has two ends called poles, a north pole or north-seeking pole and a south pole or south-seeking pole.
The north pole of one magnet attracts the south pole of a second magnet, while the north pole of one magnet repels the other magnet's north pole. So we have the common saying: like poles repel, unlike poles attract.
A magnet creates an invisible area of magnetism all around it called a magnetic field.
The north pole of a magnet points roughly toward Earth's north pole and vice-versa. That's because Earth itself contains magnetic materials and behaves like a gigantic magnet.
If you cut a bar magnet in half, it's a bit like cutting an earthworm in half! You get two brand new, smaller magnets, each with its own north and south pole. (This is, of course, a joke. You don't get two worms if you cut a worm in half. But you do get two magnets.)
If you run a magnet a few times over an unmagnetized piece of a magnetic material (such as an iron nail), you can convert it into a magnet as well.

{Source: Explain That Stuff}

Additional Resources on Magnetism

A great way to introduce this science concept is with a traditional Montessori magnetic/non-magnetic work. I created these Magnetic/Non-Magnetic worksheets to supplement the hands-on sorting and experimenting activities! Montessori Services has a prepared magnetic/non-magnetic work with everything you'd need for the lesson. I tried to use objects easily accessible at home or in a classroom.

Light Activities for Preschoolers – Learning about Light Energy

By Marnie Craycroft Filed Under: Activities, Science Tagged With: Easy Science for Kids, Physics This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

My sons are obsessed with science experiments right now. I figure what better time to do a little experimenting with light than around Groundhog Day, right? Light is one of eight forms of energy. The other forms are heat, sound, chemical energy, magnetic, nuclear, electromagnetic, and mechanical. Light energy activities are fun and easy to do! Here are a few light energy experiments for kids that you will enjoy!

What is Light Energy?

According to Solar Schools, light energy is “a form of electromagnetic radiation. Light consists of photons, which are produced when an object's atoms heat up. The light energy travels in light waves and is the only form of energy visible to the human eye.”

Light energy is the only form of energy that we can actually see directly. It is formed through chemical, radiation, and mechanical means. Light energy can also be converted into other forms of energy. It is nature's way of transferring energy through space.

Youtube also provides great little tutorials for kids explaining light energy such as this one below:

Examples of Light Energy

Light energy comes in many different forms, including:

Visible ligh.
Infrared waves
X-rays
Ultraviolet light
Gamma rays
Radio waves
Microwaves

Light Energy Activities with Kids

Trace Shadows

This activity is one of my favorites. Grab a few pieces of chalk on a reasonably sunny day. Go out to your driveway or sidewalk. Have the child stand still and have his shadow traced by you or another friend. Do this activity a few times throughout the day and make observations. You should see the shadow keep the same shape but change the size. The size depends on the angle of the sun.

Dancing Shadows

All you need is a lamp, a piece of white card stock, and a small object. We used a small figurine. Hold the figurine between the lamp and the piece of yardstick. Move it. Observe the shadow. The shadow changes when the object moves.

Moving Light

Grab your magnifying glass and a piece of blank white paper. Move the magnifying glass close to the paper and away from the paper. Note what happens on the paper. The light on the paper should change sizes.

Light Experiments Your Kids Will Love

Upside Down Light

This activity is classic. You need light and a big spoon. The light on the inside of the spoon is concave. The light on the other side of the spoon is convex. Note your observations. The reflection on the concave side of the spoon should be upside down.

Up High Light

You need a bowl of water. Use a tray to catch the water that may spill over the sides of the bowl. Place the bowl in the sun's light. What do you see on the ceiling? The light reflects on the ceiling and appears to dan cease the water moves in the bowl.

Make a Rainbow

Having a prism is worth it purely for educational purposes. For example, simply hold the prism to the sunlight and move it around. Subsequently, a rainbow should appear and move with the prism.

The white light is separated into the spectrum of colors (red, orange, yellow, blue, green, purple). Rain acts as a prism in nature as it reflects the sunlight. You can make a rainbow by using a pan of water in bright sunlight and a small mirror. Then, place the mirror on the inside of the pan of water and over it until you see a rainbow nearby. Call this your DIY prism.

Bending Pencil

One of my all-time favorite activities to show children. Grab a glass of water (filled halfway) and a pencil. Place the pencil in the water and watch it appear to bend.

Periscope

This experiment is on my “to-do” list. You need a quart sized milk carton, 2 small mirrors, tape, and scissors. Cut the side of the milk carton so it is still attached on one side and fold it back like a door. Take the two small mirrors inside slanting facing each other. Cut two small holes in the carton. Tape the flap/door back to hold its place. Look through the small holes. What do you see? Amazing results with this experiment. You can see around corners. Light travels in a straight line. It reflects off the mirrors, which enables you to see around corners.

That is a good start for a study of Light Energy for Kids! How do you study light energy with kids? Which light experiments do you enjoy? Are their light activities I left off this list?

I added a few more amazing light energy experiments for kids!

Marnie

How to Make a Wooden Bow and Arrow for Kids

By Marnie Craycroft Filed Under: Science Tagged With: Physics, Valentine's Day This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

What a perfect time of year to do a fun project based engineering project with kids? My kids recently learned about bridges and caught the engineering bug. This how to make a bow and arrow post will make your kids smile this Valentine's Day (maybe even more than chocolate).

How to Make a Bow and Arrow

You'll find there are many ways to make a bow and arrow. This example is simple and easy for kids to build.

“Failure is so much more interesting because you learn from it. That's what we should be teaching children at school, that being successful the first time, there's nothing in it. There's no interest, you learn nothing actually.” ~ Sir James Dyson

How to Make a Bow and Arrow with Kids

This version of a bow and arrow is a “truss based” bow frame. For the arrow, use a straw with a weight at the tip. The straw should be able to launch 10-15 feet at least. Please be sure to remind your children to avoid aiming the arrow at any sensitive target like a person or breakable object!

Materials Needed to Make a Bow and Arrow

12 Craft Sticks
2 Half Craft Sticks
5 1/2-1 inch wooden blocks
Glue gun stick
Sturdy straw
Glue gun
Rubber Band
Tape

How to Make a Bow and Arrow ApproachPlace a craft stick on a flat surface and hot glue three blocks equidistant from one another.

Place another craft stick on top and hot glue it onto the blocks
Get two more craft sticks and glue out from each end of the bottom of the original craft stick
Now you want to make sure the bow is strong enough to hold the tension of the rubber band. So, you will reinforce the bow by adding three craft sticks on each side in the shape of a wide letter “a” (see the bottom image in the below collage)

Now it is time to use your two half craft sticks. Hot glue a half craft stick on each end of your bow with the rounded end of the craft stick pointing up on the outside of your bow. You will hook your rubber band around these half craft sticks.

From here, you stretch your rubber band around each end to get your nice taut rubber band for launching. This is where all the energy is stored for your arrow.
Tape the rubber band together to strengthen it and make it easier to launch your arrow

Now it is time to make your arrow. Grab the straw. Cut a small slit in the end to make sliding the glue stick into the straw a bit easier. The glue stick weights the arrow to give it momentum to shoot through the air.
Wrap the other end of the straw with tape and cut two slits on each side for the rubber band as you prepare to launch
Load your arrow and pinch your fingers onto the rubber band
Pull back and launch the beauty!

Science Behind the Bow and Arrow

A bow and arrow demonstrate physics. Specifically, the concept of energy transformation and momentum. The energy stored in the bow and arrow is called kinetic energy.

Further Bow and Arrow Experimenting

Test different materials such as various sized craft sticks, wooden blocks, straws, and rubber bands. How do these changes impact the trajectory or the functionality of the bow and arrow?
Try pulling back the arrow at different speeds and distances
What happens when we add a rubber band?
What if we didn't weigh the arrow with a glue stick? (The air would catch the arrow, slow it down, and prevent it from going any meaningful distance.)
Make it fun by allowing children to design their own bow and arrow with markers and paint
Create a target range for children. Make it a game!

I hope you found this tutorial useful and easy to follow! Check out my favorite engineering books for kids for more amazing science and engineering projects for kids!

Marnie

Ridiculously Easy Friction Science Experiment Your Kids Will Love

By Marnie Craycroft Filed Under: Activities, Science Tagged With: Easy & Inexpensive, Easy Science for Kids, Physics This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Someone recently told me about this friction science experiment. We're huge fans of science activities in our home. I knew I immediately had to try it out and add it to my arsenal of easy science experiments!

As for this friction experiment, I listened to the explanation but had doubts if the “experiment” would work. So, like any good parent and educator, I tested it out. First, by myself and then with my children.

The age range of my children is 5 years so I always have to think about how to approach science activities in age-appropriate ways. Turns out this activity is suited for a preschooler but is also great to add to your bucket of science experiments for 5th graders, too! I like that range! Also, add it to your list if science fair projects to wow peers and teachers!

I like to do activities by myself first not because I don't want to fail in front of kids (that is a healthy and great thing for children to observe) but instead because I want to be organized with the materials. I want to be able to have conversations about the concept and the experiment without stumbling for a bag of rice. 😉

The post includes photos of my sons when we did the experiment. They were joyous, amazed with the result, and had loads of questions and ideas on what to do next with this experiment. This easy friction science experiment definitely ignited their desire to learn more!

Friction Science Experiment Idea

Materials for Friction Experiment

Enough rice to fill a medium-sized plastic bottle
Pencil or chopstick
Funnel to get rice into the bottle
Medium sized plastic or glass bottle
A scoop to get rice to the funnel

Steps to Friction Experiment

Bring out the materials and ask the child: “Do you think I can lift a bottle of rice with a chopstick?”
Pour rice into a bowl for easy access
Place the funnel into the bottle
Scoop rice and pour into the funnel (that is already in the opening of the bottle

Bang the bottle gently on the table to settle the rice (key point)
Continue until mostly full
Place the chopstick into the bottle
Work it into the rice, gently banging the bottle to get the chopstick worked well into the rice
Once worked into the rice, grab the chopstick and try to lift the bottle
Observe the wonder

What is Friction?

Friction is a force we experience every day, all day. We can't see it. So, we tend not to notice it. Friction is the force that opposes the movement of one substance against another. In this case, we had rice and a chopstick. As the rice sits in the bottle, there are air pockets around most grains, which prevents friction.

Live Science tells us, “It is not a fundamental force, like gravity or electromagnetism. Instead, scientists believe it is the result of the electromagnetic attraction between charged particles in two touching surfaces.” (Source: LiveScience)

History of Friction

So when did we first discover this amazing force? Believe it or not, scientists began identifying and understanding the laws governing friction in the 1400s! The cool part about friction is that the interactions are so complex that in order to truly understand the concept many different types of experiments in a variety of situations (different materials, etc) have to happen. Unlike other forces, friction can't be derived from equations or laws alone.

I learned from LiveScience that there are exceptions to the rules of friction:

“…while two rough surfaces (such as sandpaper) rubbing against each other sometimes have more friction, very smoothly polished materials (such as plates of glass) that have been carefully cleaned of all surface particles may actually stick to each other very strongly.”

How interesting is that???

Science Behind Friction Experiments

As we push the chopstick into the bottle, the grains of rice settle close to one another eliminating most of the air pockets. Once this happens, the frictional force overwhelms the rice and so the rice will push against the chopstick. In fact, the grains are pushing so forcefully, they create a force that causes the chopstick to become stuck enabling you to pick up the bottle of rice.

Learn about Friction from Science Max

Further Friction Questions & Ideas

Don't stop at simply doing the science experiment! Ask questions that help your kids with their scientific thinking! I have a few examples for you below but if you need more ideas to check out, click thru to this post I wrote a while back: 9 Fantastic Ways to Help a Child with Science Thinking.

Why could the chopstick pick up the bottle of rice in one case but not in another? (The rice wasn't settled enough in the bottle, around the chopstick.)
Ask “What would happen if we used a different material in the bottle?” Then, try different materials like sand, pasta, etc. Record what works and what doesn't work and thoughts on why that might be the case.
Then ask, “What would happen if we used a different vessel? A different type of bottle?”

Try different sized “pencils” or tool to lift. Try a thicker/thicker dowel. Try a shorter or longer instrument. Record observations.
Try with more or less rice. Record the observations.
Check out PhysicsforKids.com for Friction Basics

I'd love to hear your ideas on ways to experiment with friction!

Want more? Check out these Experiments with Electricity.

Marnie

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