Search Results
Showing results 1 to 20 of 28

Rhythm Painting
Source Institutions
In this activity, early learners create paintings by making music and rhythm. Learners place paper in cans, add paint-soaked beans (or pebbles) and put the tops on.

Roller Ball Painting
Source Institutions
This is an activity in which learners explore the effects of gravity, motion and momentum while creating art.

Crank It Up
Source Institutions
In this engineering activity, learners explore simple machines and then build cardboard automata using cams.

Cup Draw (Low Tech)
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners construct drawing machines using a cup, some markers, and a battery pack. The markers act as "legs" for the machine, making a drawing that records as it moves.

Make a Mobile!
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners make mobiles to explore the concepts of balance, counterbalance, weight, and counterweight.

Cardboard Automata
Source Institutions
Cardboard Automata are a playful way to explore simple machine elements while creating a mechanical sculpture.

Sound Automata
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners build their own sound machines and explore the interplay of motion and sound.

Scribbling Machines
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners explore electronics and motion by making a Scribbling Machine, a motorized contraption that moves in unusual ways and leaves a mark to trace its path.

Rotational Equilibrium
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners explore the concept of rotational equilibrium. Learners work in teams to estimate and determine the force within a mobile design.

Ramp Painting
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners will dip different items in paint and then roll those items down a ramp. Learners will use science process skills such as observations and experimenting.

Jitterbugs
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners construct bug models that "jitter" all over the table with just a battery, motor, and counterweight.
Parachute Design
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners design and build their own parachute using household materials with the goal of landing their passenger safely on a target.

Cupcake Delivery
Source Institutions
In this design challenge, learners will create wind-powered contraptions to transport a load, such as a cupcake or another small object, and test to see if they work.

Carousel Pump
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners build a carousel toy that spins when pushed down.

Floating Butterfly
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners create a cool floating animal using the science of magnetism. Learners discover what happens when a piece of magnetic metal enters a magnet's field.

Finger Basketball
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners build mini-basketball courts using cardboard and measuring spoons. Use this activity to introduce learners to catapults, forces, and levers.

Minibot
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners build a mini dancing robot. This engineering activity introduces learners to electricity, circuits, switches, conductivity, and motors.

Gymnast
Source Institutions
In this physics activity, learners build a toy with a figure that spins around like a gymnast on the high bar.

Motor Bird
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners build a bird that flies in place with help from a motor, wire, and some straws.

How Many Pennies?
Source Institutions
In this activity (pages 13-14), learners investigate the properties of smart materials, which are materials that respond to things that happen around them.