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Motor Bird
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In this activity, learners build a bird that flies in place with help from a motor, wire, and some straws.
Paddle Boat
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In this activity, learners build an old-fashioned paddle boat out of simple materials.
Speedboat
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In this activity, learners build a speedboat using paint paddles, a propeller, and film canister. Learners attach a simple circuit and motor to the boat to power the propellers.
On Target
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In this design challenge activity, learners modify a cup so it can carry a marble down a zip line and also drop it onto a target.
Chain Reaction II
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In this hands-on activity, learners use an assortment of (mainly household) items to complete Rube Goldberg-type challenges.
Handheld Water Bottle Rocket & Launcher
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In this activity, learners build handheld rockets and launchers out of PVC pipes and plastic bottles. Use this activity to demonstrate acceleration, air pressure, and Newton's Laws of Motion.
Catapult
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In this activity, learners build mini catapults using paint paddles and a spoon. Use this activity to introduce learners to forces and projectile motion.
Make and Fly a Helicopter
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Learners follow the template to build and fly a paper helicopter.
Stomp Rocket
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In this activity, learners build rockets and shoot them into the air by stomping on the plastic bottle launchers.
Ramp it Up
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In this activity, learners will build ramps and test how the laws of physics apply do different objects. Learners will explore physics and cause and effect through this activity.
Sound Automata
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In this activity, learners build their own sound machines and explore the interplay of motion and sound.
FlyBy Math: Distance-Rate-Time Problems in Air Traffic Control
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In this small-group activity, learners assume the roles of pilots, air traffic controllers, and NASA scientists to solve five Air Traffic Control (ATC) problems.
Scribbling Machines
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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.
Motorized Balancing Toy
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In this activity, learners build a toy that flies in circles. This activity introduces learners to center of mass, torque, and rotational motion.
Homemade Rube Goldberg Machine
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In this fun and, at times, hilarious force and motion activity, learners will use household objects to build a crazy contraption and see how far they can get a tennis ball to move.
Make a Mobile!
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In this activity, learners make mobiles to explore the concepts of balance, counterbalance, weight, and counterweight.
Building a Magic Carpet
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In this activity (page 89 of the PDF), learners compare and contrast pitch and roll motions by using a Magic Carpet maze similar to one that was used for Neurolab investigations about microgravity.
Cylindrical Wing
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In this design and physics challenge, learners construct a cylindrical wing, fly it, make modifications, and determine how the changes affect flight patterns.
Sliding and Stuttering
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Learners use a spring scale to drag an object such as a ceramic coffee cup along a table top or the floor.
Building a 3-D Space Maze: Escher Staircase
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In this activity (page 95 of the PDF), learners create Escher Staircase models similar to those that were used by Neurolab's Spatial Orientation Team to investigate the processing of information about