Pre-School Ball Run!

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In this activity, learners use cardboard bases and track tubes to make a ball run to explore the properties of mass, force, and motion. Learners test their ball runs using balls of various sizes, weights and textures. Learners can make their courses even more exciting by creating targets for the balls at the ends, like blocks to knock down. This activity was designed specifically to engage early learners in scientific inquiry. [Activity is publicly available through a web crawler capture on Archive.org.]

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
30 to 45 minutes
Learning Time:
10 to 30 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$10 - $20 per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 4 - 6
Resource Types:
Activity, Lesson/Lesson Plan
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • cardboard bases
  • cardboard track tubes
  • balls
  • foam pieces

Keywords

Subjects

  • Physical Sciences
    • Motion and Forces
    • Structure and Properties of Matter
      • Mass and Weight
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • About Inquiry
      • Conducting Investigations
      • Formulating Explanations
      • Communicating Results
  • The Nature of Technology
    • The Design Process
      • Invention and Innovation
      • Problem Solving
      • Troubleshooting and Maintenance

Informal Categories

  • Toys

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

Includes alignment to state and/or national standards:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, Chicago Children's Museum, 2008