Easy {and Fun} Catapult for Kids to Make A catapult for kids to make is what we are featuring today! What kid doesn’t want to launch something across the room? Build a catapult to develop this love even more. Kids Activities Blog hopes your kids love this activity as much as our own do. Catapult for Kids to Make Before building our craft stick catapult, I showed my 3 year old how to turn a spoon into a catapult. Supplies needed: 7 craft sticks3 rubber bandsa milk capcotton balls {or other objects to launch} I then showed him pictures of catapults from Google images. Build a Catapult Stack 5 craft sticks together, and rubber band the ends.Stack 2 craft sticks together, and wrap a rubber band around the very end.Separate the 2 craft sticks. Catapult Science Now create a simple experiment using the catapult of your choice. Launch an object from the catapult multiple times and measure how far it travels each time.Launch different objects from the catapult and measure how far each object travels.Compare catapults. More Kids Activities
Science for Kids: Balancing Robot (FREE Printable) Here’s a super fun science activity that really gets kids thinking! Children will explore balance and center of gravity by creating a balancing robot! Follow our Science for Kids Pinterest board! *This activity was originally published on June 1, 2014 and has since been updated. This balancing robot science exploration has always been a huge favorite among my students! Materials for Balancing Robot Science Activity How to Make the Balancing Robot Print out the free printable on a sheet of white card stock, and color the robots if you’d like. To make the robot balance you’ll want to stick two pennies onto the hands of the robot. Here’s how we did it: Flip your robot over to the back. Press a penny onto each hand. Stick some more poster putty on the pennies. Press the second robot onto the back. Now you’ve got your balancing robot! Exploring Balance and Center of Gravity Here’s the fun part! Lucy’s favorite place was her nose! Other Resources for Exploring Balance and Center of Gravity
Curious Little Apps :: How It Works: Machines by Geek Kids Overview As parents and educators we are constantly responding to questions of how and why. With the help of How It Works: Machines children can get a close look at how nine different everyday machines work, including a car, a hair dryer, a lawn mower and a vacuum cleaner. They are encouraged to assemble these devices by dragging pieces of the inside mechanics of different machines to their illustrative see-through structures. Then they sit back and watch the parts work together and listen to their sound effects. We love the simplicity of the accurate and realistic mechanics in this app! Learning outcome How It Works: Machines encourages children to find out about how different machines work by watching their parts functioning together. This app suits inquirers – children who have an interest in finding out more about how the world works. Usability This iPad app is very simple to navigate. More info This iPad app encourages children to: Fun factor Negatives The Bottom Line
Curious Little Apps :: The best educational iPad apps for kids Overview Monster Physics is an addictive creative app that encourages children to learn more about physics and explore physical phenomena that they will encounter in their daily lives. There are fifty missions where kids are challenged to complete tasks that involve a cute little monster, such as helping it reach some fruit to eat. Children complete these tasks by utilising a variety of parts and materials such as wheels, cannons, ropes, ice, propellers, wood and many more. Kids are free to use their creativity in the ‘Build It’ option, where they design inventions that allow them to experiment freely. Learning Outcome Children are encouraged to gain an intuitive understanding of physical phenomenon by trialling different strategies throughout the missions and by exploring the possibilities offered in the ‘Build It’ section. Children can also read a section that explains physics terminology in language that we believe that older children can easily comprehend. Usability More info Negatives
Build a Bobsled Racer Activity adapted from the Museum of Science, Boston‘s Design Challenges, a program of hands-on activities developed to help students and visitors explore the engineering design process, and from the version modified for classroom use by California’s Tech Museum of Innovation. Click on link to view the educator’s guide (.pdf) Summary Teams of students in grades 3 to 8 learn about friction, forces, and the engineering design process by building and testing miniature bobsleds to see which can race down an icy slope either the fastest or slowest. Grade level: 3-8 Time: 20 minutes for the activity, 10 minutes for setup and clean up. Learning outcomes After doing this activity, students should be able to: Standards International Technology and Engineering Educators Association Energy is the capacity to do work. Next Generation Science Standards The Challenge Design a bobsled to race down the icy slopes as quickly or as slowly as possible. Materials Procedure Before the activity Activity 1. 2.Create. 3. 4.
Build a Big Wheel Lesson courtesy of TryEngineering, sponsored by the IEEE. Click here for a .pdf of the original activity. Summary In this activity, teams of students learn about the history and engineering behind big wheels (Ferris wheels) by constructing a working model using pasta, glue, and teabags. Grade level: K-12 Time: Two to three 45-minute sessions Learning Objectives Learn about engineering design.Learn about motion, load, and construction.Learn about teamwork and working in groups. Learning OutcomesAs a result of this activity, students should develop an understanding of: structural engineering and designproblem solvingteamwork Standards National Science Education Standards Standards for Technological Literacy – All AgesThe Nature of Technology Standard 1: Students will develop an understanding of the characteristics and scope of technology.Standard 2: Students will develop an understanding of the core concepts of technology. Technology and Society Design Abilities for a Technological World Materials
Monster Physics To say that my family loves physics type apps is an understatement. We own a couple of other apps similar to Monster Physics; though my family enjoyed playing the others they always wished it could do more. Well, along comes Monster Physics and problem solved! This awesome universal app contains features the other apps are missing; such as all of the parts are available from the beginning, no need to earn them before you use them in the free play area. One other feature is that the app is designed in a way that you are much more likely to learn about physics, concepts and how to apply them. Monster Physics teaches the user about physics in a way that is fun; the “Learn” section is dedicated to teaching you important physics concepts such as gravity, friction and speed and velocity; more importantly it explains the concepts in a way that kids can understand them and apply that knowledge in the missions portion of the app. Bottom line ▸ Create your own monster avatar ▸ Solve 50 fun missions
TOPScience: Magnetism #33 Complete Master List for #33 Magnetism: Key: (1st/2nd/3rd) denote needed quantities: (1st) enough for 1 student doing all activities; (2nd) enough for 30 students working in self-paced pairs; (3rd) enough for 30 students working in pairs on the same lesson. Starred* items may be purchased below. Magnetism Class Kit book and magnets NOT included, please order separately WE SUPPLY all items in our above Starter Kit in quantities that serve up to 30 students working in 15 lab pairs: YOU SUPPLY other materials as detailed above. Aluminum Foil regular strength, 20 square feet x 12 inches rolls Buy aluminum foil here as a convenience item, or for less in many grocery stores. Batteries size-D, alkaline These are basic workhorse brands, available everywhere. Clay - modeling oil-based, non-drying Sold by the 100 gram stick, about 1/4 cup, in assorted colors (our choice). Clothespins wooden, spring-action These are handy lab items to keep in stock. Cups - plastic 9 or 10 ounce; clear, flexible, plastic Thread
Ramblings From Utopia: DIY: Pool Noodle Race Track It's Wednesday my favorite day of the week, when I was little it was the day my Dad took us for pizza when my Mom was at work, sometimes I still fell like a kid especially when were in the backyard holding matchbox derbies, we're so excited to show you our latest summer fun project, we actually it can be used all year round and is great indoors too! Start your engines! Now I saw this done with marbles, the noodle was a much small diameter, so when I saw the giant noodle on sale at the grocery store we snagged the last one! My new obsession other than drilling holes in toys is matchbox cars, wait till I show you are flying ones! But that will have to wait for another week since their just so so cool they deserve their own DIY post. Now you're ready to decorate your track Using cardstock at toothpicks I created small flags for along the sides of the track Finally just prop the track up on a chair, table, bed, pretty much anything, the higher the prop the faster the cars go.
That Magnetic Dog