Physics is a fascinating branch of science that studies movement, energy and how physical objects interact with each other. If your kids already love science, diving into physics can take that enthusiasm to the next level. Plus, it’s easy for kids of all ages to see the laws of physics in action through real-world examples, hands-on experiments and opportunities for fun, interactive learning.
In the world of physics, the more hands-on you can get, the better! Explore our guide to kid-friendly physics activities and experiments to get the wheels turning.
Introducing Physics to Kids — Energy, Motion, Gravity and More!
Physics is all about the invisible forces of energy that explain how objects move and change speed — both on Earth and throughout the universe, from the tiniest atoms to massive galaxies. Take gravity for example. Gravity is the force that governs how things move, like how the planets in our solar system move around the sun.
Without gravity on Earth, you would float up and away into the air. Due to physics, you stay firmly on the ground as the Earth’s gravity pulls your body down.
Examples of Physics in Everyday Life
The laws of physics are all around us! Talking to kids about real-world examples is a great way to spark their curiosity. Here are a few examples of how to relate physics back to activities kids may already be familiar with:
- Hitting a baseball with a bat: Get outside with a bat and ball. You’ll notice the ball goes further depending on how hard you hit it, showing Isaac Newton’s third law of motion. For every action — like you hitting the ball with a certain amount of force — there is an equal but opposite reaction. In this example, it’s the ball flying across the yard away from you at a particular speed.
- Riding a carnival ride or roller coaster: When you’re on a fast ride, do you ever get the sensation like you’re glued to your seat? That’s because of inertia as well as centripetal force. In simple terms, you’re pushed into your seat due to the fast acceleration of the ride, especially if there are any curves or loops!
- Playing on the swings: A playground swing is a pendulum, meaning it will swing back and forth due to gravity pulling the swing toward the center point. Swings also offer an example of inertia. The swing stays at rest and cannot start moving until someone pushes it to put the pendulum in motion.
Easy Physics Experiments for Kids
Ready to make physics for kids fun and exciting? You can try these hands-on projects at home!
1. Newton’s Tower — Inertia
Gather these materials:
- Three to five small boxes
- A stick, large dowel, ruler, wooden spoon or large pencil — anything you can use to hit the boxes
- A table
Follow these steps:
- On a table, stack three boxes on top of each other into a tower. For more of a challenge, try stacking four or five boxes!
- Ask your kids about what they think will happen when they try to hit the bottom box out from under the other ones. Do they expect the entire stack of boxes to topple over?
- Use your stick, wooden spoon or pencil to hit the bottom box out from under the ones above it.
- Remember to use a very fast sweeping motion, close to the table’s surface. Due to the laws of physics, the top two boxes should remain stacked.
- Continue swiping until there is only one box left.
- Talk to your kids about why the entire tower did not topple over after all!
Based on Newton’s first law of motion, objects that are not moving will stay that way until they are acted on by an external force. There are two external forces in this experiment. Gravity is one, and the other is the force you apply with your stick.
Gravity pulls the stack of boxes downward onto the table. When you swipe the bottom box with a stick, the force affects only that box. Once the bottom box is swiped away, the rest of the stack falls straight down due to the force of gravity.
2. Making Sprinkles Vibrate and Dance — Sound, Motion, Vibration
Gather these materials:
- Zip-close sandwich bag
- Rainbow sprinkles — spherical ones work best
- Plastic wrap
- A wireless speaker
- A bowl that’s large enough to fit the speaker
- A phone that’s connected wirelessly to the speaker
- A large rubber band
Follow these steps:
- Turn on the speaker and place it into your large bowl.
- Stretch the plastic wrap over the top of the bowl as tightly as possible. You can use your rubber band to secure the plastic wrap around the bowl for a tighter seal.
- Pour a handful of sprinkles into the sandwich bag, then seal it. Make sure to leave some air in the bag to give the sprinkles room to move around.
- Place the bag of sprinkles on top of the plastic-wrapped bowl.
- Using your phone, find different songs or sounds to play through the wireless speaker. Then, turn up the volume and watch what happens!
- For further experimentation, try using a tone generator app to play a sustained tone or note. This should make the sprinkles vibrate in one consistent, unchanging pattern. Then, play a song with a variety of tones and see how those different vibrations cause the sprinkles to jump around instead.
Sound is made up of vibrations, which travel through the air as waves. Those waves can also make other things vibrate — including sprinkles. This experiment helps kids see the visible waves of sound, turning music into motion. The speaker playing music creates vibrations, which then vibrate the air inside the bowl. The wave moves through the plastic wrap, causing the sprinkles to jump around in the bag.
Keep the Physics Fun Going With Science Explorers
Teaching kids about physics using everyday objects and activities helps nurture their critical thinking, love for learning and curiosity about the world around us.
If your child is hungry for more science, register for an after-school STEM club or summer