💡Rainbow in a Glass
Make a rainbow appear using just water and sunlight!
How to Do It:
- Fill a clear glass with water (almost full)
- Place it on a white piece of paper near a sunny window
- Hold the glass at different angles
- Watch for a rainbow to appear on the paper!
- Move the glass to make the rainbow bigger or smaller
Materials: Clear glass, water, white paper, sunny window
Physics Concept: Light refraction - white light splits into colors when it bends through water, just like a prism!
⏱️ 10 minutes
⭐ Easy
🔦Shadow Puppet Theater
Explore how light travels in straight lines by making shadow shows!
How to Do It:
- Hang a white sheet or use a blank wall
- Place a flashlight or lamp behind the kids
- Make hand shapes: bunny, bird, dog
- Move closer/farther to change shadow size
- Create a story with shadow characters
Materials: Flashlight or lamp, white sheet or wall, dark room
Physics Concept: Light travels in straight lines and creates shadows when blocked by objects
⏱️ 20-30 minutes
⭐ Easy
🔊Musical Water Glasses
Discover how vibrations make different sounds!
How to Do It:
- Line up 4-5 identical glasses
- Fill with different amounts of water
- Gently tap each glass with a spoon
- Listen to the different pitches (high/low sounds)
- Try playing a simple tune!
Materials: 4-5 identical glasses, water, metal spoon
Physics Concept: Sound is vibration - more water = slower vibrations = lower pitch. Less water = faster vibrations = higher pitch
⏱️ 15 minutes
⭐ Easy
📞String Telephone
See how sound travels through materials!
How to Do It:
- Poke a small hole in the bottom of 2 paper cups
- Thread a long string through both holes
- Tie knots inside so string stays attached
- Pull string tight between two kids
- One whispers into their cup, other listens!
Materials: 2 paper cups, string (10-20 feet), pencil to poke holes
Physics Concept: Sound waves travel through solids! Vibrations move along the string from one cup to another
⏱️ 15-20 minutes
⭐ Easy
🏎️Ramp Races
Test how height affects speed!
How to Do It:
- Create a ramp using a board or cardboard
- Prop it at different heights (books work great!)
- Roll different objects: ball, toy car, can
- Which goes fastest? Does height matter?
- Try different surfaces: carpet, smooth floor
Materials: Cardboard or board, books for height, various rolling objects, tape measure (optional)
Physics Concept: Potential energy converts to kinetic energy. Higher ramps = more speed! Friction slows things down
⏱️ 20-30 minutes
⭐⭐ Medium
🎯Pendulum Painting
Create art while learning about swinging motion!
How to Do It:
- Poke a small hole in a paper cup bottom
- Tie string through the hole
- Fill cup with washable paint
- Hold string and swing over large paper on floor
- Paint drips out making cool patterns!
Materials: Paper cup, string, washable paint, large paper, newspaper to protect floor
Physics Concept: Pendulums swing in predictable patterns. They keep swinging back and forth unless something stops them
Safety: Do this outside or with lots of newspaper! Paint will drip everywhere (that's the fun part!)
⏱️ 25-35 minutes
⭐⭐ Medium
💨Balloon Rocket Car
Use air pressure to power a speedy car!
How to Do It:
- Tape a straw lengthwise to a balloon
- Tape 4 bottle caps as wheels to a piece of cardboard
- Tape the balloon to the cardboard
- Blow up balloon, hold closed
- Let go and watch your car zoom!
Materials: Balloon, cardboard, straw, 4 bottle caps, tape
Physics Concept: Newton's Third Law - when air pushes out backward, it pushes the car forward! Action and reaction forces
⏱️ 20-25 minutes
⭐⭐ Medium
🧲Magnetic Scavenger Hunt
Discover which materials magnets stick to!
How to Do It:
- Give each child a magnet
- Hunt around the house for magnetic items
- Make two piles: "Sticks" and "Doesn't Stick"
- Test: spoons, toys, paper, aluminum foil, coins
- What do magnetic things have in common?
Materials: Strong magnets (fridge magnets work!), household items to test
Physics Concept: Magnetic force works through space. Only certain metals (iron, steel, nickel) are magnetic
Safety: Keep magnets away from electronics, credit cards, and small children who might swallow them
⏱️ 15-20 minutes
⭐ Easy
🪂Parachute Drop Test
See how air resistance fights against gravity!
How to Do It:
- Cut a square from a plastic bag or tissue paper
- Tie string to each corner
- Attach a small toy or eraser at the bottom
- Drop from high place (stairs work great!)
- Try different sizes - which falls slower?
Materials: Plastic bag or tissue paper, string, scissors, small toy or eraser, tape
Physics Concept: Gravity pulls down, but air resistance pushes up! Bigger parachutes catch more air and fall slower
⏱️ 20-30 minutes
⭐⭐ Medium
🍎The Great Drop-Off
Test what falls faster - heavy or light things?
How to Do It:
- Gather pairs: feather vs rock, ball vs paper
- Predict: which will hit ground first?
- Drop from same height at same time
- What happened? Was it surprising?
- Try crumpling paper into ball - does it fall faster now?
Materials: Various objects of different weights (feather, rock, paper, ball, book)
Physics Concept: Gravity pulls everything at the same speed! But air resistance slows light, flat things more than heavy ones
⏱️ 10-15 minutes
⭐ Easy
🎪Marble Maze Challenge
Build a path using gravity and motion!
How to Do It:
- Cut paper towel tubes in half lengthwise
- Tape them to a wall or board at angles
- Connect tubes to create a marble run
- Drop marble at top and watch it race down!
- Add cups at bottom to catch the marble
Materials: Paper towel or toilet paper tubes, tape, marbles, wall or cardboard backing, cups
Physics Concept: Combines gravity (pulls marble down) and motion (speed changes on slopes). Momentum keeps marble rolling!
⏱️ 30-45 minutes
⭐⭐⭐ Advanced