This DIY slingshot is very easy to make and only requires a couple of cardboard tubes, elastic bands and a pencil! When the pom poms are fired out of the launcher they don’t fall straight to the ground, but instead follow a curved path. This is because there are two forces acting on them. Gravity…
Lolly stick or popsicle stick catapults are very easy to make, provide hours of fun and are brilliant engineering and design projects. We made our popsicle stick catapults space-themed and turned table tennis balls into planets. There are so many different catapult designs and themes to choose from; you’ll be busy for weeks! Catapults are…
Here at Science Sparks, we love experiments you can make fly. We’ve got different types of rockets, paper spinners, parachutes and even a paper helicopter. These simple and engaging science experiments are great for learning about forces. Gravity, friction and air resistance are all examples of forces you need to consider when making things fly!…
Isaac Newton’s laws of motion explain the relationship between an object and the forces acting on it. The laws might seem very obvious today, but when Isaac Newton was alive, they were revolutionary and formed the basis of modern physics. Isaac Newton built on ideas from Galileo Galilei, Jean Richer and Rene Descartes. It is…
Monaco is the world’s second smallest country, but one of the richest! Monaco is located on the French Rivera and is well known for it’s wealthy inhabitants and the annual Monaco Grand Prix! This post is part of my Around the World in 50 Experiments series so don’t forget to check out the rest! Where…
Did you know you can make a compass using a magnet, a slice of cork, a bowl of water and a needle? This mini science project is a great way to learn about magnetism and Earth’s magnetic field. What is magnetism? Magnetism is an invisible force that affects certain materials. You don’t need an especially…
A pneumatic system uses pressurised air to transmit energy. For this chick and egg craft I used two syringes. The system starts with the syringe inside the box in the closed position ( syringe fully down ) and with the syringe outside the box in the open position ( syringe fully open ). When the…
This easy paper aeroplane launcher is a great STEM project for kids. We spent a long time perfecting the design of the launcher and then even longer finding the best size plane to use. Once you’ve got the launcher working you can experiment with different trajectories and shape and sizes of planes to see which…
When you stretch an elastic band with your fingers it uses energy. That energy isn’t lost, it is stored in the elastic band. When you release the pressure on the elastic band the energy is released and the band shrinks back to its original size. Cotton reel cars are a great example of using this…
Forces are all around us and affect everything we do. With that in mind, I’ve put together a collection of ideas for learning about forces and motion with fun forces and motion experiments for everyone, from preschoolers to grown-ups. There are friction experiments, gravity experiments, air resistance experiments, and lots more! Each activity is easy…
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