Exploring forces with bubble wrap

We’ve done a couple of simple activities based around forces recently, so when a sheet of bubble wrap arrived in a parcel, I knew just how to use it.

We laid the bubble wrap sheet flat on the floor and talked about what we wanted to investigate and what we expected to happen.

Bubble Wrap Forces Investigation Ideas

• Try to walk over the bubble wrap gently enough so the bubbles don’t pop.
• Test to see if the result is the same for a heavier and lighter person.
• Do the bubbles pop if you jump?
• If you jump harder, do the bubbles pop more loudly?
• What happens if you drop a light and a heavy ball onto the bubble wrap?
• Try to think of a way to measure the loudness of the popping. Try asking a friend to stand in a different room and see if they can hear the popping under different conditions.
• Design a table to record your results.

Can you think of any more bubble wrap force investigation ideas for us?

More Forces Activities

For more ideas for learning about forces, including air resistance, friction, and gravity, check out my other forces experiments.

Ideal activity for Early Years and Key Stage 1 Forces.

Last Updated on November 21, 2023 by Emma Vanstone