This activity invites K–5 students, in both English and Spanish, to explore the phenomena of rolling objects down a ramp and investigate the question, “What happens to a roller when you change the ...

One of our light sources in action during a Light Play experience. I think it’s great to think so deeply about the things that we use in our tinkering activities however, the specificity of what we ...

Make a simple mini-motor. Give the coil a spin to start it turning. If it doesn’t keep spinning on its own, check to make sure that the coil assembly is well balanced when spinning, that the enamel ...

Store up an electric charge, then make sparks. Tired of electrostatic experiments that just won’t work? This experiment will produce a spark that you can feel, see, and hear. Rub a foam plate with ...

When you move your hands together, you make a half a wave on the Slinky. The middle of the Slinky is an antinode, a point of maximum motion, while the hand-held ends are nearly (but not quite) nodes, ...

Create your own personal sound system with a coat hanger and string. Create your own personal sound system with a coat hanger and a string, producing musical sounds that only you can hear Cut two ...

Polarizing sunglasses cut road glare better in some positions than in others. When light reflects from water, asphalt, or other nonmetallic surfaces, it becomes polarized—that is, the reflected light ...

The distribution of the mass of an object determines the position of its center of gravity, its angular momentum, and your ability to balance it. Place a lump of clay about the size of your fist ...

When we think about objects that respond to magnets, fruit usually doesn't come to mind. Watch a rare-earth magnet repel a grape and discover different kinds of magnetism. A note on magnets: Only ...

Discover the outer limits of your eyes. Test the limits of your peripheral vision with a homemade version of a protractor. With the help of a friend, you can measure how much you can see out of the ...

Discover why the sky is blue and the sunset is red. When sunlight travels through the atmosphere, blue light scatters more than the other colors, leaving a dominant yellow-orange hue to the ...

How do you put a straight rod through a curved slot? If you see a straight rod and a curved slot, common sense says the rod can’t possibly fit through the slot. But if the rod is angled and rotated ...