Electricity is all around us, so we tend to take it for granted. It’s a fascinating subject for kids, though, so they’ll love these electricity experiments and activities. You may need to invest in a few simple supplies for some of these activities, but you’ll be able to reuse them for multiple activities year after year. The hands-on experience kids will get makes the extra effort worthwhile.
What I Have Learned Teaching/Miller’s Science Space
1. Start with an anchor chart
Static electricity is most kids’ intro to this concept, and it leads nicely into electrical energy and circuitry. These colorful anchor charts help you teach both.
Most static electricity experiments are quick and easy enough for anyone to try at home. This is a great example: Charge a comb by rubbing it against your head, then use it to “bend” a stream of water from a faucet.
This static electricity experiment works because pepper is lighter than salt, which makes it quicker to jump to the electrically charged plastic spoon. So cool!
Speaking of balloons, try using them to help a butterfly flap its tissue paper wings. Little ones’ faces light up when they see the butterfly come to life.
When you’re ready to explore electrical energy, start with play dough circuits. You’ll need a battery box and mini LED lights. Mix up your own batches of insulating and conducting play dough using the info at the link.
We’re always telling kids to get out of the water at the first sign of a lightning storm, so use this demo to help them understand why. You’ll need alligator clip wires, mini LED bulbs, and button cell batteries.
Lumos! If your kids are fascinated by Harry Potter and the world of magic, they’ll love this electricity project that turns ordinary sticks into light-up wands! Learn how it’s done at the link.
Electricity experiments like this one are perfect for exploring the idea of open and closed circuits. Plus, kids will have so much fun playing with them.
We all know electricity lights up a room and powers phones, computers, and even cars. But what else can it do? This electroplating experiment is a real jaw-dropper.
These sweet little twirling dancers are a fantastic demonstration of a homopolar motor. In addition to basic AA batteries, you’ll need neodymium magnets and copper wire.
Create more than one circuit using play dough to create a series. The positive leg of the LED is near the battery terminal. Since the battery can only push the electricity one way, you can create a circuit of two or more to create a larger circuit.
Make an electromagnet, or a magnet that uses an electric field, by wrapping wire around an iron nail and running current through the wire. An electric field is created around the nail and, sometimes, the nail will stay magnetized even when the coil is removed.
Learn about how resisters control the amount of electricity that flows through a circuit. Use pencils (a great way to use those old stubby pencils that are sharpened at both ends) as part of the circuit, and watch the brightness of the build change when the resistance in the circuit changes.
Figure out what objects are made of material that conducts or does not conduct electricity. Collect common objects such as a key, chalk, wood, and/or candle. Then, test each object by putting it between a battery and a light bulb and touching foil to the base of the bulb. If the bulb lights up, the object conducts electricity!
Use electric paint to create a circuit and light up a painting with batteries and LEDs. You will need a multimeter for this project (here’s how to use a multimeter).
Show the connection between electricity and magnetism by creating a train with a battery and some neodymium magnets. One note: This is a project for older students who have close adult supervision, as neodymium magnets are very strong.
An electroscope detects the presence of an electronic charge. Create a basic but effective electroscope with a soda can, insulation tape, aluminum foil, and a Styrofoam cup. Put it near various surfaces and see what happens.
Electricity can even conduct in dirt. Create a dirt battery with galvanized steel screws (very important), an ice cube tray, copper wires, and soil. Make it more interesting by putting lemon juice or vinegar in the dirt.
Use a lemon to create a battery with coins and a multimeter. It’s a great way to show students how literally anything can be a conductor of electricity.
