Simple machines are everywhere! These hands-on simple machine projects for kids make it easy to explore how levers, pulleys, ramps, wheels and axles, wedges, and screws help us do work.
Use these simple machine activities for a classroom STEM lesson, engineering challenge, science center, or school project. Most use inexpensive supplies you probably already have on hand.
Field: Physics and Engineering
Grades: 2–6
Concepts: Simple Machines, Force, Motion, Work, Mechanical Advantage, Engineering Design
| Simple Machine | Project |
|---|---|
| Lever | Popsicle Stick Catapult |
| Wheel and Axle | Rubber Band Car |
| Pulley | Mini Pulley |
| Inclined Plane | Ramp Investigation |
| Screw | Archimedes Screw |
| Wedge | Wedge Investigation (plastic knife and playdough!) |
Free Simple Machines Mini Workbook
Want an easy way to introduce or review the six simple machines?
Grab our free Simple Machines Mini Workbook with four printable pages for learning and applying the concepts.
Kids can:
- Learn the six simple machines
- Match each machine to an everyday example
- Practice identifying simple machines from clues
- Design a simple machine to solve a problem
👉 Get the Free Simple Machines Mini Workbook Here
This works well for a science lesson, STEM center, review activity, or simple machines unit.
What Are Simple Machines?
Simple machines are basic devices that help us do work by changing the size or direction of a force.
They don’t eliminate the work that needs to be done. Instead, they can make a task more manageable by changing how much force is needed, which direction the force is applied, or the distance over which the force is applied.
The six classic simple machines are:
- Lever
- Wheel and axle
- Pulley
- Inclined plane
- Wedge
- Screw
Many everyday machines combine two or more simple machines into a more complex system.
How Do Simple Machines Make Work Easier?
Simple machines can make work easier in several different ways.
- Reduce the force needed. An inclined plane lets you move an object upward using less force than lifting it straight up, although you move it over a longer distance.
- Change the direction of a force. A pulley can allow you to pull downward while a load moves upward.
- Multiply force. A lever can help lift or move a heavy object using a smaller input force.
- Reduce friction or improve movement. Wheels and axles allow objects to move more easily across a surface.
This relationship between the force you put into a machine and the force you get out is called mechanical advantage.
6 Simple Machine Projects to Try
Start with one project for each of the six simple machines. These are good choices for introducing the concept before moving into the larger project collection.
Lever: Popsicle Stick Catapult
Build a popsicle stick catapult with craft sticks, rubber bands, and a spoon.
💡 Explore: Fulcrum position, lever length, launch distance.
Wheel and Axle: Rubber Band Car
Build a rubber band car and explore how wheels and axles help objects move.
💡 Explore: Wheel size, axle design, distance traveled.
Pulley: Mini Pulley System
Make a simple pulley with a cup, string, and pulley wheel.
💡 Explore: Load size, lifting direction, pulley setup.
Inclined Plane: Ramp Investigation
Use a ramp to explore how an inclined plane changes motion and force.
Try the toy car friction experiment and compare different ramp heights or surfaces.
💡 Explore: Ramp height, surface, distance traveled.
Screw: Archimedes Screw
Build an Archimedes screw and explore how a spiral design can move materials.
💡 Explore: Angle, turning speed, amount moved.
Wedge: Wedge Investigation
Compare different wedge shapes using simple materials. Grab a plastic knife and playdough for a quick demo!
💡 Explore: Long vs. short wedges, narrow vs. wide wedges, which shape separates materials most easily.
Examples of Simple Machines in Everyday Life
Kids can find simple machines almost anywhere once they know what to look for.
| Simple Machine | Everyday Examples |
|---|---|
| Lever | Seesaw, bottle opener, crowbar, wheelbarrow |
| Wheel and Axle | Bicycle wheel, car wheel, doorknob |
| Pulley | Flagpole, blinds, crane |
| Inclined Plane | Ramp, stairs, slide |
| Wedge | Knife, axe, nail, doorstop |
| Screw | Screw, bolt, jar lid, bottle cap |
🔎Challenge kids to go on a simple machine scavenger hunt around the classroom, school, playground, or home. Which of the six simple machines can they find?
More Simple Machine Projects
Balloon Powered Car
Build a balloon powered car and explore wheels, axles, force, and motion. Change the design and see whether you can make the car travel farther or straighter.
Hand Crank Winch
Build a hand crank winch from recycled materials and explore how a crank and wheel-and-axle system can lift a load.
Paper Airplane Launcher
Make a paper airplane launcher and test different launch angles for distance and accuracy.
Marble Run
Use pool noodle pieces or cardboard tubes to build a marble run with ramps and inclined planes.
Marble Roller Coaster
Build a marble roller coaster and experiment with slopes, turns, and drops.
Water Wheel
Build a water wheel and explore how moving water can turn a wheel and axle.
Windmill
Make a windmill and investigate how moving air can cause a wheel and axle to rotate.
Simple Machine Ideas for a School Project
Need a simple machine project for school? Choose a model that clearly demonstrates one of the six simple machines and gives kids something they can test or compare.
| Simple Machine | Project Idea | What Kids Can Test |
|---|---|---|
| Lever | Popsicle Stick Catapult | Move the fulcrum or change the lever length |
| Wheel and Axle | Rubber Band Car | Change wheel size or axle design |
| Pulley | Mini Pulley | Compare different loads or pulley setups |
| Inclined Plane | Ramp Experiment | Change the ramp height or surface |
| Wedge | Compare wedge shapes | Compare long, narrow wedges with short, wide ones |
| Screw | Archimedes Screw | Change the angle or turning speed |
🔎 For a stronger science or engineering project, change one variable at a time and measure what happens.
Guiding Questions
Use these questions before, during, or after your simple machine activities.
- What type of simple machine are you using?
- Where is the force being applied?
- What object is being moved?
- Does the machine change the direction of the force?
- Does the machine reduce the amount of force needed?
- What happens when you change one part of the machine?
- Which design works best?
- How could you improve your machine?
- Where could you find a similar machine in everyday life?
- Can you combine two simple machines into one design?
Think Like an Engineer
Turn any simple machine activity into an engineering challenge.
- Ask: What problem are you trying to solve?
- Imagine: What type of simple machine could help?
- Plan: Sketch your idea and choose your materials.
- Create: Build your first design.
- Test: Try it and observe what happens.
- Improve: Change one part of your design and test it again.
💡 Encourage kids to focus on improving their design rather than making it work perfectly on the first try.
👉 Learn more about the Engineering Design Process.
Printable Simple Machines Project Pack
Want everything organized and ready to use?
Our Simple Machines Project Pack explores all six simple machines with hands-on activities and easy-to-use information pages.
The pack includes:
- A project for each of the six simple machines
- Wheel and axle, lever, wedge, screw, pulley, and inclined plane activities
- Instructions and project pictures
- Templates where needed
- Informational pages for each simple machine
- Extra activities for extending the learning
👉 Explore the Simple Machines Project Pack
FAQ About Simple Machines
What are the six simple machines?
The six simple machines are the lever, wheel and axle, pulley, inclined plane, wedge, and screw.
What is the easiest simple machine project for kids?
Ramps, lever catapults, and simple pulley systems are easy ways to demonstrate how simple machines work with common supplies.
What is a good simple machine project for school?
A working lever, pulley, ramp, wheel-and-axle car, wedge investigation, or Archimedes screw can all work well for a school project.
How do simple machines make work easier?
Simple machines can reduce the force needed, change the direction of a force, or allow a force to be applied over a greater distance.
Is a ramp a simple machine?
Yes. A ramp is an inclined plane, one of the six simple machines.
Is a gear a simple machine?
Gears are mechanisms that transfer rotational motion and force. They are often related to wheel-and-axle systems, but gears are not one of the traditional six simple machines.
Can one machine contain several simple machines?
Yes. Many machines combine two or more simple machines to complete a task.
More to Explore
Engineering Activities | Engineering Design Process | Force and Motion | STEM Projects for Kids | Building Activities | STEM Supplies
