These easy physics experiments are fantastic for kids; you can even do them at home or with groups in the classroom. Whether you are exploring laws of motion, sound waves, or light, physics is everywhere! Make sure to check out all of our science experiments for all year-round learning and play.
What is Physics for Kids?
Physics is the science of how things move, work, and interact in the world around us. It helps us understand why objects fall, how the wind blows, and even how light travels! Physics is all about exploring energy, motion, matter, and forces—and it’s happening everywhere, all the time.
Physics Projects Ideas
For more physics topics, please scroll further down the page.
1️⃣ Motion and Force: Learn how things move and what makes them stop or speed up (e.g., pushing a swing).
2️⃣ Gravity: Discover why objects fall to the ground and why the Earth pulls us down.
3️⃣ Energy: Explore different forms of energy, like light, sound, and heat, and how they power everything!
4️⃣ Simple Machines: Understand how tools like pulleys, ramps, and levers make work easier.
5️⃣ Newton’s Laws of Motion: Rules about motion, force, and reactions.
Physics Experiments
💡 Click on each link for the full descriptions of each experiment and activity.
AIR PRESSURE CAN EXPERIMENT
Learn about atmospheric pressure with this incredible can crusher experiment.
AIR RESISTANCE EXPERIMENT
Whoa! A physics experiment in under 10 mins and all you need to do is go raid the computer printer! Make simple air foils and learn about air resistance.
AIR VORTEX CANNON
Make your own homemade air cannon and blast down dominoes and other similar items. Learn about air pressure and the movement of air particles in the process.
ALKA SELTZER BOAT EXPERIMENT
This experiment is a fun way to explore physics and chemistry with Newton’s Third Law of Motion. When the Alka Seltzer tablet reacts with water, it produces carbon dioxide which will propel the mini boat.
BALANCING APPLE EXPERIMENT
Explore balancing apples and gravity with real apples for our Ten Apples Up On Top Dr Seuss theme. Also try to balance a paper apple (use our FREE printable template to make your own).
BALLOON CAR
Here are two balloon car design suggestions to get the creative juices flowing! You can make a LEGO balloon car or you can make a cardboard balloon car. Both work off of a similar principle and really go. Find out which makes the fastest balloon car.
BALLOON IN A JAR
Explore how changes in air pressure can cause a balloon to get pulled into a jar when you light a match inside the jar.
BALLOON ROCKET
Explore fun forces with an easy to set up balloon rocket project. Also see our Valentine’s Day version; we have a Santa balloon rocket too! This simple experiment can be turned into any fun theme. You can even race two balloons or set it up outside!
BENDING WATER
Can you bend water? Yes, you can with static electricity. Grab a balloon and some water to set up this easy physics experiment.
BOTTLE ROCKET
Create a thrilling rocket launch demonstrating Newton’s Laws of Motion with an empty soda bottle, water, and air pressure.
BROKEN TOOTHPICK
Is it magic, or is it science? Make a star out of broken toothpicks by only adding water, and see capillary action at work.
BUOYANCY
Pennies and foil are all you need to learn about buoyancy. Oh. and a bowl of water too!
CAPILLARY ACTION
Check out these fun ways to demonstrate capillary action. Plus, all you need is a handful of standard household supplies.
CHANGING SHADOWS
Explore how shadows change at different times of the day with this fun outdoor activity.
COIN TOWER
In this exciting coin tower experiment, kids can explore Newton’s First Law of Motion using a stack of coins.
COLD AND HOT AIR
Demonstrate air expansion and contraction with a balloon. Kids can observe real-world science through this hands-on physics experiment and discover why warm air rises and cold air sinks.
COLOR CHANGING FLOWERS
Learn about the forces of capillary action as you change your flowers from white to green. Or any color you like! Easy to set up and perfect for a group of kiddos to do simultaneously.
COLOR WHEEL SPINNER
Famous scientist Isaac Newton discovered that light is made up of many colors. Learn more by making your spinning color wheel! Can you make white light from all the different colors?
DANCING SPRINKLES EXPERIMENT
Explore sound and vibrations when you try this fun dancing sprinkles experiment with the kids.
DENSITY TOWER EXPERIMENT
Explore how some liquids are heavier or denser than other liquids with this super easy physics experiment.
DIY PHONE SPEAKER
With just a few simple materials, you can create a DIY phone speaker that amplifies sound waves, making your phone’s music louder.
DOMINO CHAIN REACTION
Demonstrate transfer of energy with a box of dominoes and a flat surface. When a domino falls, its stored energy becomes kinetic energy, transferring to the next domino.
DROPS OF WATER ON A PENNY
How many drops of water can you fit on a penny? Explore surface tension of water when you try this fun penny lab with the kids.
EGG DROP PROJECT
Check out our mess-free version of a classic science experiment. This egg drop challenge is a great way to introduce kids to the scientific method as you test out ideas to protect your egg from cracking.
EGG IN A BOTTLE
This egg in a bottle project is a fun way to learn about how changes in air pressure can result in a fascinating and almost magical outcome. Watch a boiled get sucked into a bottle without even touching it!
EGG RACES
Let the egg race experiments begin! Which egg will roll to the bottom of the ramp first? Help your kids make predictions as to what will happen with different size eggs and different angles of ramps.
Older kids may also find learning about Newton’s 3 Laws to be interesting, and explore how they can apply those ideas to their egg races.
ELECTRIC CORNSTARCH
Can you make oobleck jump? Learn about static electricity with this fun cornstarch and oil experiment.
ELECTROMAGNET
Did you know you can create a magnet that turns on and off? Using electricity, learn how to make an electromagnet to pick up objects like paper clips!
FLOATING EGG
Can you float an egg in saltwater? Make up a salt water solution for a fun way to explore density!
FLOATING ORANGE
Investigate whether an orange floats or sinks in water, and even add in the scientific method. Learn about buoyancy and density with a simple ingredient from the kitchen, an orange.
FLOATING MAGNETS
A fun experiment where kids learn how magnetic force works by observing how it can lift and hold objects mid-air, counteracting Earth’s gravity.
FLOATING PAPERCLIP EXPERIMENT
How do you make a paperclip float on water? This is an awesome physics activity for young kids and older ones too! Learn about surface tension of water, with a few simple supplies.
FLOATING RICE
Can you lift a bottle of rice with a pencil? Explore the force of friction with this easy physics experiment.
FRICTION EXPERIMENT
How do different surfaces affect how far a toy car rolls? Explore the force of friction, a key concept in physics.
GLOWING SPINACH
Transform ordinary spinach that you eat into a glowing green mixture under ultraviolet light! Learn about the pigments present in plants, particularly chlorophyll and how certain pigments can absorb light at one wavelength and emit light at another, resulting in the observed glow.
GRAVITY
Learn about the gravity and the force that keeps us firmly planted on the ground with hands-on and engaging activities for kids. Check out these fun preschool gravity activities and gravity experiments for elementary and older.
HEAT ABSORPTION
Investigate what colors absorb heat better with this easy to set up physics experiment. It is a fun way for kids to find out why they feel hotter when they wear a black t-shirt on a sunny day.
HOMEMADE COMPASS
Learn about magnets and magnetic fields with this fun and easy DIY compass project. Build your own compass that will show you which way is north.
HOMOPOLAR MOTOR
Explore how a battery, a magnet, and a conductive wire interact to create motion.
HOT AND COLD WATER
What happens when you mix hot and cold water? Learn about how changes in temperature affect the density of water.
HOW DO SHARKS FLOAT
Or why is it that sharks don’t sink in the ocean? Learn about how these great fish coast around through the ocean and buoyancy with this simple physics activity.
Check out more awesome Shark Facts for Kids (Free Printable)
HOW TO MAKE RAINBOWS
Explore light and refraction when you make rainbows using a variety of simple supplies—awesome hands-on science for kids of all ages.
ICEBERG DENSITY
Explore what happens to ice in different concentrations of saltwater, similar to icebergs.
INSULATION EXPERIMENT
This insulation science experiment is an easy way for kids to learn how different materials retain heat. Test various materials and determine which makes the best thermal insulator!
KALEIDOSCOPE FOR KIDS
Learn how to create a kaleidoscope for simple physics.
KITE BUILDING
A good breeze and a few materials are all you need to tackle this Kite making physics project at home, with a group or in the classroom. Learn about forces needed to keep a kite up in the air, as you fly your own kite.
LAVA LAMP
Explore physics with common items found around the house. A homemade lava lamp (or density experiment) is one of our favorite science experiments for kids.
LEGO ZIP LINE
Can you set up a LEGO zip line and see how well it holds up when in motion? This LEGO® building challenge is also a great way to introduce gravity, friction, slope, energy, and motion while getting creative with your LEGO® design. You could also add a pulley mechanism like we did here for this toy zip line.
LEMON BATTERY
What can you power with a lemon battery? Grab some lemons and a few other supplies, and find out how you can make lemons into lemon electricity!
MACRO REFRACTION
In this fun physics experiment, you’ll make “lenses” using water droplets to bend light and change how things look.
MAGNETIC COMPASS
Use a magnet to make a compass, or combine the science of magnets with paint for a STEAM project!
MAGNIFYING GLASS
Here’s how you can make your own homemade magnifying glass from a plastic bottle and a drop of water. Find out how a magnifying glass works with some simple physics.
MARBLE RUN WALL
Pool noodles are amazing and cheap materials for so many STEM projects. I keep a bunch on hand all year-long to keep my kid busy. I bet you didn’t know how useful a pool noodle could be for physics projects. Learn about gravity, friction, energy and more with hands-on physics fun!
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Cardboard Tube Marble Run
MARBLE VISCOSITY EXPERIMENT
Grab some marbles and find out which one will fall to the bottom first with this easy viscosity experiment.
PADDLE BOAT DIY
Learn about kinetic and potential energy with this simple paddle boat project.
PAPER HELICOPTER
Make a paper helicopter that actually flies! This is an awesome physics challenge for young kids and older ones too. Learn about what helps helicopters rise into the air, with a few simple supplies.
PAPER ROCKET
Kids will love making this simple paper rocket using our free rocket template and a straw. Explore simple physics with gravity, propulsion, energy, and aerodynamics while having a blast!
PARACHUTE
Design a parachute and investigate how factors such as parachute size, shape, and material affect its descent time. Also try our LEGO parachute for a mini-fig!
PINWHEEL
Make this easy paper pinwheel to explore how wind energy works or how the pinwheel spins due to air pressure.
POTATO STRAW EXPERIMENT
Explore how a weak paper straw can become strong enough to puncture a potato using air pressure and force.
SALTWATER DENSITY EXPERIMENT
This density experiment will help kids explore how different liquids, including saltwater affect the ability of objects to sink or float.
PIPELINE
Build a simple pipeline from cups and straws, and observe how water moves through it because of gravity.
POPSICLE STICK CATAPULT
Want to learn how to make a catapult with popsicle sticks? This Popsicle stick catapult design is an easy physics experiment for kids of all ages! Everyone loves to launch stuff into the air.
We have also made a spoon catapult, LEGO catapult, pencil catapult, and a jumbo marshmallow catapult!
POPSICLE STICK CHAIN REACTION
Explore what happens when stored energy bursts into action. With popsicle sticks, patience, and a little science, you can create a spectacular exploding popsicle stick chain reaction!
LEGO RUBBER BAND CAR
We made a simple LEGO rubber band car to go along with our favorite superhero book. Again these can be made as simple or as detailed as your kids would like to make them, and it’s all STEM!
PENNY SPINNER
Make these fun paper spinner toys out of simple household materials. Kids love things that spin and spinning tops are one of the earliest toys made in the US.
POM POM SHOOTER
Similar to our snowball launcher further on, but this physics activity uses a toilet paper tube and balloon to launch pom poms. How far can you fling them? See Newton’s Laws of Motion in action!
POP ROCKS EXPERIMENT
We tested a variety of fluids all with a unique viscosity for this fun pop rocks science experiment. Grab a few packs of pop rocks and don’t forget to taste them too!
POTATO LIGHT BULB EXPERIMENT
Explore how potatoes can power a light bulb! This physics experiment is a fantastic way to introduce kids to electricity and circuits.
RAINBOW IN A JAR
This water density experiment with sugar uses only a few kitchen ingredients but produces an amazing physics project for kids! Enjoy finding out about the basics of color mixing all the way up to the density of liquids.
RISING WATER EXPERIMENT
Add a burning candle to a tray of water, cover it with a jar, and watch what happens!
ROLLING CAN
Another fun way to demonstrate static electricity. Check out this easy physics experiment with an aluminum can and a balloon.
ROLLING PUMPKINS
It doesn’t get much easier than pumpkin rolling on homemade ramps. And what makes it even better is that it’s also a great simple physics experiment for kids.
RUBBER BAND CAR
Kids love building things that move! Plus, it’s even more fun if you can make a car go without just pushing it or by adding an expensive motor.
SALT WATER DENSITY
This easy to set up salt water density experiment is a cool variation of the classic sink or float experiment. What will happen to the egg in salt water? Will an egg float or sink in salty water? There are so many questions to ask and predictions to make with this easy physics experiment for kids.
SCREAMING BALLOON
This screaming balloon experiment is an awesome physics activity for kids of all ages! Explore centripetal force or how objects travel a circular path.
SHADOW PUPPETS
Kids love their shadows, love to chase shadows, and love to make shadows do silly things! There’s also some fun things to learn about shadows for physics. Make simple animal shadow puppets and learn about the science of shadows.
SIMPLE PULLEY EXPERIMENT
Kids love pulleys and our homemade pulley system is sure to be a permanent fixture in your backyard this season. Make a pulley simple machine, learn a little physics, and find new ways to play.
We also have this simple pulley system you can make with a paper cup and thread.
SINK OR FLOAT
Use items straight out of the kitchen for our sink or float experiment. Plus I am sure your child will be able to come with other fun things to test! This is a simple physics experiment and totally engaging for young kids.
SNOWBALL LAUNCHER
Explore Newton’s Laws of Motion with this easy-to-make indoor snowball launcher. All you need are a few simple supplies for hands-on fun!
SOUND EXPERIMENT
Kids love to make noises and sounds is all a part of the physical sciences. This homemade xylophone sound experiment is truly a simple physics experiment for kids. So easy to set up, it’s kitchen science at it’s finest with plenty of room to explore and play!
SOAP POWERED BOAT EXPERIMENT
Explore surface tension as kids observe firsthand how soap influences the movement of a small boat on the water’s surface.
SPECTROSCOPE
Create your own DIY spectroscope from a few simple supplies and make a rainbow from visible light for a fun physics project for kids.
STATIC ELECTRICITY
Balloons are a must for this one! These simple experiments explore the concept of static electricity in a hands-on way.
STATIC ELECTRICITY BUTTERFLY
Discover how static electricity can make a butterfly’s wings move without touching them! This fun physics experiment uses a negatively charged balloon to demonstrate the pull of attraction between opposite charges
TOY CAR FRICTION EXPERIMENT
Kids love to send cars down ramps! The faster the better! But did you know that this favorite playtime activity is also an awesome science lesson for kids of all ages. Explore friction with just a few simple materials.
VISCOSITY EXPERIMENT
Test the viscosity or “thickness” of different household liquids with this easy physics experiment for kids.
WATER DISPLACEMENT
Learn about water displacement and what it measures with this simple physics experiment for kids.
WATER REFRACTION
Why does the image appear reversed? Have fun with a hands-on demonstration of what happens when light bends! Plus, grab a free printable!
VALENTINE PHYSICS EXPERIMENTS
5 simple physics experiments with a Valentine’s Day theme, including a balloon rocket, static electricity, buoyancy, and more!
WIND POWERED CAR
Build a wind-powered car and explore how wind energy can be transformed into motion.
Physics Topics
Check out the resources below if you are studying a specific physics topic. Each topic includes easy-to-understand information, everyday examples, and additional hands-on activities and experiments for you to use.
Add The Scientific Method To Any Physics Project
How To Use The Scientific Method
Encourage kids to make predictions, discuss observations, and re-test their ideas if they don’t get the desired results the first time.
Grab a free printable and learn more about variables and using the scientific method with kids here.
Helpful Science Resources To Get You Started
Here are a few resources that will help you introduce science more effectively to your kiddos or students and feel confident yourself when presenting materials. You’ll find helpful free printables throughout.
- Best Science Practices (as it relates to the scientific method)
- Science Vocabulary
- All About Scientists
- Free Science Worksheets
- DIY Science Kits
- Science Tools for Kids
- Scientific Method for Kids
- Citizen Science Guide
- Join us in the Club
Printable Science Projects Pack
If you’re looking to grab all of our printable science projects in one convenient place plus exclusive worksheets and bonuses like a STEAM Project pack, our Science Project Pack is what you need! Over 300+ Pages!
- 90+ classic science activities with journal pages, supply lists, set up and process, and science information. NEW! Activity-specific observation pages!
- Best science practices posters and our original science method process folders for extra alternatives!
- Be a Collector activities pack introduces kids to the world of making collections through the eyes of a scientist. What will they collect first?
- Know the Words Science vocabulary pack includes flashcards, crosswords, and word searches that illuminate keywords in the experiments!
- My science journal writing prompts explore what it means to be a scientist!!
- Bonus STEAM Project Pack: Art meets science with doable projects!
- Bonus Quick Grab Packs for Biology, Earth Science, Chemistry, and Physics
Wow, I see so many ideas here I want to try? Gravity art, nuts and bolts sculptures…my daughter is going to love these!
Great list of activities! I know that even as an engineer, physics “sounds” hard. Anything we can do to get kids trying it, playing with it and learning it helps remove that stigma. Thanks for including our slime, too 🙂
Your welcome! Yes Physics does sound intimidating but it doesn’t have to be.