This is a great way for kids to understand Newton’s Third Law, that every action has an equal and opposite reaction, without worksheets and boring read alouds. Try this STEM challenge, as learning through play is a powerful way to acquire knowledge!
Materials:
- Legos (enough to make a car, including 4 wheels)
- One balloon (standard size)
Procedure:
- Give student the supplies.
- Explain that they need to create a vehicle that moves on its own, with only a blown up balloon to power it. (This will likely take some trial and error. There are some things they may not consider, like that the balloon works best when it is blowing the air out level to the ground. Let them figure it out!)
- Test the cars when everyone is done (even if that’s just one kid!). Which way does the air go? Which way does the car go? Discuss this in terms of Newton’s Third Law and action/reaction forces.
