There is no better way to teach your middle schooler about the laws of motion than by putting their knowledge into action. While Newton’s laws may seem a bit foreign to your learner at first, we found some of the best hands-on activities to help your student better understand these concepts. An object in motion stays in motion, and we hope these experiments will keep your learner learning! With some common objects and an inquisitive mind, we’ve found these exercises both engaging and enlightening!
Newton’s First Law Activities
1. Ball Bounce Experiment
One way to demonstrate Newton’s first law is by observing a ball in motion. Head to your garage and grab any type of ball you can find — a basketball, tennis ball, bouncy ball — the more varied the better. Then, have your student execute this activity to observe the different ways an object in motion reacts to outside forces. Consider keeping track of hypotheses and observations in a notebook!
Learn More: Metro Family Magazine
2. Inertia Demonstration
While inertia is a simple concept on the surface, putting the idea into action makes it much more accessible as the laws get more complex. This inertia demonstration allows your student to become the force that disrupts an inert object, plus it can quickly become a favorite “magic trick.”
Learn More: Science Sparks
3. Marble Maze
An object in motion stays in motion, and one way to manipulate the way in which an object moves is by constructing a marble maze. We like how easy this activity is to differentiate depending on your student’s level of understanding.
Learn More: Instructables
4. Inertia Hat
Do you know those pesky wire hangers that never seem to stay intact? Put them to good use with this inertia hat activity! Follow along with this video to experiment with the intricacies of inertia and to give you and your student permission to get a little silly.
Learn More: Youtube
5. Quarter Catch
This activity will only cost 25 cents! The quarter catch is another experiment that may become a favorite party trick. Your student will place a quarter on their elbow and practice moving quickly enough to catch it before it falls, demonstrating inertia.
Learn More: Science Fun
6. Bernoulli’s Activity
Although this activity is based on Bernoulli’s principle, it has a direct correlation to Newton’s first law. Ask your student to figure out what happens when the force of their breath is applied to the ping pong ball and then when it is taken away. This is a great closure activity that quickly demonstrates the concept while making it fun!
Learn More: 123 Homeschool 4 Me
7. Whack-a-Stack
Like a quick game of Jenga, the whack-a-stack activity gives your student yet another example of Newton’s first law. All you need is a small stack of blocks or similar objects and a pipe-like instrument to conduct this experiment.
Learn More: Exploratorium
Newton’s Second Law Activities
8. Marshmallow Puff Tube
To explore acceleration and unbalanced forces, grab a marshmallow, some flour, a file folder, and a bit of tape. We love that this can be a very simple demonstration of Newton’s second law or be pushed even further to explore acceleration and friction.
Learn More: Exploratorium
9. Egg Bungee
To conceptualize different types of energy at play, have your student try this egg bungee experiment. You can use a range of materials to look at the roles of potential and kinetic energy, but don’t forget the paper towels for a swift clean up!
Learn More: Museum of Science+Industry Chicago
10. Crater Experiment
This crater experiment creates an excellent visual for Newton’s second law. The craters created by various items will help you demonstrate how mass and acceleration factor into an object’s force. This is another activity that will require some minor cleanup, but placing a towel underneath your experiment area can help.
Learn More: Youtube
11. Build a Projectile
Have your student learn about stored energy while creating a new toy and recycling! This projectile activity is fun and informative and can be done using common household objects. Be sure to check out more instructions in the link.
Learn more: Arvin D. Gupta Toys
Newton’s Third Law Activities
12. Popping Canisters
We love this Alka-Seltzer activity! With a little prep, this experiment can be a mess-free, interactive experience with Newton’s third law. This may take a couple of practice rounds, but the demonstration of equal and opposite reactions is well worth the rehearsal.
Learn More: Science Matters
13. Rocket Pinwheel
Bring the action-reaction principle to life with this DIY rocket pinwheel! Using common household items and a dash of creativity, this rocket pinwheel can quickly become a favorite activity demonstrating Newton’s third law.
Learn More: NASA Teacher’s Resource Center
14. Hero’s Engine
To demonstrate Newton’s third law and introduce your student to rocketry basics, try this Hero’s Engine activity. This activity can be done using different materials depending on what you have at your disposal. Try this pop can adaptation if you don’t have a plastic cup handy.
Learn More: Wabi 5
15. Marble Momentum
You can demonstrate Newton’s third law in many different ways using just marbles! This particular marble experiment allows you to differentiate according to your students’ understanding and interest. Keep pushing your experimentation using a different number of marbles or even different sizes, then push it even further by using skateboards described later in these directions.
Learn More: Metro Family
16. Balloon Rocket
With just a string, straw, and latex balloon, your student can experiment with air flow and motion. Take a look at the balloon rocket activity shown at the start of this video. Then, discuss what your student is seeing. Why is it the balloon follows the trajectory they observed? How does air flow affect the balloon’s momentum?
Learn More: Youtube
17. DIY Newton’s Cradle
What’s a study of Newton’s law without Newton’s cradle? This super easy DIY Newton’s Cradle allows your student to take ownership over their learning and create a living example of Newton’s third law. There are tons of different ways of building a cradle, but we found this one to be the most user and budget friendly.
Learn More: Babble Dabble Do
More Inertia, Motion, and Momentum Activities
18. Tablecloth Pull
Another fun way of experimenting with inertia is by practicing this “magic trick” with your learner. Our advice is to invest in some plasticware for this activity to avoid any broken glass. You may also want to opt for the wax paper alternative described in the post for optimal results.
Learn More: Science World
19. Collision Course
For a quick demonstration of equal and opposite reactions, create this miniature bumper car scenario! Grab two of anything that rolls of equal size. This collision course activity can be done as a brief demo or can be extended to be a more in-depth investigation of Newton’s third law.
Learn More: Science Buddies
20. Baking Soda Powered Boat
Create a baking soda-powered boat in your bathtub or nearby body of water! This experiment allows your learner to look at the different forces at work when their boat takes off.
Learn More: Science Sparks
21. Newton Car
Bring your student’s learning full circle by demonstrating all three of Newton’s laws using Newton’s car lab! This activity takes more time to setup, but the payoff is well worth it.
Learn More: NASA
22. Spinning Marbles
This spinning marbles activity is a great way to first introduce the idea of inertia and then experiment with different types of motion. Of course, be sure to supervise your learner when they use the hot glue!
Learn More: Kids Activities
23. Momentum Machine
Instead of creating a machine, why not become the machine yourself? Have your learner grab a spinning chair and a couple of liter bottles to experiment with momentum. This also creates a great boomerang moment for Instagram!
Learn More: Exploratorium
24. Spaghetti Accelerometer
If your learner is ready to consider acceleration when it comes to the laws of motion, this activity can be an excellent introduction. Although this spaghetti accelerometer requires some power tool work, once the setup is complete, it is a great opportunity to push your learner.
Learn More: Exploratorium
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