Ready, Set, Go! (Awesome Summer Science Experiments)

By Amy Cowen on June 1, 2023 7:00 PM

Check in each week at Science Buddies this summer for our Awesome Summer Science Experiments series! Each week, we'll highlight a few activities for awesome science and engineering kids can do at home. We've got a whole summer of fun STEM themes lined up for kids of all ages — for free. This week: Ready, Set, Go! STEM — awesome summer science experiments that take off, roll, fly, spin, and more!

Balloon Car for Ready, Set, Go - Week 10 of Awesome Summer Science Experiments with Science Buddies

From the Vault!: This post was part of our 2021 Awesome Summer Science series featuring ten free weeks of themed science projects and experiments.

Awesome Ready, Set, Go! STEM

We've reached the final week of our 10-weeks of Awesome Summer Science Experiments! It's been an exciting summer of hands-on STEM learning, and the fun isn't over! This week, we've highlighted a set of experiments with a Ready, Set, Go! theme.

The activities in Week 10 of our Awesome Summer Science Experiments series feature fun builds that hover, fly, spin, roll, and more!

Awesome Summer Science Experiments Week 10: Experiment | Watch | Ask | Kits | Explore | Read

EXPERIMENT: Ready, Set, Go! STEM

Mini Propeller Car

Building this mini propeller car involves a simple circuit but is a fun twist on other robots and vehicles. How does the propeller work to move the car forward?

Wall Marble Run

How much of a wall can you cover with a marble run that works? Clear off a wall and put it to the test! As they build their run, kids will be putting potential and kinetic energy in action! Can they solve how to add twists and turns? Tip! To maximize the fun, have kids start as high as they can. (For more ideas using cardboard tubes, see 10 STEM Activities with Cardboard Tubes.)

Balloon Car

With craft and recycled materials, kids can make all kinds of rolling vehicles. Add balloons to make this balloon car and see Newton's laws of motion in action. What design choices might improve the car's speed? (For more fun car experiments, see Rev Up STEM Learning with Car Science Projects.)

Sticks woven together for a chain reaction experiment - Awesome Summer Science Experiments

Exploding Sticks Chain Reaction

With a set of wooden craft sticks, kids can assemble an amazing popsicle stick chain reaction. Be careful to not let go until you are ready for the reaction to start! Tip! This one is fun for slow-motion (or regular speed) video capture to preserve the moment! (For other experiments with popsicle sticks, see Popsicle Stick STEM Projects.)

Simple electric motor with a battery and a coil of wire - Awesome Summer Science Experiments

Make a Simple Motor

Kids can make a simple electric motor using a battery, a magnet, and a wire. This classic physics activity demonstrates electromagnetism and creates a fun spinning display. After testing the basic motor design, can you use a fancier shape of wire for your homopolar motor?

Hovercrafts made from balloons - Awesome Summer Science Experiments

Race Hovercraft

How does a hovercraft glide through the air without touching the ground? Kids can explore by making and testing hovercraft built from balloons, compact discs, a plastic bottle valve, and craft supplies. What controls how long they hover or how far they travel?

Drones made from wooden sticks and mini propellers - Awesome Summer Science Experiments

Make a Mini Drone

Build a basic popsicle stick drone to learn more about drone science. After the initial build, kids can continue to explore other aspects of drone flight with a series of additional drone projects. (Note: After building the basic mini drone, the different experiments require additional parts, and some use an Arudino, so carefully check the materials lists. Ready to get started with Arduino?)

WATCH: Videos

DIY Mini Propeller Car

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYWBtg_DCb4

Build A Wall Marble Run!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTTuB_afFyQ

Make a Balloon Car

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RStgV8mA-gA

Popsicle Stick Chain Reaction -STEM activity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTO3HDSjxOU

Build a Simple Electric Motor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI0pGk0MMhg

DIY Mini Drone Part 1: Build Your Drone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-BluEJBHLw

ASK: Questions

Use these questions to prompt conversation and reflection about the science behind this week's Awesome Summer Science Experiments activities:

What are Newton's three laws of motion?
Which law of motion can you observe in how the propeller on the mini propeller car works?
What kinds of energy did you observe in the activity you tried?

(Educators! See the Teach About Newton's Laws of Motion resource.)

SCIENCE KITS: Bristlebots and BlueBots

Bristlebot robots made from toothbrush heads, simple motor, and battery - science kit

The following Science Buddies Kits fit in with this week's Ready, Set, Go! STEM theme:

Bristlebot Robotics Kit: Design and build different kinds of wiggling, wobbling robots with the Bristlebot Robotics Kit. Combining the specialty parts in the kit with craft and household materials, kids can learn about robotics and circuits as they build ArtBot, Brushbot, and Bristlebot robots. Or, they can jump in and design their own custom Junkbot robots using recycled materials.
BlueBot 4-in-1 Robotics Kit: BlueBot robots are robotic vehicles with specific behaviors based on the sensors used in their circuits. Explore robotics and sensors by building a Motion-Activated Guard Robot, a Speedy Light-Tracking Robot, a Zippy Line-following Robot, or an Obstacle-Avoiding Robot. (For more ideas, see 10 Robotics Projects with the BlueBot Kit.)