Make a Bungee Scale
Topics: Measurement, Simple Experiments, Preschool, Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, Math, Science
Which weighs more: a fluffy teddy bear or a roll of quarters? Without any understanding of the complexity of weight, your child may guess the larger teddy bear. Introduce the concept of measuring weight to your child by making a fun and easy-to-use bungee scale! This project will enhance your child's understanding of weight and will even provide a basis for understanding more complex scientific principles such as density and gravity.
What You Need:
- Objects of varying weights
- Bungee cord
- Small bucket
- Butcher paper
- Marker
What to Do:
- Attach the bungee cord to the bucket by wrapping it around the bucket's handle.
- Hang the bungee cord and bucket in front of a wall or inside an empty closet with the butcher paper on the wall directly behind it.
- Invite your child to place one of the objects inside the bucket. How far does the bucket move? Ask her to put a mark on the butcher paper to show where the bucket hangs when it is holding that specific object.
- Draw a small picture or write the name of the object near the mark.
- Continue placing the other objects one at a time in the bucket and marking their places.
- Discuss the findings with your child and what the marks mean. The lower on the butcher paper a mark is, the heavier the object was.
As an add-on to this activity, encourage your child to arrange the objects on the ground in order of their weight.
Adapted with permission from "Count On Math: Activities for Small Hands and Lively Minds." Copyright 1997 by Pam Schiller and Lynne Peterson. Used with permission of Gryphon House, Inc., Maryland. All Rights Reserved.
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