Nuts and bolts relay race

Before class, get a set of MATCHING nuts and bolts of 3-4 different sizes.

Disassemble them.

Put 20 nuts and bolts in a bowl for each team and set out a paper plate next to the bowl. Each team member has to put together one nut and one bolt and then run back and tag the next person. First team to empty their bowl wins.

Reggie Robot variant:

Blindfold kid, have the "controller" have them pick one object out of 4 or 5 on the table.

Fender's Parts
Uh-oh Fender has lost his parts!
Rodney can repair him, but all of the parts must be found.
He needs sensors, motors, motherboard, arms, legs, bolts, nuts, screws.
Print up a label with each of the needed parts.
Put "robot parts" on a table, with only the back side of the paper showing.
Divide the class up.
Team members run up and grab a part (no turning them over) then run back to see what they have.

Static electricity

Some activities to add to the "electricity module", taken from here:
http://www.mos.org/sln/toe/staticintro.html

Best Balloon Friends Forever

Materials:

• Balloons
• String
• Felt-tip markers (permanent)
• Adhesive tape
• Wool cloth

Blow up a balloon, draw a face on it, hang it on something high. Rub a piece of wool cloth on the face side of the balloon. Walk toward the balloon. It should face you. Tell them that balloons like mad scientists!

Explain about static electricity. Ask them how we would figure out:

• How far away you can get.
  
• Does a piece of paper interfere with it?
  
• Can you make the balloon follow you round and round in a circle?
• How will it react to a second balloon.

How it works:

A balloon rubbed with a wool cloth becomes negatively charged. When a charged balloon is held close to certain items, the items become positively charged by induction and cling to the balloon. After several minutes, some of the electrons may drain off the balloon onto the items and they'll drop off the balloon and back to the table. They may then transfer their excess electrons to the table after a few minutes and once again leap toward the balloon.

Things it works with: bits of paper, styrofoam bits, loose tea, pepper. Use paper or styrofoam because few are allergic to this.


Styrofoam peas or mylar bits tubes (possible take-home)

• Set up one corner of the room in which students will come to make their static tubes in small groups.
• Give each student a clear plastic tube and end cap.
• Place all of the Styrofoam peas (better than mylar, but mylar's easy to get) inside a large container such as a bowl, shoe box, or can. Challenge the students to get about two capfulls inside their static tubes through the end that they have left uncapped. This is not always easy, because the plastic tubes take on a charge with minimal handling and will attract and repel the Styrofoam peas.
• When the students have placed their peas inside the tube, have them insert the other end cap, and remove any Styrofoam clinging to the exterior of the tube with a cupped hand. Rub the exterior of each tube with the wool cloth.
• Let the students experiment with their closed static tubes. Can they pour all of the peas from one end to the other? How can they move any peas along that seem to be stuck? Using terms they have learned through other activities, such as attract, repel, static charge, and induction, can they describe what happens when they bring a finger close to the outside of the tube?

Freeze Dance game

A new one for me, but it can be used in situations where you need a change in activity. You need a radio (suggestion was to tune to Radio Disney) or an MP3 player (more control) and speakers. Start the music and have them do different kinds of dances (dance like a chicken, dance like a robot, dance like a bear, dance like a cat, dance like a moose, dance like a worm (etc))... and they freeze when you pause the music.

If they need to work off energy, tell them "fastdance in one spot!" and let them wear themselves out.

A note on music: Use music without any words. Disco music works well, as does anything peppy.