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Each team will be given the mission of designing a roller coaster that will carry their ping pong ball a distance of 1 foot, ending with a glorious land in a cup. Keep increasing this distance or require multiple turns as they figure it out! In STEM activities, we start with a specific goal for all students to feel success, but we keep the challenge open-ended to allow for differentiation based on student ability.

This is a great time to split into teams. The ideal size is three students per team. We recommend no more than four to a team, as someone will be left out.

Before building, show students available materials and have them brainstorm designs for their roller coaster. Our guide includes suggestions on amount per group, but this will be dictated by your time constraints and student level.

Supplies You'll Need:

Don't show any examples to sway their thinking! After an initial idea, provide materials for building. Our Roller Coaster STEM guide includes student handouts to walk them through each step of the engineering design process.

Helpful hints during building:

Don't provide examples in the beginning. Allow students to explore the materials and struggle with the initial design.

Keep challenging student teams to build taller rides with more twists.

Remind students to test out the track to make sure it's wide enough for the

ping pong ball.

Does the ball fly off the track? Try adding a ledge to keep it on the track or decrease the slope of the track to slow it down.

Does the ball stop? Try increasing the slope of the track.

An optional design constraint is having a minimum-height requirement for the start of the track, such as 8 inches off the ground.

A STEM challenge should always end in reflection and the sharing of designs. Some great questions to ask:

What were a few challenges in working in teams?

What did you learn about communication?

What materials worked best for your design?

For older students, roller coasters are a great way to discuss potential and kinetic energy. Here is a brief background: As riders travel up the first hill, a motorized chain pulls their cart to the top (that's the click-click sound you hear at your feet). The first hill is usually the tallest and has the most potential energy, or the amount of energy stored, due to the object's height. The amount of energy stored from falling down the first hill will be enough to carry riders all the way to the end of the ride! The taller the first hill, the farther that gravity can pull riders downward. As riders scream while falling down the hill, gravity takes over. All the built-up potential (stored) energy now changes to moving or kinetic energy. The further down the hill, the faster you go! As riders go up and down hills, the energy changes from potential to kinetic and back at each hill.
During the STEM activity, have students point out potential and kinetic energy on their own roller coaster designs!

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Thrilling STEM Activities for Kids: Roller Coaster Challenge - Vivify STEM

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Let's talk about roller coasters! Make the stimulating challenge of creating a roller coaster part of your next STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) project. By using the engineering design process , student teams are tasked with creating a thrilling ride! Students learn about the sci

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Design and Build Your Own Rollercoaster PowerPoint

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STEM activities for kids that involve water, like this DIY plastic paddle boat, are always a hit. After we learned how to build a paddle boat, we had fun testing it out in an inflatable pool in our backyard. You could easily experiment with your paddle boat in a bathtub or water table inside your house. This is one of those science for kids explorations that could be done inside or outside.

Paddle Boat STEM Activity

Plastic Bottle (We used a plastic bottle that had four flat sides.)

Two Wooden Chopsticks

Plastic Milk Jug

Scissors

Duct Tape

Rubber band (We used a thick medium sized rubber band)

Ruler

Pencil

Packing Tape

Build a Paddle Boat

Cut out four rectangular pieces out of the plastic milk jug. The pieces need to be 2 inches by 3 inches long. You will want to use a pencil to draw your squares onto the milk jug. That will help you cut out rectangles with straight sides. The pencil lines will be easy to erase once you have cut out your rectangles.

Each of the rectangles will then be folded in half. You will then duct tape one side a rectangle to the side of another rectangle to create a cross shape. You could create the cross shape and then tape the sides together. We found that taping one set of sides at a time worked for us.

Now you will be attaching the chopsticks to opposite sides of the bottle. You will attach the chopsticks about ¾ of the way down the bottle with packing tape. You will want at least 3 or 4 inches of each of the chopsticks to hang off the back of the bottle. When you have the chopsticks right where you want them to be, you will wrap duct tape around the area where the strapping tape is.

Attach the rubber band to the chopsticks. It should fit perfectly. You don't want it to be stretched out.

Finally you slide two blades of the paddle through the rubber band.

Science for Kids- Things to Observe

See if winding the paddle forward makes it go forward.

See if winding the paddle backwards makes it backward.

See if moving the rubber band closer to the boat makes a difference it how it moves.

See how many times you can wind up the paddle in the rubber band. Decide if it makes a difference in how long it moves.

Don't let the fun and discovery stop there!
We have TONS of science experiments your kids will love on our Super Cool Science Experiments for Kids page!
Take me to the experiments -> Super Cool Science Experiments for Kids

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STEM activities for kids that involve water, like this DIY plastic paddle boat, are always a hit. After we learned how to build a paddle boat, we had fun testing it out in an inflatable pool in our backyard. You could easily experiment with your paddle boat in a bathtub or water table inside your house.

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Stream all our videos commercial-free on your computer, TV, iPhone, iPad and Apple TV. Download and watch them offline when you're on the road! 2 week free trial Learn more Watch now Did you know Cosmic Kids yoga is also on DVD! Thanks to everyone who supports Cosmic Kids.

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Design and Build Your Own Rollercoaster Design Sheets

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Is your child fond of making origami crafts? Are you looking for some origami tutorials for your creative child? Well, then you have come to the right page!

Origami is a fun art of making creative things by folding papers. Your child can learn to make different artifacts like animals, flower, trees, boxes and many other decorative items by using simple techniques of easy origami for kids. Your kid can enjoy this craft activity without the extensive use of glue and scissors. Here are top 15 origami crafts for kids.

1. Origami Boat:

Take a rectangular origami paper and fold it in half.

Then fold it partially, to make a crease on top.

Now bring the corners of the brim of the hat towards each other.

Now pull the side outwards and flatten the piece. It will form a square.

Finally, pull the top parts outwards to make a boat.

Take the lower corner of the square and fold it upwards. Reverse and do the same for the other layer. You will get a folded triangle.

Take a square origami paper and fold it to make a triangle.

Fold the upper layer of the bottom corner up to make the dog's nose.

Then make the eyes, nose, and tongue to complete the dog's face.

Take a rectangular origami paper and fold it top down. Then fold the bottom edge and crease well.

Then fold the two corners towards the center.

Take a 6-inch square red origami paper.

Using a pencil, draw the crease on the white side of the sheet. The crease should be 1.75 cm from the bottom left of the edge and 5.5 cm from the top right edge. Fold the paper along the dotted line.

The again draw a line approximately 2.5 cm from the bottom right edge. Make a mountain fold.

Take a 6-inch square origami paper and fold it to make a triangle.

Then fold it again to make a smaller triangle. When you unfold everything, you will have a paper with an X crease.

Take a 6-inch piece of bright origami paper.

Fold 1 cm of the paper from the white side up.

Take a rectangular origami paper and fold it down the middle. Unfold it to make a crease.

Now fold the corners towards the ridge line.

Fold along the crease line to form the body of the airplane.

Take a square origami paper and fold it to make a triangle.

Fold it again to make a smaller triangle. Now unfold the paper.

Take a 6-inch square origami paper and fold it toward the bottom.

Now, fold the paper in half. Crease well and then unfold.

Take a 6-inch square origami paper and fold it in half along both the horizontal and vertical axis. Crease well and then unfold.

Fold the left and right sides towards the center.

Take a square origami paper of any color and fold it to form a triangle.

Fold the tip to the base of the paper.

Fold the paper in half. Rotate it 90 degrees.

Take a rectangular origami paper, preferably 8.5×11 inches.

Fold 1.5 inches from the top.

Take a square origami paper and fold it in half to make a rectangle.

Unfold the paper.

Take a 6-inch square origami paper and fold it to form a triangle.

Now fold the upper layer to meet the vertical line.

Flip over the paper and fold it in half.

Take a square origami paper and fold it to form a triangle.

Then unfold the paper and fold the left and right sides again to make them meet at the center crease.

Now fold the top to make it meet the middle.

Fold the entire paper in half and rotate it 90 degrees.

Now fold the tail from the left side and your whale is ready.

Now you have to make the squash fold. For that, you need to open the top flap and press it down so that the vertical edge of the paper lines up on the left side.

To make the other half, take another 6-inch square paper.

Fold the origami paper in half to form a triangle.

Now again fold the paper to form a second triangle. Put a drop of glue in the middle of the paper.

Open the first half of the first part and slide the second half.

Stick both the parts and your star is ready.

Fold the top and bottom halves to make them meet the crease in the center.

Now fold the paper in half to get a small square. Unfold the paper.

Flip over the paper and fold both the sides to make them meet the center crease.

Open the top two corners and press to make a triangle.

Now color and decorate your house any way you like.

Make two cuts on each side, about 5 cm long.

Now flip over the paper and fold both sides towards the center. It will form the collar of the shirt.

Make two diagonal folds to make the shoulders.

Now fold both the flaps to form the bird's wings.

Unfold the wings so that the paper bird can sit horizontally. Your origami bird is ready.

Now fold the top and bottom to meet at the center. You will get a small square.

Unfold the top fold and make two diagonal folds.

Bring the top part down and press the paper flat.

Now rotate the paper 180 degrees and repeat step 6.

Lastly, make two diagonal or quadrant folds and your pinwheel is ready.

Fold the left and right tips of the paper towards each other.

Now again fold the left and right tips upwards at an angle. It will form the ears.

Now make two more folds, folding the tips back slightly.

Fold the upper layer of the bottom tip to form the chin.

Flip over and then fold the bottom tip again. Now fold again to make the bear's mouth.

Draw the bear's mouth, nose and eyes with a black felt tip.

Cut along the horizontal right crease.

Now fold the paper in half, along the vertical crease.

Now fold the lowest half toward the center.

Open the top half and fold it along the vertical crease.

Fold the bottom half under to get the flat bottom of the yacht.

Now fold the wings down, one by one.

Finally, unfold to create your paper airplane.

Flip and fold 1 cm of the paper again. Make sure that the edges line up at the bottom.

Repeat the steps until you fold the paper completely.

Open up the fan and get some cool air.

Fold each corner toward the center of the square. You will end up with a smaller square.

Flip over the paper and fold the corners to the center of the square.

Then fold and unfold the bottom edge up to the top and the left edge to the right.

Lastly, write the names of the colors on the outside flaps. Write the numbers and fortunes on the inside flaps.

Rotate the paper clockwise. Can you spot the Santa?

Fold the upper layer of the bottom layer up to the base of the triangles.

Fold the same layer once again and crease well.

Turn the paper over and do the same with the other layer.

Open it out to form a hat.

Then fold the two top corners of the triangle to make the dog's ears.

Fold the two upper corners to form a triangle.

Now fold both the bottom layers of the paper upwards. It will give you an origami hat.

[ Read: Paper Cutting Craft Activities For Kids ]

2. Origami Dog:

3. Origami Hat:

4. Origami Santa Claus:

[ Read: How To Make Paper Doll Chain ]

5. Origami Fortune Teller:

6. Origami Fan:

7. Origami Airplane:

[ Read: Paper Flower Crafts For Kids ]

8. Origami Yacht:

9. Origami Bear Face:

10. Origami Pinwheel:

11. Origami Bird:

[ Read: Tin Can Craft Ideas For Kids ]

12. Origami Shirt:

13. Origami House:

14. Origami Star:

[ Read: Paper Plate Crafts for Kids To Make ]

15. Origami Whale:

Remember, to give your child colorful origami papers for this art activity.

Hope you liked our collection of simple origami for kids. Which of these origami crafts for kids did you like making? Share the image of your kid's origami crafts with us in the comments section.

Recommended Articles:

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Top 15 Paper Folding Or Origami Crafts For Kids

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Is your child fond of making origami crafts? Are you looking for some origami tutorials for your creative child? Well, then you have come to the right page! Origami is a fun art of making creative things by folding papers.