Electricity for Kids: Fun Experiments, Free Games, and More!

Written by Stephan Aarstol

Billions of people around the world wake up every day, flip a light switch, and then make their way to the kitchen for breakfast, where they open a refrigerator, turn on a coffee pot or stove, and sit down to look at their computer or phone. None of these things would be possible without electricity. Ideas revolving around electricity's presence started way back in ancient Greece, but scientists learn more about it to this day. Thomas Edison and other inventors made electricity more useful for people. It has been used for energy for around 100 years, and before that, it was thought of as a type of fire. Some of the biggest inventions in the history of all time include the light bulb and the computer, and as people learn more and more about electricity it becomes easier to use it for good.

• Electrical Circuit Worksheet: Students can use this worksheet to figure out which light bulb burns the brightest and which one would not work at all.
• Frankenstein's Lightning Laboratory: Play with these characters to see how dangerous they are being and learn how to use electricity safely.
• John Travoltage: This fun game has users move John Travolta into different positions to see how static electricity can build up and change.
• Circuit World: Build circuits, test them, and print pictures of the circuits created.
• Bird in a Box: Use these instructions to build a motor inside a box and make people think there is a bird inside the box.
• Conductors and Insulators: These virtual electricity labs teach the user all about conductors and insulators.
• Electricity Experiments with Kids: This at-home or in-school science lab is perfect for the younger elementary crowd, uses simple materials found around most homes, and teaches all about the basic concepts of electricity.
• Circuit Building at Home: With a few basic supplies, anyone can follow these directions with children to create a circuit controlled by a switch.
• Electricity Experiment for Upper Elementary Students: Using only foil, batteries, a light bulb, and tape, learn how electricity is transferred between items.
• Conduction Experiment: Through this more in-depth lesson on the conduction of electricity, students can learn how different materials conduct electricity.
• Lego Inspired Electric Play Dough: Make a conduction monster by following along with these instructions.
• Build A Battery Out Of Pennies: In this fun experiment, build a battery using just pennies and a few other household items.
• Enercities: Use knowledge of electricity to help build a sustainable city in this game.
• Fidgit Power Game: Help a group of fidgets design (electricity) for their town that can be used in an eco-conscious way.
• Homemade Wigglebot: Build a wigglebot at home and learn how circuits work in the meantime.
• Static Electricity and Movement: Harness static electricity to move a cola can.
• Separate Salt and Pepper: Use static electricity to sort salt and pepper into their own piles.
• Glowing Ball (video): Follow the instructions to create or just watch and be enchanted by the creation of this electric glowing ice ball.
• All About Batteries: Read all about batteries in this simple article that explains how they work.
• Hands-on Electricity Lesson for Kids: Use snap circuits to build and use this guide to help in the process.
• Online Textbook: Explore more about electricity in this web-based textbook.
• Wired: This game requires a basic knowledge of how circuits work to get the characters to progress through their adventure.
• The Blobz Guide to Electric Circuits: Help the blob creatures create circuits.
• Make Your Own HEXBUG Nano: Build a hexbug at home.
• Electricity with Bill Nye: Read all about the basics of electricity and watch a video with Bill Nye, The Science Guy.
• Current Electricity Sorting: Sort 24 different cards into four categories based on the type of electricity, source, or current involved.
• Circuit Game: Play this fun game in which a circuit is created and tested.
• The Coin Battery Experiment: Gain a broader understanding of how electricity is harnessed and used.
• Why Electricity Needs a Closed Circuit (Video): This video explains how electricity travels and why a closed circuit is necessary for it to do so.
• Interactive Circuits: Create interactive circuits with this NASA interactive activity.
• Electricity Game: Players attempt to get through all 15 levels of increasing difficulty by matching the source to the target.
• Charging up a Light Bulb: This amazing experiment shows how to capture static electricity to use to light a light bulb.
• Electrons and Electricity (video): This video explains how electrons move to create electricity.
• Physics Simulation and DC Circuit Builder: Use this simple circuit builder game to better understand how circuits work.
• Electricity and Magnetism Matchup: Play this game to review electricity and magnetism terms.
• Learn about How Electricity Works: This animated infographic shows in a simple way how electricity works.
• Create an Electroscope: Use a homemade electroscope to test which materials attract more static electricity.
• The Flying Bag: Use electricity on a balloon to make a plastic bag fly.
• Static Cling on a Comb: This activity shows how static electricity on a comb can attract and repel pieces of cereal.
• Electric Current Quiz: After completing all the activities, this quiz will test knowledge on electrical currents.
• Electricity with the BBC: This site will allow students to learn all about electrical safety, changing circuits, and electrical conductors and insulators.