STEAM Activity: Clothesline Clues

Story Hackers: STEAM Activity, Clothesline Clues

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Balloon Tennis

This activity demonstrates forces of action and reaction. How far the balloons travel depends on force and how hard the balloons are hit. The science behind the force used on the balloon is called Newton’s Third Law—for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Newton’s Third Law explains how many sports injuries are caused. The more force you use to hit a tennis ball, the more reaction force your arm receives from the racket. But don’t worry about this activity–the balloons are so light, the force you use to hit them won’t cause any injuries.

Materials:

  • Balloons
  • Fly swatter or something similar
  • An empty box or container

Instructions:

  1. Blow up about 5 to 10 balloons.
  2. Put the inflated balloons into a box or container.
  3. Use a fly swatter to hit the balloons around the room.
  4. See how far you can hit the balloons!

Source: Little Bins for Little Hands - Balloon Tennis for Gross Motor Hand Eye Coordination

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