Around the Kampfire

Elementary Teaching Blog

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • My Classroom
  • Shop
  • Contact

15 Force and Motion Activities for Third Grade

August 23 By Linda Kamp Leave a Comment

Teaching force and motion, and all the hands-on activities that come with it, are always a highlight for my students. In this post I’ll share some of our favorite third grade force and motion activities that will spark curiosity in your students and excite their creativity. 

I’ve included teaching ideas, resources, force and motion lesson plans, books, videos, and force and motion science experiments that align with Next Generation Science Standards for 3rd grade as well as many state science standards.  

Find activities and experiments for teaching:

  • Relative Position
  • Patterns of motion
  • Force and motion
  • Contact and noncontact forces 
  • Balanced and unbalanced forces 
  • Static electricity
  • Magnets and magnetism

 15 Favorite Force and Motion Activities

Play a relative position game

Relative position is the position of one object compared to the position of another object. We used real pictures of track and field and go-kart races, objects on a shelf, or objects in a row to demonstrate how to describe relative position. Generate a list of position terms like in front of, behind, beside, next to, above, below etc.

Force and motion PowerPoint lesson

PowerPoint lesson source

Next, head outside to the playground and have students spread out around the equipment and any objects in the area. Students take turns describing their relative position compared to the objects and equipment on the playground. 

Forces and motion relative position activity

Lab activity source

Next, have each students turn around and repeat their description. Ask them to notice how the position of an object went from being “in front of“ them to “behind” them.

Investigate how shape affects motion

This force and motion activity is always a hit! Students observe how the shape of an object affects its motion by doing this simple lab using sheets of paper. 

Third grade forces and motion activty

Lab activity source

Crumple, fold, and make a paper airplane with sheets of paper and time how long it takes each paper to fall one meter. This easy to do lab is part of this force and motion science unit.

Find Patterns of Motion on the Playground

The playground is an ideal place to observe patterns of motion. Head outdoors to observe patterns of motion as students play on equipment, jump rope, and play ball games.

Forces and motion activity cards

Force and motion activity cards source

Have students record the patterns of motion they observe as classmates play on swings, slides, with balls etc. 

Patterns of motion science activity

Lab activity source

Draw a Force Diagram

Science drawings are a great way to assess students understanding. While outside, have students draw playground equipment and make a force diagram by labeling the drawings with arrows to show the directions and pattern of motion the object makes while moving.

Force and motion activities

 PowerPoint lessons source

Build A Chain Reaction

Otherwise known as a Rube Goldberg machine, this fun project is an opportunity for students to use a variety of forces to create a chain reaction that completes a simple task. 

Provide students with building materials such as cardboard, tape, Hot Wheels tracks, string, dominoes, magnets, and anything else you have available.

Rube Goldberg chain reaction machine

Learn more about Rube Goldberg at Time for Kids. And watch this short video, All About Rube Goldberg Machines | Nat. Geo Kids

Explore Static Electricity 

Create flying objects by charging a balloon with static electricity. Learn how static electricity works and explore ways to make objects levitate. 

statice electricity on balloon repelling plastic bag

We tested a number of objects after charging them with static electricity to see if they would attract or repel.

Force and motion static electricity experiment

Lab activity source

See more about how to use electrical charges to attract or repel objects on Steve Spangler Science experiments.

Make An Electromagnet

Have students can make their own electromagnets with AA battery, thin copper wire, and a nail. 

Electromagnet made from a battery, wire,, and small nail

This video shows how: How to Make an Electromagnet  

Measure A Magnetic Field 

Measure the size of a magnet’s magnetic field by attaching a magnet to a craft stick and a paperclip to a string. Carefully “raise” the paperclip. Have partner measure the size of the magnet’s magnetic field.

Force and motion magnet experiment

Using a ruler, students measure the space between the magnet and the paperclip. This takes some testing first to determine where the magnetic field ends and the paperclip falls.

Force and motion magnet experiment with paperclip

Lab activity source

Make a Homemade Compass 

As students learn about magnetic force and the earth’s magnetic field have them make a homemade compass. This Sci Kids video shows how to make a compass using a needle and a cork. Did you know that if you rub a metal object on a magnet it becomes magnetized?

homemade compas usiing a cork and needle

 Learn About Magnetic Levitation Trains  

As you plan your force and motion activities, you’ll definitely want to include a floating train.  Show your students forces in action and the technology used in a maglev train. The world’s fastest bullet train, it reaches speeds of 375 miles per hour. Powerful magnets in the train and rails lift the train and propel it forward at high speeds. These videos show how the technology and the train works: 

  • The Floating Train
  • How Do Maglev Trains Work?

Maglev train video

Play Force and Motion Games Online

These fun, online force and motion games reinforce science vocabulary, allow students to make force diagrams, an explain friction.  Some sites require you to sign up for a free account to play.

Force and motion online games

Science Trek  This site is a gold mine for teachers! Sponsored by Idaho Public Television, it is a collection of online games, videos, activities, and loads of other resources for teaching force and motion.

Legends of Learning  This is a great site for students! Sign up for a free account and access thousands of math and science games, listed by grade level, that align to most state and NGSS standards. Check out their library of force and motion games!

Learning Games for Kids | Motion Find force and motion spelling, vocabulary and definition games that promote language and reading skills using science content.

Scholastic Force and Motion Study Jams  Scholastic Study Jams is an interactive site with over 200 science games, songs, and videos in a wide range of science topics ideal for 2nd and 3rd grade kids.

PBS Learning Media  One of my favorite science sites, PBS Learning has a whole library of science activities, investigations, and videos for kids 

Force & Motion Videos

Force and motion videos

  • Relative Motion Explained
  • Swings, Slides & Science Sci Show Kids
  • Noncontact Forces
  • The Science Behind Magnets
  • Magnetism|Crash Course Science 
  • Friction | Generation Genius

Force and Motion Books 

Books about forces and motion

I’ve put together a collection of force and motion books for kids and teachers on my Amazon page. The topics include, balanced and unbalanced forces, motion, gravity, magnets, push and pull concepts, electricity, and magnetism.

Get Force and Motion Lesson Plans

Force and motion science topics

I’ve planned a complete 27-day force and motion unit with an in-depth, interactive teaching PowerPoint, detailed lesson plans, journal response activities, lab investigations, and quizzes for each lesson.

The unit includes vocabulary posters, focus wall resources with guiding questions and learning target cards as well as a complete teacher guide in a handy planning binder. Aligned to NGSS and most state science standards this complete unit will save you hours of planning time! The digital add-on unit has narrated audio slides, digital practice games and quizzes for each lesson.

Forces and motion science curriculum and lesson plans

Click the picture or the link to see the Forces & Motion Science Unit, DIGITAL Forces & Motion unit or save on the Forces & Motion BUNDLE.

Planning your force and motion activities is easy with these units because I’ve already done it for you! They save hours of planning time.

Visit these posts for more third grade science activities:

4 Things to Teach in Science at the Beginning of the Year

Teaching ideas and beginning of the year science activities for 2nd and 3rd grade.

Free Science and Engineering Posters & Standards Cards

Free Science & Engineering posters and standards cards

Third Grade Back to School Science Activities

First week of third grade science activities

9 Activities That Teach the Engineering Design Process

article cover-activities to teach the engineering design process for kids

Happy teaching!

  • Related Posts:

    • 30 Weather and Climate Activities for 3rd Grade
      30 Weather and Climate Activities for 3rd Grade
    • Plant and Animal Interdependence Activities for 2nd Grade
      Plant and Animal Interdependence Activities for 2nd Grade
    • Properties of Matter Activities for Second Grade Scientists
      Properties of Matter Activities for Second Grade Scientists

    Share this:

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • Email

    Filed Under: Science Tagged With: 3rd grade, force and motion, science, science experiments, third grade

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Welcome!

    Welcome!

    Let’s Keep in Touch!

    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    Science Planned for You

    science units for second grade

    Get Free Posters

    Free Science & Engineering practices posters article

    First Day of School Ideas

    back to school activities for You're Finally Here book

    Join the Group

    office supplies facebook group announcement
    free grammar assessments

    Search By Subject

    Get Help Teaching Science

    Second grade students doing seed dispersla and plant adaptations science experiments

    20 Second Grade Science Experiments That Build Essential Skills

    back to school science activities for the first week of science in third grade

    12 Activities for the First Week of Science in Third Grade

    Article about teaching science tools and safety rules to students at the beginning of the year.

    Activities to Teach Science Tools and Science Safety Rules at the Beginning of the Year

    states of matter books for kids

    18 Awesome States of Matter Books for Kids

    plant life cycle books for kids

    14 Best Plant Life Cycle Books for Kids

    books for teaching about the butterfly life cycle

    21 Butterfly Life Cycle Books For Kids

    Copyright © 2022 // Design by Laugh Eat Learn // Theme by Genesis Framework