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Last updated by Linda Kamp on May 25, 2024 • 1 Comment

15 Force and Motion Activities for Third Grade

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

Force and motion activity cards source

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

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.

 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.

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. 

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

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. 

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.

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.

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?

  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?

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.

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 2 nd and 3 rd 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

• 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 

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

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.

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:

Dollar Store Science Materials for Teaching Force and Motion   

10 Easy Inherited Traits Activities for 3rd Grade

30 Ideas for Teaching Weather & Climate in 3rd Grade

Free Science and Engineering Posters & Standards Cards

Third Grade Back to School Science Activities

Happy teaching!

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Free Grammar Review Activities!

Start the year in grammar off right! Grab a full week of lesson plans, teaching slides, and printables to review and practice parts of speech!

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September 25 at 7:19 am

Great experimenta for keeping the attention to young kids in Science lesiona.

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I’m Linda Kamp, a 20 year primary grade teacher with a passion for creating educational materials that excite students and make learning fun! I'm so glad you're here!

Force and motion games

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Science Trek

Force and Motion: The Force of Gravity

Clip: Special | 1m 4s  |  Video has closed captioning.

Gravity is the force of action between two objects. It’s called a natural force because it acts at a distance rather than needing to be in contact. Gravity is the force that holds us down on Earth and what keeps the planets spinning around the Sun.

Aired: 09/01/24

Rating: TV-G

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[MUSIC] JOAN CARTAN-HANSEN, HOST: Gravity is the force of action between two objects.

It's called a natural force because it acts at a distance rather than needing to be in contact.

To understand gravity, you first have to define mass and matter.

Matter takes up space and has weight.

And mass is the stuff that matter is made of.

Gravity pulls on mass, but the same amount of mass can weigh differently depending on what world it is sitting on.

Astronauts could bounce easily around on the moon because the moon's gravity is less than the Earth's.

That's because the moon's mass is physically smaller.

Gravity is the force that holds us done on Earth.

It's the force that keeps the planets revolving around the sun.

Gravity is also affected by how close objects are to one another.

The Earth's gravitational pull on Pluto, isn't very strong because Pluto is so far away.

But the Earth's gravitational pull on the moon is great.

The Earth's gravity keeps the moon in Earth's orbit.

For more information about force and motion, check out the science trek website.

You'll find it at science trek dot org

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Teaching resources for Find standards-aligned teaching resources for Science Trek .

YouTube Channel

Science Trek is a place where parents, kids, and educators can watch short, educational videos on a variety of science topics. Every Monday Science Trek releases a new video that introduces children to math, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) career potentials in a fun, informative way.

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Science Trek

Force and Motion: Normal, Applied, & Frictional Forces

Clip: Special | 1m 4s  |  Video has closed captioning.

Scientists have classified forces into different kinds. Learn more about friction, applied forces and normal forces and how they work on the Earth and in the universe.

Aired: 09/04/24

Rating: TV-G

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[MUSIC] JOAN CARTAN-HANSEN, HOST: If you push on something, you are applying a force.

There're are few kinds of forces that act on objects.

The first is called normal force.

And you can see it in this experiment.

If you place a ruler so each end is supported and then place a small, heavy object on the middle, the ruler will bend.

The ruler wants to straighten up, but the heavier object is pulling it down.

That upward force is called a normal force.

The harder you push down, the more the ruler bends and the harder normal force pushes back.

Applied force is easier to explain.

If you push or pull on something, you are applying a force.

That action is called an applied force.

Frictional force is caused when two surfaces come in contact with each other.

It's the force that resists sliding or rolling of one surface over another.

Say you are scootering down the street.

Your shoe doesn't slide when you hit the ground.

But if you were walking on ice, the force of friction between your shoe and the ground is less and.

For more information about force and motion, check out the Science Trek website.

You'll find it at ScienceTrek.org

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Science Trek is a place where parents, kids, and educators can watch short, educational videos on a variety of science topics. Every Monday Science Trek releases a new video that introduces children to math, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) career potentials in a fun, informative way.

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Collisions and Forces Science Games

In this series of games, your students will learn that when objects collide, the contact forces transfer energy so as to change the objects’ motions. Collisions and Forces  learning objective — based on NGSS and state standards — delivers improved student engagement and academic performance in your classroom, as demonstrated by research .

Scroll down for a preview of this learning objective’s games and the concepts.

Concepts Covered

A force is a push or pull on an object. A force has both a strength and a direction. A contact force is a force that occurs when objects are in direct contact with each other. Friction is a contact force that opposes the motion of an object. A non-contact force is a force that can act on an object over a distance. The magnetic force is a non-contact force between magnetic objects.

Motion is the change in the position of an object. Moving objects contain energy. When objects collide, energy is transferred from one object to the other, changing their motion. When an object slides relative to another, the frictional forces between them transfer the energy of motion into heat energy, causing the object to slow down.

A magnetic object has both a north pole and a south pole. Similar magnetic poles will repel each other. Opposite magnetic poles will attract each other.

When a force acts on an object, it transfers energy to the object that affects its motion. The electric force is a non-contact force between electrically charged objects. Objects with the same electric charge will repel each other. Objects with opposite electric charges will attract each other. On a microscopic level, contact forces between objects are the result of electromagnetic forces.

A preview of each game in the learning objective is found below.

You can access all of the games on Legends of Learning for free, forever, with a teacher account. A free teacher account also allows you to create playlists of games and assignments for students and track class progress. Sign up for free today!

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Science Trek

Force and Motion: The Force of Gravity

Clip: Special | 1m 4s  |  Video has closed captioning.

Gravity is the force of action between two objects. It’s called a natural force because it acts at a distance rather than needing to be in contact. Gravity is the force that holds us down on Earth and what keeps the planets spinning around the Sun.

Aired: 09/01/24

Rating: TV-G

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Major Funding by the Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation and the Idaho National Laboratory. Additional Funding by the Friends of Idaho Public Television and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Open in new tab

[MUSIC] JOAN CARTAN-HANSEN, HOST: Gravity is the force of action between two objects.

It's called a natural force because it acts at a distance rather than needing to be in contact.

To understand gravity, you first have to define mass and matter.

Matter takes up space and has weight.

And mass is the stuff that matter is made of.

Gravity pulls on mass, but the same amount of mass can weigh differently depending on what world it is sitting on.

Astronauts could bounce easily around on the moon because the moon's gravity is less than the Earth's.

That's because the moon's mass is physically smaller.

Gravity is the force that holds us done on Earth.

It's the force that keeps the planets revolving around the sun.

Gravity is also affected by how close objects are to one another.

The Earth's gravitational pull on Pluto, isn't very strong because Pluto is so far away.

But the Earth's gravitational pull on the moon is great.

The Earth's gravity keeps the moon in Earth's orbit.

For more information about force and motion, check out the science trek website.

You'll find it at science trek dot org

More Extras

More specials.

Teaching resources for Find standards-aligned teaching resources for Science Trek .

YouTube Channel

Science Trek is a place where parents, kids, and educators can watch short, educational videos on a variety of science topics. Every Monday Science Trek releases a new video that introduces children to math, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) career potentials in a fun, informative way.

More Science and Nature Shows