Slide Speed Fun: Exploring Friction with Little Scientists
Supply List
About This Project
Let’s have some fun on the playground and see how your clothes and how you sit change how fast you slide! Do you zoom down the slide when you’re sitting up, or do you go even faster when you lay down? Does your jacket make you super speedy, or do you slip faster in just your t-shirt? This activity is all about noticing how little changes can make a big difference in how fast we move down the slide! (Header image generated with AI)
Steps
Make a Guess
Before you slide, ask yourself: “Will I go faster sitting up or laying down? Will my jacket help me slide, or will my t-shirt?” Tell your grown-up what you think. Scientists call this special guess a hypothesis!
Try Different Ways to Slide
Take turns going down the same slide in lots of different ways: sitting up, laying down, wearing your jacket, or just your t-shirt. Try sitting on your jacket, too! After each slide, stop and think: Did that feel faster or slower? Which way was the most fun?
Ask a Grown-up to Time You
Now, have your grown-up use a phone or watch to time how long it takes you to get to the bottom. Try it a few times in each way. Was the way that felt fastest really the quickest?
Understanding the Science
Which way made you feel like you were flying? Did your jacket make you go faster, or did your t-shirt help you slip? Was sitting up or laying down speedier? Talk with your grown-up about what you noticed and what surprised you! When you go down the slide, your clothes and how you sit can make you go faster or slower. This is because of something called friction. Friction is what happens when your clothes and the slide rub together. If your jacket is slippery, you might go super fast! If your pants or shirt are rough or bumpy, you might slow down. Scientists learn about friction by trying things lots of ways, just like you did. What did you discover about sliding today?
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