After receiving Snap Circuits as a gift, my son has been very interested in electronics, where electricity comes from, and how it all works. So much, that I created an electricity lesson for him to dig a little deeper into how it all works!

Read on for a slew of ideas for hands-on investigation, resources, and tools we’ve used to investigate electricity!

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Hands on Electricity Lesson with
Snap Circuits

My oldest kiddo has always gotten excited about hands-on science. Since we got our Snap Circuits, he is all about building all types of light up, noise making, complicated circuits. This educational toy really inspired him to learn about how electricity and circuits work and where power comes from.

Snap Circuits are a great, hands-on introduction to electricity.

√ Following visual directions
√ Fine motor practice with small parts and snaps
√  Understanding open and closed circuits
√ Understanding about positive and negative charge
√ Experiment with designing your own circuits
√ Learn about a variety of energy sources

Take a peek at him building circuits with Snap Circuits. 

This has been one of my son’s favorite toys for over a year now. The products are well-made and durable and the visual instructions are easy-to-follow even for young children.

I would recommend these for any child interested in putting things together (or taking stuff apart!) kindergarten through upper elementary. You can find great prices and free shipping for Snap Circuits on Amazon.

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Books for your Electricity Lesson

Picture Books about Electricity
	Switch On, Switch Off a Level 2 Reader by Melvin Berger. An engaging picture book for early readers, this book provides a great introduction to energy. Your little one will see many places electricity is running through their own home. Don't be surprised if they enjoy turning on and off the lights a little more tonight! Find Switch On, Switch Off on Amazon.
	The Magic School Bus and the Electric Field Trip by Joanna Cole. You won't want to miss flying through circuits with Ms. Frizzle! She and the Magic School Bus take the kids on an electrifying adventure. Great for any Magic School Bus lover! Find The Electric Field Trip on Amazon.
	How Ben Franklin Stole the Lightning by Rosalyn Schanzer. Take a look into colonial times and learn all about Ben Franklin and his amazing discovery. My kids loved this book. It is filled with real facts about the past and fun tidbits about Ben! Find How Ben Franklin Stole the Lightning on Amazon.
Kid's Non-Fiction Books About Electricity
	DK Eyewitness Books Electricity by Steve Parker. It seems that DK has a book for every topic we study. We don't read these cover-to-cover. Instead the kids look through and point out images or titles that catch their interest. The Electricity book has some really amazing close-up looks at what's inside things we see everyday and how electricity makes it work! Find Eyewitness books on Amazon.
	Electricity by Janice VanCleave. VanCleave's books are phenomenal. These could stand alone as a hands-on course in science or math. Each volume contains a wide variety of experiements with easy-to-follow instructions and simple illustrations. Perfect for side-by-side learning, filled with fun activities and experiments. Find Janice VanCleave's book, Electricity, on Amazon.

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Media for Your Electricity Lesson

Electricity for Kids on YouTube

Disney Film Ben and Me: An animated short film all about Benjamin Franklin and his great discovery! 21 Minutes

Kid’s Electricity Playlist: Engaging and short shows, songs, and stories all about electricity, circuits, and the lightbulb!  30 Minutes (watch on YouTube or stream below)

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Shows about Electricity

Popular Mechanics For Kids Electricity, Season 1 , Episode 12

Magic School Bus Gets Charged, Season 4, Episode 9

Safety Smart Science with Bill Nye the Science Guy: Electricity On DVD

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Electricity for Kids Online

Find interactive learning games and activities online:

• Play an electricity discovery game on The Fusebox
• Play Circuit on Cool Math Games
• Circuits and Conductors game from BBC

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Worksheets about Electricity for Kids

Homeschool Share has put together twenty-one pages of free printables and foldables about electricity and circuits. You can use these for interactive notebooking or lapbooks. My son loves creating lapbooks. One place to put together all the material we’ve been learning.

First School Years has a slew of electricity worksheets and interactive printables for kids including card games, sorting, and vocabulary worksheets.

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