Electricity is an exciting and useful topic for students to explore. Learning how electricity works helps kids understand everyday devices, stay safe, and build problem-solving skills.
This article presents 25 electricity project ideas for kids written simply so students can follow and teachers or parents can guide them.
Each project includes materials, step-by-step instructions, a clear explanation of how it works, learning outcomes, and safety tips. These projects are hands-on, fun, and suitable for classroom demonstrations, science fairs, or home experiments.
The projects range from very simple activities for younger children (6–9 years) to more advanced ideas suitable for older students (12–16 years). Many experiments use low-voltage batteries and safe materials.
Always follow the safety tips: never work with household mains electricity, wear safety goggles if there are any small parts or springs, and have adult supervision for soldering, sharp tools, or any heated parts.
By doing these projects, students will learn basic electrical concepts such as current, voltage, circuits, conductors and insulators, series and parallel connections, switches, electromagnetism, and energy conversion. Use this article as a step-by-step resource: pick a project, gather materials, read the safety notes, and start experimenting!
How to use these projects
- Choose a project appropriate for the student’s age and skill level.
- Gather materials before starting. Most projects list everyday items or low-cost parts.
- Read the steps carefully and perform the experiment in a clean, well-lit workspace.
- Record observations and take simple measurements (e.g., how bright a bulb glows).
- Discuss the results: ask “why” and “what changed” to deepen understanding.
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25 Electricity Project Ideas for Kids
1. Simple Circuit with a Bulb and Battery
Age: 6–10
Materials: AA battery, small bulb (torch bulb), bulb holder or battery clip, insulated wires, tape.
Steps: Connect one wire from the battery’s positive terminal to the bulb’s metal side; connect the other wire from the bulb’s base to the battery’s negative terminal. Secure connections with tape. The bulb lights when the circuit is closed.
How it works: Electricity flows from the battery through the wires and bulb filament and returns to the battery. The filament heats and emits light.
What students learn: Basic closed circuit concept—power source, conductor, load.
Safety tips: Use low-voltage batteries; avoid short-circuiting the battery (direct wire between terminals).
2. Make a Switch from a Paper Clip
Age: 7–12
Materials: Battery, small bulb, wires, paper clip, cardboard.
Steps: Create a gap in a circuit where two stripped wire ends meet; attach them to cardboard. Use the paper clip to bridge the gap; moving the clip opens or closes the circuit and turns the bulb on/off.
How it works: The paper clip acts as a conductor that completes the circuit when pressed down.
What students learn: The role of a switch in controlling current.
Safety tips: Use low-voltage batteries; ensure connections are secure.
3. Lemon Battery (Fruit-Powered Cell)
Age: 8–14
Materials: Fresh lemons, zinc nails or galvanized nails, copper coins or copper wire, wires, small voltmeter or LED (with resistor).
Steps: Insert a zinc nail and a copper coin into a lemon about 2–3 cm apart. Connect wires from zinc to copper of different lemons in series to increase voltage. Attach to voltmeter or LED.
How it works: Chemical reactions between the metals and lemon acid create a small voltage. Connecting multiple lemons in series raises the voltage.
What students learn: Basic electrochemistry, how batteries produce electricity.
Safety tips: Do not eat lemons after experiment; wash hands after handling metal.
4. Conductors vs. Insulators Test
Age: 6–10
Materials: Battery, small bulb, wires, various items (coin, plastic spoon, wooden stick, aluminum foil, fabric).
Steps: Use the simple circuit setup; replace part of the wire with test objects to see if the bulb lights. Record which materials allow current and which do not.
How it works: Materials with free electrons (metals) conduct electricity; insulators (plastic, wood) do not.
What students learn: Difference between conductors and insulators; practical testing method.
Safety tips: Low-voltage only; handle sharp objects carefully.
5. Build a Compass with a Wire Coil (Electromagnetism)
Age: 10–15
Materials: Insulated copper wire, large iron nail, battery (9V), small compass.
Steps: Wrap the wire tightly around the nail many times to form a coil. Connect the coil ends to the battery quickly and observe the compass needle moving. Disconnect to let it return.
How it works: Electric current through the coil creates a magnetic field, turning the nail into an electromagnet and affecting the compass.
What students learn: Relationship between electricity and magnetism; temporary magnets.
Safety tips: Don’t leave the coil connected for long; battery and wire can heat up.
6. Electromagnet Crane
Age: 11–15
Materials: Iron nail, insulated copper wire, battery pack, cardboard or wood for base, switch, small metal objects (paper clips).
Steps: Make a coil around a nail, attach to a battery pack with a switch mounted on the base. Use the switch to turn the electromagnet on/off to pick up paper clips.
How it works: Current creates magnetism; cutting the current stops the magnetic field.
What students learn: Practical use of electromagnets in lifting devices.
Safety tips: Don’t connect to mains; ensure battery pack has correct voltage and never short-circuit.
7. Potato Clock (Electrochemical Clock)
Age: 9–14
Materials: Potato clock kit (available) or potatoes, galvanized nails, copper wire, small digital clock designed for electrochemical cells.
Steps: Insert zinc and copper electrodes into potato, connect wiring according to clock kit instructions. The clock runs on the small voltage produced.
How it works: Potato juice acts as electrolyte enabling a chemical reaction between metals creating current.
What students learn: Real-world application of chemical cells powering devices.
Safety tips: Use kit instructions; handle metals carefully.
8. Static Electricity: Balloon and Can Experiment
Age: 6–12
Materials: Balloon, empty soda can, wool cloth or sweater.
Steps: Rub the balloon vigorously on hair or wool to create static charge. Bring the balloon near the can on its side—watch the can roll. The balloon can also stick to a wall.
How it works: Rubbing transfers electrons and creates static electric charge; the charge attracts neutral objects.
What students learn: Static electricity basics and electron transfer.
Safety tips: Avoid near sensitive electronic devices.
9. Build a Simple Flashlight
Age: 8–13
Materials: LED, resistor (if needed), AA battery and holder, switch, cardboard tube (toilet paper roll), tape, wires.
Steps: Mount the LED at one end of the tube and wire it to the battery through a switch. Secure the battery in the tube to make a handheld flashlight.
How it works: Closing the switch completes the circuit to power the LED. The resistor limits current to protect the LED.
What students learn: How LED lighting works and importance of resistors.
Safety tips: Correct resistor for LED to avoid burning it; ensure polarities match.
10. Series vs. Parallel Bulb Circuit
Age: 10–15
Materials: Two or three identical small bulbs, battery pack, wires, switches.
Steps: Create a series circuit with bulbs connected one after another and test brightness. Then set up a parallel circuit where each bulb has its own path to the battery and compare brightness.
How it works: In series, current is shared so bulbs dim when more are added; in parallel, each bulb gets full voltage so brightness stays similar.
What students learn: Difference between series and parallel circuits; practical consequences of wiring.
Safety tips: Use low-voltage battery packs; avoid mixing bulb types.
11. Make a Cup-and-String Telephone and Add a Light
Age: 7–12
Materials: Two paper cups, long string, small LED and battery to attach to one cup, tape.
Steps: Make a basic string telephone by poking small holes in cups and threading string tautly. Add a small LED circuit powered by a coin cell to one cup to show how electrical signals could be combined with sound.
How it works: String transmits sound; the added LED demonstrates adding an electrical element to a simple device.
What students learn: Sound transmission and simple electronic addition to a mechanical device.
Safety tips: Use low-voltage coin cells; avoid sharp staples.
12. Make a Homopolar Motor
Age: 11–16
Materials: Strong magnet (disc), copper wire, AA battery, small metal washers.
Steps: Attach the magnet to the negative end of the battery. Bend wire into a loop that touches the battery and the magnet so it can spin freely. Place the loop and watch it rotate.
How it works: Current through the wire in the magnetic field produces a force (Lorentz force) that causes rotation—basic electric motor principle.
What students learn: Fundamentals of motors and forces from current in magnetic fields.
Safety tips: Use supervised setup; magnets can pinch fingers.
13. Build a Simple Alarm Using a Circuit Breaker (Tilt Switch)
Age: 10–15
Materials: Battery, buzzer or small alarm, wires, tin can strip or small metal strip as tilt switch, cardboard box (to simulate a door).
Steps: Set up a circuit where the tilt switch is closed when the “door” is in a certain position. If the door is opened, the switch closes and the buzzer sounds.
How it works: The tilt switch completes a circuit when tilted, powering the alarm. This is how many simple security sensors work.
What students learn: Practical use of switches and alarms.
Safety tips: Ensure low-voltage components and secure wiring.
14. Energy Conversion: Lemon Battery vs. Solar Cell Comparison
Age: 12–16
Materials: Lemon battery(s), small solar panel, multimeter, LED.
Steps: Build a lemon battery and measure voltage/current. Measure the output of a small solar cell under a lamp. Compare which produces more power and discuss advantages/disadvantages.
How it works: Chemical energy (lemon), solar energy (light) converted to electrical energy; use multimeter to quantify.
What students learn: Energy sources and efficiency; hands-on comparison of power generation methods.
Safety tips: Avoid bright lamps that produce heat close to flammable materials.
15. Make an Electric Quiz Buzzer Game
Age: 10–15
Materials: Small buzzers, battery pack, wires, cardboard, switches for two players.
Steps: Create two button switches connected to a common circuit with a buzzer. The first player to press their switch completes the circuit and triggers the buzzer. Add LED indicators for extra clarity.
How it works: The circuit only needs one closed path; the first closed switch triggers the buzzer.
What students learn: Simple circuits, competition-based testing to encourage engagement.
Safety tips: Use safe batteries and insulated wires.
16. Floating Paper Clip Motor (Reaction Motor)
Age: 9–14
Materials: Small magnet, battery, copper wire, paper clips.
Steps: Create a small coil that sits on a magnet at the top of a battery. When current flows, the coil interacts with the magnetic field and may spin or move. Attach paper clips to show motion.
How it works: Motor effect: current in a loop in a magnetic field produces motion.
What students learn: Demonstrates conversion of electrical energy into mechanical movement.
Safety tips: Don’t leave coils connected; heat risk.
17. Build a Voltage Divider and Measure with a Multimeter
Age: 13–16
Materials: Two resistors of different values, breadboard, wires, battery (9V), multimeter.
Steps: Connect resistors in series across the battery. Measure voltage at the junction to show how voltage divides between components. Change resistor values to see different outputs.
How it works: Voltage divides proportionally to resistance in series; a practical circuit concept in electronics.
What students learn: Use of resistors and multimeter for measuring voltage; practical electronics basics.
Safety tips: Use safe voltages; teach correct multimeter use to avoid incorrect measurements.
18. Potato-Powered LED Art
Age: 8–13
Materials: Several potatoes, copper and zinc electrodes, LEDs, wires, cardboard for mounting, glue.
Steps: Insert electrodes in multiple potatoes and connect them in series or parallel to reach voltage/current enough to light several LEDs. Arrange LEDs into shapes on cardboard to create glowing potato art.
How it works: Electrochemical reactions provide small voltage; combining potatoes increases power.
What students learn: Creative application of electrochemistry and circuit design.
Safety tips: Don’t ingest potatoes after experiment; dispose properly.
19. Light Sensor Night Light (Using LDR)
Age: 12–16
Materials: Light-dependent resistor (LDR), transistor, LED, resistor, battery or small adapter, breadboard, wires.
Steps: Build a simple circuit where the LDR controls a transistor that switches the LED on when it gets dark. Test by covering/uncovering the LDR.
How it works: LDR resistance changes with light; this change controls current through the transistor and switches the LED.
What students learn: Sensors, transistors as switches, practical applications like automatic night lights.
Safety tips: Proper handling of electronic components; low-voltage only.
20. Build a Squeeze Switch Torch (Pressure Switch)
Age: 9–13
Materials: Cardboard, conductive foam or metal foil, LED, battery, wires.
Steps: Make a torch body with squeeze points. Place conductive layers separated by non-conductive spacer; squeezing brings conductors together and turns LED on.
How it works: Pressure closes the circuit via conductive layers acting as a switch.
What students learn: How switches can be pressure-activated, applied in toys and devices.
Safety tips: Use safe adhesives and batteries; avoid sharp edges.
21. Create a Solar Oven with Temperature Gauge (Energy Conversion)
Age: 11–16
Materials: Cardboard box, aluminum foil, glass or clear plastic cover, small solar panel and voltmeter or thermometer.
Steps: Build a reflective-lined box to concentrate sunlight. Measure temperature rise inside and measure voltage output from a small solar panel placed in the oven.
How it works: Sunlight concentrates into heat energy inside the box; solar panel produces electricity from light.
What students learn: Solar energy, energy conversion, measuring and recording data.
Safety tips: Avoid looking directly at reflected sunlight; use oven in supervised area.
22. Build a Simple Capacitor with Aluminum Foil
Age: 12–16
Materials: Aluminum foil, wax paper, cardboard tube, wires, small voltmeter.
Steps: Wrap foil layers separated by wax paper to form a basic capacitor. Charge briefly by connecting to a small battery through a resistor and observe stored charge with a voltmeter or LED (through safe discharge resistor).
How it works: Capacitor stores charge on separated conductive plates with an insulator between.
What students learn: Concepts of capacitance, storage of electrical energy.
Safety tips: Use low voltages and discharge capacitor safely through a resistor before handling.
23. Magnetic Field Mapping with a Compass
Age: 9–14
Materials: Bar magnet, small compass, paper, pencil.
Steps: Place the magnet under paper. Move the compass over the paper and mark arrow directions. Repeat to map field lines visually. Try placing two magnets in different arrangements to compare fields.
How it works: Compasses align with magnetic field lines; mapping shows how fields move around magnets and around current-carrying wires if tested.
What students learn: Visualization of magnetic fields and how they relate to electricity.
Safety tips: Keep magnets away from electronic devices and magnetic strips.
24. Make a Static Electric Butterfly
Age: 6–10
Materials: Tissue paper or lightweight paper, balloon, scissors, glue, thread.
Steps: Cut butterfly shapes and rub the balloon on hair to charge it. Bring the charged balloon near the paper butterflies and watch them move or lift.
How it works: Static charge attracts lightweight neutral objects by polarization.
What students learn: Static electricity effects and charge attraction.
Safety tips: Keep away from electronic devices and flammable materials.
25. Water Conductivity Tester
Age: 10–15
Materials: Two metal probes or nails, battery, small bulb or LED with resistor, wires, container of water, salt, sugar.
Steps: Build a circuit where two probes are part of the circuit and place them in water. Test with plain water, salt water, and sugar water and observe whether the bulb lights to indicate conductivity.
How it works: Dissolved ions (like salt) enable current flow; pure water conducts poorly. This demonstrates ionic conduction in solutions.
What students learn: Electrical conductivity of liquids, role of ions.
Safety tips: Use low-voltage and do not touch water during test; avoid mains.
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Conclusion
These 25 electricity project ideas for kids give students hands-on experience with core electrical concepts: circuits, conductors and insulators, switches, electromagnetism, energy conversion, sensors, and basic electronics.
Each project is designed to be simple, safe, and educational.
Students should always follow safety rules: use low-voltage batteries, avoid household mains, wear eye protection when necessary, and perform experiments under adult supervision when dealing with tools or heating.
