Abstract
This step-by-step video guide is a helpful introduction showing teachers and parents how to make balloon race cars from plastic construction blocks, such as LEGO®. Using balloons to power their vehicles, they will measure their speed over a set distance.
This fun STEM challenge is aimed at primary school children.
Download the free activity sheets and supporting resources on our resource page for more detailed instructions, teachers notes and for optional extension work. These are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
Tools/resources required
• Plastic construction bricks, including wheels
• Balloons
• A stopwatch or a stopwatch App on a phone
• If available: a tape measure to measure the
• distance of the course
• Optional: plastic straws, sticky tape, cardboard
• strips (for walls for the test track)
Please share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation.
About IET Education
We support STEM teachers by providing a range of resources linked to the UK curriculum and partnering with organisations to create experiences that inspire teachers and students alike. Our campaigns are for children aged 4 to 19 years and aim to bring their imaginations alive to inspire them to engineer a better world in the future.
Engage children and keep them busy and learning at home or school with our free STEM resources and activities for KS1, KS2, KS3 and KS4: https://education.theiet.org/
Looking for some Summer inspiration? Discover our full range of Summer resources for primary: Summer STEM resources for primary (theiet.org)
