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EngineeringScienceMath

Sports Equipment Innovation Lab

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Grades 3-560-75 minSource: Creative Dad Company

Kids test different materials for grip, bounce, or cushioning to redesign a piece of sports gear, like a ball, helmet pad, or shoe sole, for better performance. It's a great fit for sporty kids who want science to feel like practice.

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Every level teaches the same core idea — pick the one that fits your time, budget, and energy today.

Prep: 10 minActivity: 45 min1 session~$2/groupOne table or a clear section of floorBeginner-friendly

Setup

Place common or recycled supplies for Sports Equipment Innovation Lab on one work surface and choose a safe area for the test. Read the four activity directions aloud; drawings, paper models, and household substitutes may replace specialized materials, and no digital tool is required.

Activity

  1. Test a few sample materials for bounce, grip, or cushioning and predict which would improve a chosen piece of sports gear.
  2. Build a redesigned version of the gear using the best-performing materials from the test.
  3. Test the new gear's performance with a measurable trial, like bounce height or grip strength, then redesign a part when it underperforms the original.
  4. Present the improved gear to the group with before-and-after performance data.

Done when: The group produces the Sports Equipment Innovation Lab solution, completes the described test, makes the revision called for by the evidence, and supports its final explanation with an observed or measured result.

Materials

foam scraps, rubber bands, tape, various balls, felt or fabric scraps, ruler, stopwatch

Shown for the Quick Start version — switch tabs above to see what changes.

Disclosure: Materials links below go to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, Creative Dad Company earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Steps

  1. Test a few sample materials for bounce, grip, or cushioning and predict which would improve a chosen piece of sports gear.
  2. Build a redesigned version of the gear using the best-performing materials from the test.
  3. Test the new gear's performance with a measurable trial, like bounce height or grip strength, then redesign a part when it underperforms the original.
  4. Present the improved gear to the group with before-and-after performance data.

Standards it satisfies

  • NGSS · 5-PS1-3

    Make observations and measurements to identify materials based on their properties.