Kids (in grades K-5), you’re invited to join us for our next STEM Program to learn about electricity and circuits, and then we will make a paper circuit light-up card!
Sign up for, or our Homeschool Program on Friday, December 10 at 10:30am or our After-School Program on Tuesday, December 14 at 4pm. Registration is required for these private Zoom events.
Electricity is one of the world’s most useful discoveries. We’ll learn about how electricity is created, how it reaches our homes, schools, and workplaces, and how we use circuits to make electricity do useful jobs such as turn on lights, control temperature, and much more!
What is a circuit? A circuit is a closed loop that electricity can travel through. It needs a power source, such as a battery, which stores electricity. Electricity needs something metal to travel through – preferably copper. There is an object that needs to turn on and off to do a job – such as a light or fan. Lastly there is a switch – a way to turn the object off and on. Paper circuits are a great hands-on way to understand how circuits work.
A kit with the materials to make the paper circuit card will be available for pickup at your local Spokane Public Library starting Monday, November 29. Supplies are limited, and registration does not reserve you a kit – so plan to pick them up! Email cbakken@spokanelibrary.org if you want more information on the materials. You can also print out the instructions and the card template.
Note: Caregivers should plan on helping with this project, especially with younger children. This activity is not recommended for children under kindergarten age.
Additional Resources About Electricity and Circuits You Can Get With Your Library Card!
- Book: Paper circuits (spokanelibrary.org)
- Book: Electricity in your life (spokanelibrary.org)
- Book: Explore electricity! (spokanelibrary.org)
- Search for the eBook “Connect It! Circuits You Can Squish, Bend and Twist” in hoopla. This book introduces “Squishy Circuits”, which uses conductive and insulative doughs to create circuits. Other titles include: How Circuits Work, How LEDs Work, and How Batteries Work.
-Written by Cathy, STEM Librarian
