How to Explain Gravity to a Child

Because gravity is an invisible force of nature, it's often difficult to express it in a way that children can comprehend. Build your child's knowledge of the universe by explaining the concept of gravity in language they can grasp.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Light ball
• Heavier ball
• Feather
• Sheet of paper

Learn About Gravity

1. Define gravity to your child. Gravity is a basic force in the universe that attracts all objects to each other. Gravity played a role in the formation of all planets and other bodies in the universe.

2. Go outdoors to explore gravity. Point out the moon or sun. Explain that gravity causes the Earth to rotate around the sun and the moon to rotate around the Earth. Discuss how life would be different without either.

3. Study the scientists who helped us to understand gravity. Find age appropriate books and websites that discuss Galileo and Isaac Newton. Read with your child and discuss gravity and the changes it gradually creates (see Resources below).

4. Explain the difference between weight and mass. Use the concept of gravity as it relates to swimming in water. Share the differences between body mass or their weight, its impact by the force of gravity and can the changes in different locations.

Experiments

1. Demonstrate the law of "what comes up must come down." Have your child toss a ball straight up into the air to understand how gravity pulls objects down to the Earth.

2. Compare gravity on different objects. Select 2 balls of different sizes, a feather, and a piece of paper. Stand up on a chair and hold your arms straight out to your sides. Drop both balls at the same time and discuss with your child why they both landed at the same or different times.

3. Now drop 1 ball with the feather, and then 1 ball with the piece of paper. Let your child explain what happened and how gravity works.

4. Reinforce their ideas with a discussion about resistance and friction. Explore the way gravity works to slow down the speed of the lighter falling objects.

Tips & Warnings

• Have your child predict what happens before you drop the objects.

• Crumble the piece of paper up and discuss how changes in surface area makes the object fall faster.

• Use educational TV shows and online resources to explore gravity in more depth with your child.

• Choose balls that are safe to drop and won't cause damage if they accidentally hit someone. Tennis balls or sponge rubber balls are ideal.

• To prevent injury, only adults should stand on the chair or drop objects from a height.

Resources

• Use this online gravity illustration to guide young children.
• Let your child see how their weight changes on other worlds.