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Engineering activity

Electric Circuit Creator

Make a simple circuit to light up an LED using a battery and wires. Learn that electricity flows in a loop!

Hands OnAbout 25 minutesScreen-freeParent help expected

Materials and setup

How this changes by age

Pre-K (ages 3–4)

Make a simple circuit to light up an LED using a battery and wires. Learn that electricity flows in a loop!

Difficulty 1 of 3

Steps

  1. Get a battery (AA or coin cell), an LED, and two pieces of wire or aluminum foil strips.
  2. Touch one wire from the battery to one LED leg, and another wire to the other leg.
  3. Does the LED light up? If not, try flipping the LED around (it only works one direction).
  4. Disconnect one wire. What happens? The light goes off — the loop is broken!
  5. Try connecting the wire again. Electricity needs a complete circle to flow.
  6. Tell a grown-up one thing that surprised you.

Learning objectives

  • Discover that electricity needs a complete loop (circuit) to flow
  • Observe that LEDs only work in one direction
  • Practice basic circuit assembly with batteries and LEDs

Kindergarten (ages 5–6)

Build a circuit with a battery, LED, and a switch you make from a paper clip. Turn the light on and off with your homemade switch!

Difficulty 2 of 3

Steps

  1. Connect a battery to an LED with aluminum foil strips or wire. Get it to light up.
  2. Now add a switch: tape a paper clip to the foil so it can swing and touch or break the circuit.
  3. When the paper clip touches both foil strips, the circuit is closed — light on!
  4. Swing the paper clip away — light off!
  5. Draw your circuit showing the battery, wires, switch, and LED.
  6. Challenge: can you add a second LED to your circuit?
  7. Tell a grown-up one thing that surprised you.

Learning objectives

  • Build a working circuit with a homemade switch
  • Understand how a switch opens and closes a circuit
  • Draw a simple circuit diagram showing all components

Early elementary (ages 6–8)

Build circuits with multiple LEDs, switches, and test which materials conduct electricity. Learn about series vs parallel circuits.

Difficulty 2 of 3

Steps

  1. Build a basic circuit: battery, LED, and switch. Confirm it works.
  2. Series circuit: add a second LED in line with the first. Are they dimmer? Why?
  3. Parallel circuit: connect a second LED alongside the first (both connect directly to the battery). Are they brighter?
  4. Conductor test: put different materials in the circuit gap (coin, eraser, foil, pencil lead). Which ones let the light turn on?
  5. Make a chart: conductors vs insulators based on your tests.
  6. Build a flashlight: battery + switch + LED inside a cardboard tube. Decorate it!
  7. In one sentence, tell a parent or sibling what surprised you today.

Learning objectives

  • Build and compare series vs parallel LED circuits
  • Test and classify materials as electrical conductors or insulators
  • Assemble a functional device (flashlight) using circuit knowledge

Upper elementary (ages 8–10)

Design circuits with LEDs, switches, buzzers, and motors. Create circuit diagrams, test conductivity of materials, and build a functional electronic project.

Difficulty 3 of 3

Steps

  1. Research circuit components: batteries, resistors, LEDs, switches, buzzers, motors.
  2. Draw circuit diagrams using standard symbols for a series circuit and a parallel circuit.
  3. Build both circuits. Measure: do LEDs in series share voltage? Do parallel LEDs each get full voltage?
  4. Add complexity: build a circuit with a switch that controls only one branch of a parallel circuit.
  5. Conductivity lab: test 10 materials. Measure relative conductivity by LED brightness. Rank them.
  6. Final project: design and build an interactive card, game, or device using circuits (quiz board, light-up greeting card, or simple alarm).
  7. Write a technical description of your project including a full circuit diagram.
  8. In one sentence, tell a parent or sibling what surprised you today.

Learning objectives

  • Create and interpret standard circuit diagrams with multiple components
  • Analyze voltage distribution in series vs parallel configurations
  • Design and build a functional electronic project applying circuit principles

Safety and evidence note

Read the full activity before beginning. An adult should supervise tools, heat, food, outdoor work, movement, and experiments as appropriate. Completion records that the activity was done; the child’s explanation, work sample, photo, or demonstration is stronger evidence of learning than a completion check alone.

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