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11 topics · Preschool to Grade 8

How everyday objects work

How does a click pen click, and why does an umbrella fold up so neatly? These topics take apart the small objects children use every day. They see the spring and cam inside a click pen and a mechanical pencil, the hinge of a stapler, the folding frame of an umbrella, the gears of a can opener and the pump inside a spray bottle and a foam soap dispenser. They also find out how drinking straws work, why hook-and-loop fasteners stick and how a good knot holds. Each topic has an animated explanation, a part-by-part look inside, a simulation to try and a challenge, written for preschool, elementary and middle school.

  1. 1Watch it
  2. 2Look inside
  3. 3Try it
  4. 4Solve a challenge
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11 topics in Everyday objects

Everyday objects

#150 Everyday objects How does a trigger spray bottle work? Pull the trigger and follow liquid through a pump, valves, and nozzle. #151 Everyday objects How do foaming soap dispensers make foam? Watch liquid soap and air combine and pass through a fine mesh. #152 Everyday objects How does a click pen extend and retract? Inspect the spring and rotating mechanism inside a transparent retractable pen. #153 Everyday objects How does a mechanical pencil advance its graphite? Press the button and watch tiny gripping parts move and hold the graphite. #154 Everyday objects How does a stapler join sheets of paper? Follow a staple as it pierces paper and bends against the stapler's base. #155 Everyday objects How does a can opener cut around a lid? Trace the gripping and cutting wheels as they travel around a virtual can. #156 Everyday objects How does an umbrella open and fold? Move the runner and watch linked supports spread or collapse the canopy. #157 Everyday objects How do window blinds raise, lower, and tilt? Operate controls and trace how their mechanisms move the slats together. #159 Everyday objects How does a drinking straw lift liquid? Change pressure inside a straw and observe surrounding air pressure pushing liquid upward. #160 Everyday objects How do hook-and-loop fasteners stick together? Zoom into hooks and loops, then compare peeling with pulling sideways. #161 Everyday objects How do knots hold ropes and shoelaces together? Tie virtual strands and explore how loops, tension, and friction affect holding.

Keep exploring

Games to play

  • Machine RepairFix levers, pulleys, gears and ramps so every contraption works.
  • Science QuizzesOlly's Science Quiz Show: plants, animals, the body, weather, space and more, for every grade.

Guide for grown-ups

Science games by grade

Science worksheets by grade