Video

Elmo and Abby Investigate: Bouncing Balls

See if balls will bounce higher if dropped from higher heights.

Watch as Elmo and Abby get ready to do a ball-bouncing experiment. Then talk about the experiment they’re doing. You might ask:

  • What do Elmo and Abby want to find out? (Whether a ball will bounce higher if dropped from a higher place.)
  • What materials do they need in order to do their experiment? (A ball, a ruler, or tape measure, and locations of different heights.)
  • Where are they going to do their experiment? (Outside.)

Now, grab a ball and head outside together. See if you can learn the answer to Elmo and Abby’s question: Does a ball bounce higher if it is dropped from a higher height? Drop a ball from different heights. Kids might try dropping it from the height of their knee, the height of a park bench, and then from the top of a slide.