Several December holidays begin next week, including Hannukah! During Hanukah celebrations, people often play a game called dreidel.
A dreidel is a spinning top with four sides. Each side has a Hebrew letter on it. During the game of dreidel, players take turns spinning the top and can gain, lose, or receive no points based on which letter the top lands on. Click here to learn more about the rules of dreidel.
As we continue our Holiday STEAM collection, you and your child can have hours of fun together learning physics when you make your own spinning tops!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Plastic bottle caps
- Toothpicks or wooden skewers
- A thick needle or sharp item
- Colorful electrical tape (optional)
- Quick drying glue (optional)
Once you’ve gathered your supplies, use the sharp object to make a hole directly in the middle of your bottle cap (this should be done by an adult). Try to be as precise as possible, as the top will not be balanced if the hole is not centered.
Next, insert your toothpick or skewer so that the pointed tip pokes through the bottle cap and trim the point off the part of the toothpick that you will use to spin the top. Secure the toothpick with glue (optional) and decorate (optional). Now you’re ready to give it a spin!
So what happens when you play with a spinning top? When you first spin the top, you are converting its stored, or potential, energy into the energy of motion, also called kinetic energy. If the top didn’t encounter any friction, it might spin indefinitely, but the surface you are spinning it on creates friction, which eventually causes the top to slow down, wobble, and then gravity causes it to fall.
Check out the full experiment from Creative Jewish Mom here.
As always, be as creative as you want, and above all, have lots of fun learning together!
We’ll see you right back here next Saturday for another STEAM Saturday activity! Scroll through the rest of our website to learn how Critchlow Adkins is Building Brighter Futures for the children and families we serve!
