It’s football season and your students are counting touchdowns in between classes. Channel the play-by-play energy with some low-prep football science activities perfect for your 3rd – 8th grade learners this school year.

3 Football Science Activities to Level-up Classroom Engagement

Science and math is a part of football! Channel this touchdown energy with these low prep and easy-to-use football science activities with your 3-8 grade learners.


Your learners may be surprised (and excited)  to learn that STEM is a part of football. Who knew you could use science and math skills to explore the magic behind a football. Whether your students are interested in how to grip a football, the best throw for a football, or a fun football-inspired music maker, there’s something for every student.



1. Football Throws & Stability : Football Science DIY Activity 

Learn the science behind a football throw with these low-prep and fun football science DIY activities.


Is science the secret ingredient to throwing a football? Learners get the opportunity to discover the science behind football throws and stability. 

•Grade Bands: 3-8
•Concept: Students get the chance to investigate how different football throwing grips and the resulting spin affect the distance and stability of the throw through a controlled experiment.
•Basic Supplies: Football, Paper & Pencil, Measuring tape, Outdoor space with room to throw, A grown-up to help measure and record
•Objective: Students get the chance to try different throws (experiments) to see if it affects the stability of the football. Distance and stability are variables that are tested.



2. Football Grip Test: Football Science DIY Activity 

Learn the different ways you can (and should) grip the ball for great plays. Check out these low-prep football science activities for 3-8 grade.

Is there a science behind gripping a football? Students get the chance to experiment and test how different substances affect a player’s hands when gripping a football. 


•Grade Bands: 3-8

•Concept: The core concept is friction and how it plays a part in a player’s grip on a football. 

•Basic Supplies: Football, Chalk, Water in Spray Bottle, Timer or Stopwatch, Soap or Lotion, Football Gloves (optional) 

•Objective: Learners can test different experiments to see which football grip test holds the most when it comes to gripping a football.


3. Sound Waves Vibration DIY Bugle: Football Science DIY Activity 

Are your learners ready for game day? Check out this music maker fit for any game day in football science activities for grades 3-5

Have you ever been to a football game where it is so loud that you can actually feel the vibration? Learners get the opportunity to learn more about the science behind vibrations and can create their own noisemaker for the next big game. 

•Grade Bands: 3-8 

•Concept: Vibrations create sound and travel through air as sound waves. Learners get the chance to make their own sound waves with a DIY instrument. 

•Basic Supplies: 1/2 inch PVC Pipe, Balloons, painters tape or electrical tape

•Objective: Students will understand that sound is produced by vibrations and that these vibrations travel through a medium as sound waves.


Try Football Science Activities to Boost Classroom Collaboration


Whether you’re looking to boost classroom collaboration, engagement, or curiosity, you’ve got a field goal  of science activities to keep your students exploring and learning.

For more DIY activities, check out Spin Art Force Challenge DIY Activity