Let's Make a Homemade Balance Scale to Weigh Chickens

This is the first of five farm-themed STEM activities. Today’s activity invites your children to create a homemade balance scale using a plastic hanger and some supplies you probably have at home. Then they can use their homemade balance scale to weigh plastic chickens. You will find the directions for building the scale below. There is also a link to the printable building and recording printables your children will need for this activity.

Let’s Start with Making the Homemade Balance Scale

I will walk you through how to make the scale below. You will also find a set of directions on how to build the scale by clicking on the link in the activity section below.

Supplies Needed

Plastic Coat Hanger
Yarn
Plastic Applesauce Cups
Hole Punch

Making the Balance Scale

You will need to punch a hole on opposite sides of each of your applesauce cups with the hole punch.

Then you will need to cut on two pieces of yarn. They will need to be about 2 feet in length.

Next, you will need to thread one end of a piece of yarn through one of the holes in the applesauce cup. Then you will tie the end of the yarn to the yarn on the outside of the cup. Next, you will thread the other end of the yarn through the other hole. Finally, you will tie it in place.

Finally, you will need to hang the center of the yarn attached to each cup over the top of the hanger.

Weighing Chickens Activity

You will need to gather popcorn kernels, a plastic hen and a plastic rooster for this activity. You will also need to download the How to make a homemade balance scale

Then your children can make predictions as to how much they think the hen and rooster will weigh. They can record their predictions of the scale activity printable.

Next, they will weigh each of the chickens on their own and together. Children will then record how much they weighed on their own and together.