Get an introduction to static with Becky at our Van de Graff generator.  Even though you can’t have quite the same hair raising experience at home, you can experiment with static electricity – a type of electricity that can be made by rubbing materials together. Here are a couple activities to try:

From the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago: Static Cling If you don’t have a balloon handy, try rubbing clear plastic from packaging or a container, try rubbing with different fabrics to see which works best.

For more advanced students here is a challenge from COSI using a spoon, salt & pepper.