Contact and non-contact forces

Start with something students can look at or think about: a photo, a short video, a jar on the windowsill, or a question like "what do you already know about contact and non-contact forces?" Then let them work through it independently, using a partner or small group only if they want to talk through their thinking, keeping a word bank or anchor chart in view so the vocabulary stays available. When you review, ask students how they knew, and let them point to the part of the diagram or reading that told them. These contact and non-contact forces worksheets work well as a lead in before an investigation, as a way to capture what students noticed afterward, or as review before an assessment.

These contact and non-contact forces worksheets for 3rd grade give students a clear, visual way to work through one of the big ideas in electricity and magnetism. Students label diagrams, sort and classify examples, read short explanations, and answer questions that ask them to say why, not just what. Each page keeps the science vocabulary front and center so students leave with the words they need to talk about contact and non-contact forces accurately. Working through contact and non-contact forces on paper gives 3rd grade students something concrete to hold onto before, during, or after the hands on part of a lesson.

Yes, both. We made it for 3rd Grade electricity and magnetism, and the page works the same whether it lands on a kitchen table or a center rotation. At home, most families go through it together and talk the answers out loud, and that talking is where most of the learning happens with contact and non-contact forces. In class it runs well as independent work while you pull a small group. Print one copy or thirty, whichever the day needs.

This topic teaches students that not all forces require objects to touch, gravity pulls a falling apple even before it hits the ground, and magnets attract metal objects across a gap. Third graders sort familiar forces into contact and non-contact categories, identify examples in everyday life, and explain the key difference between the two types. The concept provides an important organizing framework for all force and motion learning in Grade 3 and beyond.

Contact and non-contact forces is typically introduced early in the Grade 3 forces and motion unit as a foundational organizing concept. At ages 8-9, students benefit from having a clear category structure before they dive into specific forces like gravity, friction, and magnetism. Understanding this distinction makes it easier to analyze new force examples they encounter throughout the year.

Ask your child to walk through a room and find five examples of forces in action, then classify each as contact or non-contact using the worksheet vocabulary. The sorting and classification activities are straightforward enough for independent practice, while the open-response questions benefit from a brief conversation first. Making the connection to real experiences your child has every day, opening a door, picking up a toy, grounds the science in something concrete and familiar.

3 printable worksheets, all free to preview. Downloads are included with a ClassWeekly free trial, and every page prints on standard 8.5 x 11 paper.

These are written for 3rd Grade students, roughly ages 8-9. Many teachers also use them a grade up for review or a grade down as an extension, so use the preview to judge the fit for a particular child.

Yes. Each one shows the NGSS code it covers on its own page, so you can check the alignment yourself rather than taking our word for it.

Yes. Nothing here assumes a classroom of 25, so they work the same one-to-one at the kitchen table as they do in a 3rd Grade classroom, a literacy centre, or a tutoring session.