Electricity
Year 4 · Science
Look closely, sort your discoveries and ask why things happen.
Choose a game
Take your time, try a game and collect stars.
Electrical conductors and insulators
Will a bulb light through a paper clip or a plastic ruler? A free Year 4 science game about electrical conductors and insulators, with a printable game and worksheet.
Play Electrical conductors and insulators
Learning about electricity
In this Year 4 science collection, you can practise Electrical conductors and insulators. Choose a game above for a short activity, or explore the examples below before you play. The full guide for each game explains its controls, gives more examples and includes a free printable for practice away from the screen.
Talk it through
Start with something you can observe. Ask your child to describe the evidence for a choice, then compare a second example. A game practises vocabulary and reasoning; practical observation and investigation matter too.
Ask: “What clue helped you decide?” Give your child time to explain. Return to an example after playing and ask whether they would approach it differently.
Electrical conductors and insulators
A conductor is a material that lets electricity flow through it. An insulator does not. In Year 4, children build simple circuits, put different materials into a gap in the circuit, and see whether a bulb lights. They learn to recognise some common conductors and insulators, and to link metals with being good conductors.
Try an example: Which of these is a good electrical conductor: a cork, a cotton sock, aluminium foil or a wooden spoon?
Only one of these is a metal. Aluminium is a metal.
Show the answer
Aluminium foil.
What to look out for
Thinking only magnetic metals conduct. Test a brass key or foil in a circuit: they are not magnetic but the bulb lights.
Practise away from the screen
- Look at a plug or charger together (unplugged). Point out the metal pins and the plastic case.
Curriculum connections
These games support selected practice connected to Electricity in the National Curriculum in England. Use your school’s sequence to decide when to introduce and revisit each skill. A game covers selected examples, rather than assessing every requirement.
Questions families ask
Where should we start with electricity?
Start with Electrical conductors and insulators. Look at the worked example together, then try a round. If the task feels unfamiliar, use the full game guide or its free printable before trying again.
Does this cover everything taught at this level?
No. This collection brings together the games currently available for this learning area. It supports selected skills and does not replace the full programme of study or practical teaching.