Ask Ollie
Hanger Balance Scale
Here's one to try together!
Build a real balance scale from a coat hanger and find out how many paper clips your treasures weigh!
Reviewed by our team.
Safety first
- pencil or hole punch used to make holes can be sharp or pinch fingers
- paper clips are small parts and could be a choking hazard for young children
- hanger hook can be sharp or poke
- small objects being weighed may be choking hazards
What you need
- Small waterproof toys (not for under 3s), 5 small objects to weigh
- Coat hanger, 1
- Clear cups, 2 paper cups
- String, 60 cm (24 in), cut into 2 pieces
- Hole punch, 1 (or a pencil)
- Paper clips, about 40
- Plate or tray, 1 small bowl or plate for the clips
- Paper, 1 sheet for clip counts
- Pencil, 1
How to do it
Grown-up prep: Choose a sturdy door handle or hook where the hanger can swing freely. Check that the hanger's hook is not sharp and bend any pointy end safely.
- Hang the coat hanger from a door handle or hook.
- Punch two holes near the rim of each paper cup.
- Tie a string through the two holes of each cup.
- Hang one cup from each end of the hanger.
- Slide the cups along the hanger until it hangs level when empty. Ask: Why do you think the hanger needs to hang level before we weigh anything?
- Put your first object in one cup.
- Add paper clips to the other cup until the hanger balances. Ask: How many paper clips do you think it will take?
- Count the clips, then weigh your other four objects the same way.
- Line up the objects from lightest to heaviest.
- Now weigh more things! Which treasure in your home will be the heaviest? Ask: What will you weigh next, and how many clips do you guess it needs?
Play it again
- Mystery bag: a friend picks a hidden object, you weigh it and guess what it is.
- Guess first: write a clip guess for each object before weighing, and score the closest guess.
- Heavier hunt: find two things that balance exactly with each other.
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