Electricity for kids, KS1 & KS2 Science Homework help

A parent's guide to learning about electricity in Primary School

Electricity is an important part of the Primary Science curriculum and helps children understand how many everyday devices work. From switching on a light to building simple circuits, children gradually develop their knowledge of electricity as they move through school.

This guide explains what children are expected to learn about electricity at each stage of Primary School, in line with the UK National Curriculum, and how this learning progresses from simple awareness to scientific explanation.

Year 1 & 2 (Key Stage 1): Introducing electricity safely

Electricity is not a statutory topic in Years 1 and 2, but many schools introduce it informally to build awareness and promote safety. At this stage, learning is observational and discussion-based rather than practical circuit building.

Children learn:

What electricity is and that it is a type of energy.
That electricity helps many everyday objects work.
That electrical devices need power to work.
The difference between mains electricity and batteries.
How to recognise objects that use electricity and those that do not.
Simple rules for staying safe around electricity.

The focus is on:

recognising electricity in daily life.
using correct vocabulary.
understanding safety rules.

This early learning prepares children for more detailed work with electricity later on.

Go to our Electricity Year 1 & 2 page.

Year 3 & 4 (Key Stage 2): Building and understanding circuits

Electricity becomes a statutory topic in Year 4. Children begin to explore electricity through hands-on investigations and simple circuits.

Children learn to:

Identify common appliances that run on electricity
Understand what a simple electrical circuit is
Build a series circuit using cells, wires, bulbs, buzzers and switches
Recognise that electricity needs a complete loop to work
Use switches to open and close circuits
Explain why a circuit does or does not work
Identify conductors and insulators and group materials based on their properties

Children also begin to:

make predictions
test ideas
solve problems when circuits do not work

This stage focuses on understanding how electricity flows and how different components work together.

Go to our Electricity Year 3 & 4 page.

Year 5 & 6 (Key Stage 2): Explaining and comparing circuits

In Years 5 and 6, children deepen their understanding of electricity and begin to explain why circuits behave in certain ways.

Children learn to:

Understand voltage as the strength of the electrical push
Investigate how the number and voltage of cells affect a circuit
Explain changes in brightness of bulbs and loudness of buzzers
Compare circuits and give reasons for differences in performance
Use switches to control circuits safely
Draw and interpret circuit diagrams using recognised symbols

Children are expected to:

plan and carry out fair tests
explain results using scientific language
apply knowledge to real-life situations

By the end of Year 6, children should be confident in building, explaining and representing simple electrical circuits, preparing them well for secondary science.

Go to our Electricity Year 5 & 6 page.

How parents can support learning at home

You don’t need specialist equipment to support learning about electricity. Helpful ways to support your child include:

Talking about which objects use electricity and where the power comes from
Encouraging safe discussions about plugs, switches and batteries
Asking children to explain how a simple circuit works
Using age-appropriate kits or supervised activities

Most importantly, encourage curiosity and careful thinking while always following safety rules.

Electricity helps children understand the technology-filled world around them. At Super Brainy Beans, we support this learning step by step, making electricity clear, safe and engaging for every child.