Electric Song

The Electric Song is a short, catchy song about how electricity gets to our homes. It opens with a chant of "Zap zap zoom" that children can join in with right away, then follows the power as it travels.

The lyrics describe power flowing through wires, zooming fast like electric flyers. Then it moves through the grid and down the line until it reaches home, when it's "power time". The repeated lines and the chant make it easy for young children to learn and sing along. The idea behind it is simple: the electricity we use at home has to travel a long way through wires and the grid to get there.

This is a good starting point for teaching children about electricity and energy. After listening, you could ask: "Where do you think the power comes from before it reaches our house?" or "What things at home need electricity to work?"

For a follow-up activity, children could walk around the room or home and spot everything that uses power, such as lights, a kettle or a TV. They can then draw a line from a wire to each one. Another idea is to act out the song, with children as the power zooming along the line, then arriving home with a big "Zap zap zoom". It suits ages 3 to 7, and works for older children as a way into talking about energy.