Electricity

Have you ever rubbed a balloon on your hair and watched it stand all the way up? Zip. Zap. That tickly, funny feeling is me. I am a secret power hiding all around you. When a big storm comes, I love to dance in the sky. I make a big, bright flash of light that zips from the clouds to the ground. FLASH. I am a zippy, zappy secret. I can be very tiny, like the spark you see when you touch a doorknob, or I can be super big, like a bolt of lightning. I love to play hide-and-seek. I am everywhere.

People started to say hello to me a long, long, long time ago. A man named Thales was rubbing a pretty yellow stone called amber. When he did, little feathers nearby started to dance. They jumped right up and stuck to the stone. He didn't know it, but that was me playing with him. He was the first person to write down my secret. Many years later, a very brave and smart man named Benjamin Franklin wanted to prove that I was the same power in the sky. He flew a kite with a little key on the string during a big thunderstorm. He showed everyone that the lightning in the clouds was the very same zappy secret that made the feathers jump. He was so excited to finally understand me.

So, what is my name? Are you ready to hear it? I am Electricity. I travel through long wires to get to your house. When you flip a switch, I wake up and make the lights glow so you can read your bedtime stories. I work inside the refrigerator to keep your snacks and juice cold and yummy. When you want to watch cartoons, I power the TV screen. I am so happy that I get to help you play and learn every single day. I help make your whole world glow with light and fun. I am your friend, Electricity.