Watchly Safety Review

Rock Skip Robot- The Science of Perfect Rock Skipping

9:22 · 24.9M views · July 31, 2018

Safe for Most KidsReviewed June 2026

1No Issues

This rock-skipping science video is an excellent watch for kids of all ages, blending outdoor fun with genuine STEM learning in a family-friendly setting. The creator works alongside his nieces and nephews to build a robot, run experiments, and apply the engineering design process — making it one of the more substantive and wholesome science videos available for young viewers. There are zero content concerns here; the only 'violence' flag is a negligible 0.05 for the playful, competitive nature of the activity itself.

Content Breakdown · 1 Category

Playful & Fantasy ViolenceNot present

The competitive spirit between the creator and his nieces/nephews is entirely lighthearted; the only marginal note is a competitive framing ('dominate the competition') in the egg-drop advice, which is clearly playful and not violent in any meaningful sense.

See evidence (1)

“'go back and build your final version with some confidence that you're gonna dominate the competition' — clearly playful competitive language”

What Parents Need to Know

This video is a genuinely educational and safe watch for children. It teaches the real engineering design process — research, prototyping, sensitivity analysis, and final build — using the relatable and fun activity of rock skipping. Kids learn physics concepts like angular momentum, potential energy, and Newton's first law, all explained clearly and without jargon. The creator involves his actual nieces and nephews throughout, modeling positive family interaction and collaborative problem-solving. There is no advertising, no inappropriate language, no violence, and no manipulative content of any kind. Parents can feel confident leaving kids to watch this independently, and it may even inspire hands-on experimentation outdoors.

Talk to Your Kids About

1What are the four steps of the engineering design process the creator used, and can you think of a problem at home or school where you could use those same steps?
2Why does spinning the rock help it skip more times? Can you think of other spinning things that stay stable because they're spinning?
3The creator said he assumed throwing low and flat was best, but the science proved him wrong. Can you think of a time you were surprised by what the answer to a question turned out to be?
4If you were going to design your own experiment to test something outdoors, what would you test and how would you make sure your results were fair?

Rock Skip Robot- The Science of Perfect Rock Skipping

Protected Viewing

What's This Video About?

Shout out to Skippa the robot for her help on this one. MUSIC- 0:11- Cereal Killa- Blue Wednesday - https://soundcloud.com/bluewednesday/ 0:35- Pokemon in NYC- Andrew Applepie- http://andrewapplepie.com/ 1:14- Danijel Zambo- Moutain King- https://soundcloud.com/danijel-zambo 2:54- Faidherbe Square- ProleteR- https://soundcloud.com/proleter-beatmaker 3:35- Berlin- Andrew Applepie- http://andrewapplepie.com/ 4:44- Arrow- Andrew Applepie- http://andrewapplepie.com/ 8:13- Q- Blue Wednesday - https://soundcloud.com/bluewednesday/ 10:00- Too Happy to be cool by Notebreak- https://soundcloud.com/notebreak/dubstep-too-happy-to-be-cool Summary: I built a rock skipping robot with the help of my nieces and nephews to understand the perfect way to skip a rock. In the end we learned that 4 things matter most: 1) Rock angle of 20 degrees 2) Rock PATH angle of 20 degrees 3) Spin the rock as much as possible 4) Choose a rock that is flat on the bottom and as heavy as possible for you to still get to your max arm speed. MERCH- They are soft- https://teespring.com/stores/markrober PLEASE CONSIDER SUBSCRIBING: http://tinyurl.com/MarkRober-Sub **************************************** I make videos like this once a month all year long while supplies last: CHECK OUT MY CHANNEL: http://tinyurl.com/MarkRober-YouTube FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/MarkRoberYouTube TWITTER: https://twitter.com/#!/MarkRober INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/markrober/

Frequently Asked Questions

What age is this video appropriate for?

This video is suitable for children as young as 5, as the activity and visuals are easy to follow and there is no concerning content whatsoever. Older kids aged 8 and up will get the most out of the science and engineering concepts explained throughout.

Is there anything inappropriate in this video for kids?

No — the video scored zero across all content concern categories. It contains no bad language, no violence, no advertising, and no inappropriate themes of any kind.

Is this video actually educational, or just entertaining?

It is genuinely both. The video accurately explains physics concepts like angular momentum and potential energy, and walks through a real engineering design methodology that is used in professional settings. It's the kind of content that could complement a school science or engineering unit.

Does the video include any sponsored content or advertising?

No sponsored content or hidden advertising was detected in this video. The creator does not promote any products or brands throughout the video.

Will this video inspire kids to try something potentially dangerous outside?

Rock skipping is a low-risk outdoor activity suitable for children of all ages with basic adult supervision near water. The video encourages thoughtful experimentation rather than reckless behavior, and the creator models safe, structured testing throughout.

What will my child learn from watching this video?

Children will learn the basics of the engineering design process, key physics concepts like angular momentum and potential energy, and practical tips for improving their own rock-skipping technique. The video also models curiosity, persistence, and the value of testing ideas before jumping to conclusions.