Push and Pull
Here's What To Do
Gather a laundry basket/cardboard box and objects of different weights to put inside (books, cans, water bottles, toys, shoes, etc.).
Ask your child if they think the basket will be easy or hard to push. What about if they add different things inside?
Test your child’s predictions by pushing the empty basket. Then, add different objects and invite your child to push the basket.
Ask them to observe which objects were easier or harder to push in the basket. Were their predictions correct?
Put PEER Into Action
Pause:
- Stand together in front of a mirror and “show your strong muscles” in the mirror.
Engage:
- “Do you think this laundry basket will be easy or hard to push? What about if we put 1 book in it? What about if we put 5 books in it?”
- “What happened when you tried to push the full basket?”
Encourage:
- Encourage your child to try different combinations of objects in the basket.
- Prompt your child to use descriptive words like faster/slower, heavier/lighter, easier/harder.
Reflect:
- Prompt your child to make conclusions by asking questions like: “Why do you think you couldn’t move the box when all the books were inside?”
Not quite ready?
If it’s difficult for your child to predict or describe outcomes, model using comparison words for them. Example: “When I added another can, the basket got heavier, and it moved more slowly.”
Ready for more?
Repeat the experiment with 2 different boxes/baskets. Fill them with different items, and ask your child to guess which will be heavier and harder to move, then test your predictions!
As your child masters this skill...
They will begin to understand the relationship between weight of objects and the force needed to move them.