Today is rung 1 of 6 on this topic
Pushes, pulls, and what things are made of
Can do: Describes a movement as a push or a pull, and sorts materials as hard, soft, bendy, or see-through.
Why it matters
Force and material vocabulary is where physics starts, and it makes a child's descriptions ten times more precise.
What it looks like when it's wobbly
Everything is "I moved it" with no direction, and materials are described only by colour.
⏱️ Two-minute check
"Open the door. Was that a push or a pull? What's the door made of?"
Solid looks like: The right force word and a material word — wood, metal, plastic, glass.
The full activity for this topic · 10 minutes
Push, Pull, Ramp
- 1Go round the house naming pushes and pulls — a zip, a drawer, a switch, a swing.
- 2Set up a ramp with one book under it and roll the car. Mark where it stops.
- 3Raise it to three books. Predict first, then roll and mark.
- 4Ask why the steeper ramp sent it further.
- 5Try the car on carpet versus a hard floor and name the difference — that's friction, and you can use the word.
If it's too hard
Just push and pull things and name each one as you go.
If it's too easy
Measure the distances in blocks and put the results in order.
Say this
"Was that a push or a pull? What do you think happens if we make it steeper?"