What makes it go?

Ages 3 to 5 Read and do together · about 15 minutes

Read together

A ball rolls when you push it. A swing goes when you pull it.

A push or a pull makes things go.

Do it

1. Roll a ball and push a toy car. Say “push!”.
2. Pull a wagon or a toy on a string. Say “pull!”.
3. Try a soft push and a hard push. Which goes further?
4. Find five things at home that move because of a push or pull.

Talk about it

• Is it a push or a pull?
• What happens with a harder push?

For the grown-up

Pushes and pulls are forces. A bigger force makes a bigger change in motion. Use light toys and a clear floor.

Mark as done

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Where this comes from

• NGSS Lead States, Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States (National Academies Press, 2013), performance expectation K-PS2-1 (pushes and pulls)
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Beginner's Guide to Aeronautics pages on forces

Written with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed. Please read it before sharing it with a child.