Exploring forces in the Early Years
By : Emma Jayne Morgan
Forces allow us to push , pull , twist and balance and affect all aspects of our daily life , for example when we open or close a door or get dressed . Children are using them , experimenting with them and relying on them during their play with very little thought of the reasons . By providing activities which actively explore forces , we can build on their own experiences and build up children ’ s scientific understanding . As forces are invisible , only their effects can be seen so this can make them difficult to understand , even for adults .
Forces can make things behave in the following ways and , although children in the early years do not necessarily need to know all the reasons and theories behind this , we can explore the concepts they bring up . Forces can make things :
• stay still or start to move . Objects stay still when forces remain the same in all directions or will move when the force is greater from one direction .
• speed up or slow down . Changing speed occurs when force pressure changes , for example pushing harder will move an object faster than pushing more lightly .
• change direction . When something is moving in a straight line the force needs to change on one side or the other to change direction , for example pushing or pulling the handle of a push chair to change the direction from side to side .
• change shape . Malleable objects will change shape when a force is applied to them . For example , squeezing is using a push and stretching is a pull .
Gravity is a unique force as it does not need direct contact to cause an effect . Earth ’ s gravity pulls things to hold them on the ground . This is happening at all times but we are usually unaware . Gravity will cause things to drop to the floor when released .
Another activity related to force is the use of simple machines which use levers , pulleys , wheels and ramps to make use of force for a purpose . These machines can increase , decrease or change the direction of forces .