Activities which investigate forces
• Investigating play dough/clay: provides opportunities to
push, pull and change shapes using their hands or simple
machines. Support investigation by using appropriate
vocabulary (push, pull, twist, squeeze etc.), role modeling
actions and ways to use the resources while asking open
ended questions such as ‘What happens when ….?’.
• Ball play: provides opportunities to explore
gravity, staying still, changing direction and
speed. Plan activities which include dropping,
throwing, catching balls, using different
angles of ramps, different types of balls, etc.
to explore the changes these features make
to force.
• Digging and lifting sand: allows children to explore forces
of pulling and pushing in a real-life context, putting the
concept of force in a relevant way. Talk about using
different sized tools, levers and other simple machines to
see how the application or removal of force alters the
effect on the sand.
• Riding bikes: provides opportunities to explore a
simple machine which children are very familiar
with and how the force they exert using their
hands and feet allows them to move, change
direction, stop, etc.