Sharing Early Literacy Learning Journeys

It’s toy day and the children bring toys that move. They explore push and pull forces to move their toys in different ways like rolling, spinning, bouncing and jumping. They investigate how things roll – and what makes their toys roll.

The children play with their toys to explore what the toys can do.
In a circle, the children look at and talk about the toys.

We put hula hoops on the floor with labels inside: push and pull.
Each child decides whether s/he has to push or pull to make the toy move. 

Then, a suggestion: “We need another hoop for spin because E spins her hand top.”   And a question, “Will E’s hand top spin longer than F’s beyblade?”
What do you think?

Which will spin longer – a small hand top or a Beyblade? 

Spinning top


Other questions come thick and fast:
Do you push and/or pull the levers to make a remote-control truck go? 

A child pushes and pulls the levers for the remote control truck to go

Do toy cars and trucks go better on carpet, vinyl or cement? Why?

What happens to a toy car on a steep ramp? What happens if you change the slope of the ramp?

Why does a tennis ball bounce higher on vinyl rather than carpet or grass?

For most of these toys to go, do you push or pull?

Most of the toys here today move with a 'push'


 Please leave a comment.

What force do most of your children’s toys use?

What toys do your children like to play with?  Why?



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