Simple Machines
Simple Machines are things that make work easier. Your students will have so much fun exploring levers, pulleys, screws, inclined planes, and wedges.
Balance Challenge
Balance Challenge
As you teach your kids about simple machines and introduce them to levers, you can make an easy lever for them to explore with their whole bodies. Children love doing gross motor activities that incorporate the theme, and this one is simple to set up. Get a sturdy board, we used a shelf from our toy shelves, and added a block underneath. We asked the kids to take turns trying to balance on the board, and they had fun as they challenged their balancing skills.
Pulley Challenge
Pulley Challenge
We used a pulley from a hardware store and attached it with a strong rope to a hook that hangs over the door. Then we threaded a rope through and tied a water jug to the end. After we made sure the door was closed and locked so no one accidentally opened it mid pull, we instructed the children to try to lift the water over their heads. Most of them could lift the water, but only hold it for a second or 2 before needing it to come down. '
Then we asked them to use the pulley to bring it above their heads to show them that the purpose of a simple machine is just to make work easier. The kids talked about this one for a long time, and we repeat it every year during our Simple Machines Unit.
Simple Machines BINGO
Simple Machines BINGO
We love playing bingo during our lessons because it introduces children to new vocabulary and images and helps them differentiate between different pictures.
DIY Recycled Pulley
DIY Recycled Pulley
Using an empty soda bottle, a stick, an empty ribbon roll and some tape you can create a working pulley. Tape it to the table and the kids can explore how pulleys work in real life.
Lever Challenge
Lever Challenge
A lever is just a board with a fulcrum underneath to create a point where the board can move back and forth depending on the weight. Kids have so much fun trying this out in real life, and if you don’t have a see-saw at your playground, you can create a simple and safe one in your classroom.
Grab a sturdy board, just like in the balance challenge, and just have 2 kids stand on either side and instruct them to bend their knees as they stand to see how they shift up and down.
