LearningToddlersPreschoolers15 Comments
A fun way to learn about simple machines for kids. And it was simple. This one is all about the pulley.
I’m not sure if the boys saw this in a show or not, but they were trying to make their own pulley around a door knob. But they just weren’t quite getting it.
What an opportunity and fun activity for us to do! We do science experiments often around here, but the other areas of science are often forgotten. So this was exciting!
We learned about pulleys!
I set up a pulley system in our stairway. Luckily, we have an open staircase. I’m sure there’s a place in your house that you could pull this off if you don’t. Otherwise the playground would have ample opportunities to make a pulley.
All I did was cut a long piece of ribbon and tie it to a bucket. We had the Easter baskets out, so that’s what we used.
I threaded the ribbon through out railing and tied the other end off around one of the posts just so the ribbon wouldn’t fall through. I cut it plenty long for leeway.
Then the boys spent the afternoon transferring objects back and forth to each other up and down the stairs.
There were even times when only one boy was playing and would load up the bucket, head up the stairs, pull the bucket up and unload it…. drop the bucket and head back downstairs to load it again. It was quite funny to watch.
They loaded and unloaded both ways. Stuff to go upstairs and stuff to go down.
Oh what simple entertainment it was. And they learned about a simple machine in the process and how a simple machine like a pulley can make things easier to move from one place to another. But they didn’t care if it was easier or not. They thought it was great just doing it!
Now… to learn about other simple machines for the kids…
What are some basic simple machines?
The lever. A wedge. The wheel. Ramps. What else is there? I think we’ll be having a series of simple machines activities!
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Oldmanras says
I am sorry, but it is not clear how this teaches anything about pulleys. A pulley is a wheel with a groove through which a rope (or ribbon in your case) is pulled. It is the wheel that gives the pulley it’s power. From your description and photos all you seem to have is a bucket on a string. Where is the pulley? Sorry for being negative, but I feel that we have to teach the right ideas. Use terms correctly; your kids will thank you in the future.
Janelle says
Thanks for this post! I just wrote a full post on teaching simple machines and pulleys to kids, and I linked to this post as an example of how easy it can be to rig “pulley action” on any open staircase.
Janelle Durham says
Just a note that I moved this post from my Good Days blog to my Inventors of Tomorrow blog
Rohan says
Your trolley design is ingenious. Based on your description and picture.
Rohan
Treesa Szym says
Love this
Jamie Reimer says
Thanks Treesa!
Brenna says
My preschool students learned about a pulley and loved it
Cara says
Sid the science kid has some awesome simple machine shows. My son,3, came up to me and asked for an axel, string, and a bucket and it took weeks to figure out where it came from. Then he started telling me about incline plane. …it’s a great starting point for experiments. We just made a lever with a block and a shovel like Sid. He adores it!
Dodie says
This is genius! I love doing science activities with my kiddos! They loose interest fairly quickly, but if we could do this one, I am sure it would keep them entertained. I am thinking of doing a horizontal pulley system, since we can’t do vertical. I am excited to see what other kinds of machines you come up with! My son loves to know how things work, but I am out of ideas. :(
Jamie Reimer says
Thanks Dodie! How old are they? I often don’t expect my kids to stick with an activity for too long.
Erin- The Usual Mayhem says
Great activity!
For levers, you can use blocks and move the object to be moved on the lever (held on with an elastic band) as well as the lever’s location on the fulcrum.
With screws, we started a few in a piece of scrap wood and my then-3 year year old sat at our feet for hours, screwing and unscrewing them. He’s now, at 5, the go-to guy for things that need tightening.
Another example you could use would be a lamp base, not plugged in, and an old light bulb. It’s a great ilustration of a use for the screw.
Jamie Reimer says
Love that idea for levers. We’ll have to try it. And so awesome that your boy would screw for hours! Love that idea for busy pay. I might have to make a board myself.
anndenee says
There are 5 simple machines — wheel & axle, pulley, screw, lever, and inclined plane.
Jamie Reimer says
Thanks!