🔬 Push and Pull Around the House

Empujar y jalar por la casa

🔬 Science K-PS2-1SL.K.1
🖨️ Print

Objective: Child explores pushes and pulls, observes that a bigger push or pull makes things move faster or farther, and names the forces in Spanish.

⏱️ ~30 min 🧺 2 min setup · movement· building

🧺 Materials

  • a toy car or rolling toy
  • a soft ball
  • a box or laundry basket
  • a length of open floor

📋 Instructions (parent)

  1. Clear a stretch of floor and set out a toy car, a ball, and a box.
  2. Show a gentle push and a strong push on the car; notice which goes farther.
  3. Have your child push and pull the box, saying 'empujo' and 'jalo' as they go.
  4. Roll the ball slowly, then give it a big push and watch the speed change.
  5. Try changing direction: push the car so it turns or stops with your hand.
  6. Talk about which things were easy to move and which were heavy.

➕ Extension ideas

  • Build a ramp with a book and roll the car down to see a push from gravity.
  • Have a gentle tug game pulling a towel together and talk about pulling.

🗣️ Parent script — say it in Spanish

Español
Cuando empujamos algo, lo alejamos de nosotros. Cuando jalamos, lo traemos hacia nosotros. ¡Vamos a empujar y jalar cosas para ver cómo se mueven! ¿Qué pasa si empujas muy fuerte?

💬 Conversation prompts

  • ¿Estás empujando o jalando?
  • ¿Qué pasa si empujas más fuerte?
  • ¿Cuál se movió más lejos?
  • ¿Esto es fácil o difícil de mover?
  • ¿Puedes hacer que el carro se detenga?

🔑 Vocabulary

  • empujar — to push
  • jalar — to pull
  • mover — to move
  • rápido — fast
  • lento — slow
  • fuerte — strong
  • lejos — far

Other ways to do it

⚡ 5-minute version

Push a toy car softly, then hard, and say which went farther in Spanish.

🚗 Car version

Talk about how the seatbelt pulls you and the car pushes you forward at green lights.

😴 No-energy version

Sit and slide a pillow back and forth, naming 'empujo' and 'jalo' each turn.

🎯 California standards covered

K-PS2-1 Pushes & Pulls
“I can push and pull things to see how they move.”
SL.K.1 Taking Part in Conversations
“I can take turns talking and listening when I have a conversation.”
🔄 Replace with alternatives