Pushes and Pulls — A Fun Guide for Grade 3 (Forces & Motion)

Remember how we learned what a force is? Now we zoom in: the two most common forces you meet every day are pushes and pulls. These are tiny invisible helpers that make things move, stop, change direction, or squish. Let's meet them like old friends — but sillier.

What are pushes and pulls?

• Push: a force that moves an object away from you. Example: you push a toy car across the floor.
• Pull: a force that brings an object closer to you. Example: you pull a drawer open.

Micro explanation: A push or pull is just a type of force. In the lesson before this, you learned that a force is a push or pull that can change the motion of an object. Now we are naming the two shapes that force can wear: push and pull.

Why this matters (and why your socks care)

When you push or pull, you are helping objects start moving, stop, or change how they move. This matters because everything from opening a door to riding a bicycle uses pushes and pulls. Even in our States of Matter lessons we saw how heating water makes it move as steam — that movement can push things too, like when steam from a kettle nudges a lid.

Real-life examples kids will love

• Pushing a swing to make a friend fly through the air (not too high!)
• Pulling a wagon filled with toys
• Pushing a book across a table until it bumps your pencil
• Pulling a zipper up on your jacket
• Tug-of-war: a game that is basically a push-and-pull contest

Quick classroom demo (30 seconds)

1. Put a small toy car on a flat desk.
2. Gently push it and watch it roll. That was a push.
3. Now use a string to pull it back. That was a pull.

Ask: Which one made the car go away from you? Which made it come closer? Simple, right?

Pushes and pulls with a tiny experiment (safe, guided)

What you need: a toy car, a ramp (a thick book), a small block, and a sheet of paper.

Steps:

1. Make a ramp by tilting the book and placing the ramp at the edge of a table.
2. Put the toy car at the top. Let go. Gravity gives the car a push — it goes down the ramp.
3. Put the block at the bottom to stop it. The block applies a push that stops the car.
4. Try using the sheet of paper to pull the car: fold the paper into a little hook and gently pull. That is a pull.

Observation: Some forces are invisible (gravity pushes things down). Some are visible (your hand pushes). Things can be stopped, started, or turned by pushes and pulls.

Forces you might not notice: contact vs non-contact

• Contact forces: You touch the object to push or pull it (hand, stick, rope).
• Non-contact forces: No touch needed. Example: gravity pulls the ball toward Earth even without touching it. Magnetism pulls some metals from a distance.

Why it matters for grade 3: Kids often think everything must be touched to move. Showing gravity and magnets helps them see the hidden push or pull.

Pushes and pulls meet simple machines

Simple machines make pushes and pulls easier or change their direction. You already will learn about levers, pulleys, and ramps in the Forces, Motion, and Simple Machines unit. Here are quick links in your brain:

• Lever: When you push down on one end, the other end moves up — the lever changes the push into a helpful motion.
• Pulley: Pull a rope, and the pulley helps lift a bucket — you are pulling, but the pulley changes the pull direction so you can lift up.
• Inclined plane (ramp): Instead of pushing something straight up (hard!), pushing it up a ramp is easier.

Mini activity: Try to lift a heavy book straight up, then try to slide it up a ramp. Which felt easier? That is the ramp helping your push.

Why things sometimes don't move when you push or pull

• Friction: This is like tiny claws between surfaces that resist movement. If a carpet is super rough, your toy car might not move much when you push.
• Too small a force: If you push a heavy box with only a little strength, it might not budge.
• Balanced forces: If two people push in opposite directions with equal force, nothing moves.

Quick thought: In our States of Matter lessons we saw how syrup flows slowly because of how its particles stick together. That stickiness is like friction for flowing liquids — it slows movement just like friction slows a car.

Questions that spark curiosity (ask with a partner)

• If you blow on a paper boat, are you pushing or pulling it? (Answer: you are pushing with air.)
• Is gravity a push or a pull? (It is a pull toward Earth.)
• How does a magnet know whether to pull or push an object? (Magnets pull some metals; like poles can push each other away.)

These questions help students connect observation and reason — the heart of science.

Key takeaways (tuck these in your brain like a snack)

• Pushes and pulls are the two main kinds of forces you use every day.
• Contact forces require touching; non-contact forces like gravity do not.
• Simple machines help by changing how you push or pull or by making it easier.
• Friction and balanced forces can stop motion even when a push or pull happens.

This is the moment where the concept finally clicks: pushes and pulls are not magic — they are forces you can see, feel, and measure. They are everywhere, from opening a jar to the steam from a kettle nudging a lid (hello, link to States of Matter!).

Final tiny challenge (for home or class)

Play detective for 5 minutes: list 10 things in your home that are moving because of a push or a pull. Try to name who or what is doing the pushing or pulling. Bring your list and your favorite example to class — bonus points for the funniest example.

Thanks for reading. Go forth and push responsibly. Pull with care. Science loves you.