Preschool - Science

Push and Pull Preschool Worksheet

6 printable versions - On Level - About 4 minutes each

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Push and Pull

Preschool - Science - On Level

Worksheet 1

  1. What is the child doing to the cart?

    Read aloud: Look at where the arrow starts and where it ends. Point to the picture that shows what the child is doing to the cart.

    A child and a cart with an arrow.A child stands on the right side of a cart. An arrow points right.

  2. What is the child doing to the swing?

    Read aloud: Look at where the arrow starts and where it ends. Point to the picture that shows what the child is doing to the swing.

    A child and a swing with an arrow.A child stands on the left side of a swing. An arrow points right.

  3. What is the child doing to the box?

    Read aloud: Look at where the arrow starts and where it ends. Point to the picture that shows what the child is doing to the box.

    A child and a box with an arrow.A child stands on the right side of a box. An arrow points right.

  4. What is the child doing to the door?

    Read aloud: Look at where the arrow starts and where it ends. Point to the picture that shows what the child is doing to the door.

    A child and a door with an arrow.A child stands on the left side of a door. An arrow points left.

  5. What is the child doing to the wagon?

    Read aloud: Look at where the arrow starts and where it ends. Point to the picture that shows what the child is doing to the wagon.

    A child and a wagon with an arrow.A child stands on the right side of a wagon. An arrow points left.

  6. What is the child doing to the drawer?

    Read aloud: Look at where the arrow starts and where it ends. Point to the picture that shows what the child is doing to the drawer.

    A child and a drawer with an arrow.A child stands on the left side of a drawer. An arrow points right.
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About this worksheet

A push and a pull are the two forces a preschooler already uses a hundred times a day, and telling them apart comes down to one question: is the thing going away from you, or coming toward you? Each picture on this page shows a child beside something familiar — a wagon, a door, a drawer, a swing, a box, a cart — with an arrow showing which way it moves. Your child answers by pointing at a picture of a push or a pull, so the words never have to be read. The stretch level turns the question around and asks what the child in the picture would have to do to make the object go the other way, which cannot be answered by copying the arrow. Act every question out afterwards with a real box or a real drawer, because a force is something you feel in your arms before it is something you can name.

What your child will learn

  • Read an arrow as showing which way an object moves
  • Call it a push when the object moves away from the child
  • Call it a pull when the object moves toward the child
  • Work out what to do to make an object move the other way

Worked example

The picture shows a child beside a box with the arrow pointing away from them. Away from you is a push, so your child points to the picture of the push.

Common mistake

Calling every hard effort a push, especially when both hands are used, without checking which way the arrow goes.

Helpful hint

Put a finger on the child in the picture and follow the arrow: away is a push, toward is a pull.

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Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with push and pull?
Calling every hard effort a push, especially when both hands are used, without checking which way the arrow goes.
How can I help my child with push and pull?
Put a finger on the child in the picture and follow the arrow: away is a push, toward is a pull.
Are these preschool science worksheets free to print?
Yes. All 6 printable versions on this page are free to download and print, with no account needed.

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