A force is a push or a pull. Forces make things start moving, stop, speed up, slow down or change direction. Magnets are special because they can pull some metals without touching them.
What your child will learn
- Describe forces as pushes and pulls
- Explain how friction slows things down
- Know which materials are magnetic
- Know that like poles repel and opposite poles attract
Attract and repel
Every magnet has a north pole and a south pole. Opposite poles (north and south) attract — they pull together. Like poles (north and north) repel — they push apart. Magnets attract iron and steel, but not all metals: aluminium cans and copper coins are not magnetic.
Example questions
Here are a few questions like the ones in the first quest. Can you solve them?
1. Opening a drawer is a…
- push
- jump
- twist
- pull
Show answer
Answer: pull. You pull a drawer towards you.
2. What slows a box sliding across the carpet?
- Friction
- Light
- Sound
- Magnetism
Show answer
Answer: Friction. Friction is a force between surfaces that slows things down.
3. Which object would a magnet attract?
🧲- An iron nail
- A plastic spoon
- A wooden block
- A rubber
Show answer
Answer: An iron nail. Magnets attract iron and steel.
Tips for grown-ups
- Test objects around the house with a fridge magnet — which ones stick?
- Roll a toy car down a ramp onto carpet, then onto a smooth floor. Which goes further?