15 Creative Push and Pull STEM Activities for Kindergarten

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Understanding the Basics: What Are Pushes and Pulls?
3. Outdoor Push and Pull STEM Activities for Kindergarten
4. Kitchen Science: Exploring Forces Through Food
5. Creative Physics: Art-Based Push and Pull Activities
6. Ramps, Friction, and Gravity: Building a Home Physics Lab
7. Invisible Forces: Magnets and Gravity
8. Developing the Scientific Mindset in Kindergarten
9. Literacy Connections: Books About Motion
10. Transitioning from Play to Observation
11. Conclusion
12. FAQ

Introduction

Getting a five-year-old to sit still for a formal science lesson can often feel like a feat of physics itself. We have all been there—trying to explain a concept while a child is more interested in how fast their toy car can zoom across the kitchen floor or how high they can stack their blocks before they tumble. However, that very movement is the ultimate classroom. When your child pushes a heavy door open or pulls a wagon full of stuffed animals, they are already practicing the fundamentals of physics without even realizing it.

At I'm the Chef Too!, we believe the best learning happens through "edutainment." This is our philosophy of blending education and entertainment to spark curiosity away from screens. By bringing STEM concepts into the kitchen, the backyard, and the playroom, we make abstract ideas like force and motion feel tangible, exciting, and even delicious. This guide explores a variety of push and pull STEM activities for kindergarten that turn simple play into meaningful scientific investigations. For more ideas, explore these push and pull STEM activities for young learners.

Through these hands-on experiences, we can help children build the confidence to ask "why" and "how" the world works. Whether you are a parent looking for weekend inspiration or an educator planning a classroom unit, these activities provide the perfect foundation for a lifelong love of science. Our goal is to show that physics is not just a subject in a textbook—it is the energy in our hands and the motion in our daily lives.

Understanding the Basics: What Are Pushes and Pulls?

Before diving into the activities, it helps to have a simple way to explain these concepts to a young learner. To a kindergartner, "physics" might sound like a big, intimidating word. However, "push" and "pull" are already part of their everyday vocabulary.

Force is simply a push or a pull. It is the invisible energy that makes things start moving, stop moving, or change direction. When we push something, we are moving it away from us. When we pull something, we are bringing it closer to us. In kindergarten, the primary goal is to help children notice two things: the direction of the force (where it is going) and the strength of the force (how hard or soft the action is).

Quick Answer: Push and pull activities teach kindergarteners about force and motion. A push moves an object away, while a pull brings it closer. By experimenting with different strengths and directions, children learn how to control the speed and path of objects.

Kindergarten is the perfect age to introduce these ideas. Children at this stage are naturally inquisitive. They are constantly testing physical boundaries by climbing, jumping, and throwing. Their motor skills are also developing rapidly. Engaging in physical science activities helps them refine both gross motor strength and fine motor precision.

Outdoor Push and Pull STEM Activities for Kindergarten

The outdoors is the ultimate physics laboratory. With more space to move, kindergarteners can experiment with larger forces and greater distances. These activities use whole-body movement to make the concept of force unmistakable.

The Great Laundry Basket Race

This high-energy activity uses items you likely already have at home or in the classroom. You will need two laundry baskets and some "cargo," such as heavy books, blocks, or stuffed animals.

Step 1: Set a start and finish line.
Use sidewalk chalk on a driveway or cones in the grass to mark a clear path for the race.

Step 2: Practice the pull.
Tie a sturdy rope to the handle of one basket. Have the child pull the basket from the start line to the finish line.

Step 3: Practice the push.
Have the child get behind the second basket and push it across the finish line using their hands.

Step 4: Compare and contrast.
Ask your child which felt easier: pushing or pulling? Does adding more "cargo" to the basket make it harder to move? This introduces the idea that the mass of an object changes the amount of force required to move it.

Tug-of-War: Balanced and Unbalanced Forces

Tug-of-war is a classic game that perfectly demonstrates how forces interact. When two children pull on opposite ends of a rope with the same amount of strength, the rope stays in the middle. We call this a balanced force.

When one person pulls harder, the rope moves toward them. This is an unbalanced force. To make this safer for younger children, you can use a soft pool noodle instead of a heavy rope. Have them stand on "lily pads" (carpet squares or hula hoops) and see if they can pull their partner off their spot without losing their own balance.

Playground Physics: Swings and Slides

The local park is filled with examples of force and motion. You can turn a simple trip to the playground into a guided science observation.

• The Swing: To get the swing moving, you must first pull it back. Then, a push forward creates height and speed. Talk about how a "stronger push" makes the swing go higher.
• The Slide: While gravity is the primary "pull" toward the Earth, we often need a small "push" at the top of the slide to overcome friction and get started.

Key Takeaway: Outdoor play allows children to use their entire bodies to feel the difference between strong and weak forces. Interacting with large, heavy objects makes the abstract concept of "force" a physical reality.

Kitchen Science: Exploring Forces Through Food

The kitchen is a place where chemistry, physics, and art collide. Many of our kits at I'm the Chef Too! use these concepts to create memorable experiences that children can actually taste. Families can also explore our full kit collection for structured, hands-on adventures.

The Science of Dough

Making bread or pizza dough is a masterclass in push and pull. Kneading dough is a repetitive physical process that changes the structure of the ingredients.

• The Push: Have your child use the heels of their hands to push the dough away from them on the counter.
• The Pull: After pushing the dough out, they must pull the far edge back toward them to fold it over.

This repetitive motion develops gluten, which is the protein that gives bread its structure. As the child works, they can feel the dough change from a sticky, loose mess into a firm, elastic ball. This is a direct result of the force they are applying. In our Wild Turtle Whoopie Pies kit, children use similar motions to create their treats, learning how their own strength can transform ingredients.

Whisking, Mixing, and Resistance

Mixing different ingredients provides a lesson in resistance. This is a type of force that "fights" against motion.

Step 1: Set up two bowls.
Fill one bowl with water and the other with a thick substance like oatmeal, mud, or heavy cream.

Step 2: Use a whisk or spoon.
Have the child move the whisk through the water. It should feel easy and require very little force.

Step 3: Move to the thicker bowl.
Ask them to whisk the thicker substance. They will notice they have to push and pull much harder to get the whisk to move.

Step 4: Discuss viscosity.
Explain that some things are "thicker" and harder to move through. This helps them understand that the medium an object is in affects how much force is needed to create motion. You can extend the lesson with these hands-on force and motion activities.

Myth: STEM is only for older kids or requires expensive lab equipment.
Fact: Every time a child kneads dough or stirs a thick batter, they are conducting a physics experiment on force and resistance.

Creative Physics: Art-Based Push and Pull Activities

For children who love to create, integrating art into STEM (often called STEAM) is a wonderful way to keep them engaged. Art allows children to visualize the "path" of a force.

Straw Blow Painting

This activity focuses on pushing air to move a liquid. Even though we cannot see air, it still occupies space and can exert force on other objects.

Step 1: Prep the paper.
Place several large drops of watered-down tempera paint or liquid watercolor on a piece of thick cardstock.

Step 2: Use a straw.
Give your child a straw and have them blow air through it, pointing it at the paint drops.

Step 3: Observe the patterns.
The air "pushes" the paint across the paper, creating beautiful, branching patterns.

Ask your child: "What happens if you blow softly versus taking a big, strong breath?" This teaches them that the intensity of the "push" changes how far the paint travels.

Pendulum Painting

Pendulums are a fantastic way to show how a "pull" creates motion that continues until another force stops it.

Step 1: Create a tripod.
You can use three sticks or a simple clothes rack.

Step 2: Hang a cup.
Poke a small hole in the bottom of a plastic cup and hang it from the tripod with string.

Step 3: Add paint.
Fill the cup with thinned paint while holding your finger over the hole.

Step 4: The Pull and Release.
Have your child pull the cup back to one side and let it go. Gravity (the Earth's pull) will pull the cup down and across, creating beautiful elliptical patterns on the paper below.

Texture Rubbings

This is a subtle way to explore force. Place a piece of paper over a textured surface, like a leaf, a coin, or a piece of bark. Have the child push a crayon across the paper. The "high points" of the texture resist the crayon, creating a visual map of the surface. This shows that force can reveal things that are hidden to the eye.

Ramps, Friction, and Gravity: Building a Home Physics Lab

Ramps are perhaps the most versatile tool for teaching push and pull STEM activities for kindergarten. They allow for endless variations and easy measurement. For another set of ideas, try these force and motion STEM projects.

The DIY Ramp Challenge

You can build a ramp out of almost anything: a sturdy piece of cardboard, a wooden plank, or even a large baking sheet propped up on a stack of books.

Step 1: Start with a "pull."
Place a toy car at the top of the ramp and let go. Gravity is the "pulling" force that moves the car down.

Step 2: Change the height.
Add more books to the stack. Ask your child to predict if the car will go faster or slower. When the ramp is steeper, the pull of gravity has a more direct path, making the car zoom faster.

Step 3: Use a "push."
Instead of just letting go, have the child give the car a push from the top. See how much farther the car travels when you combine a push with the pull of gravity.

The Friction Test

Friction is the "hidden force" that pushes back against moving objects to slow them down. You can make friction visible by testing different surfaces at the bottom of your ramp.

Step 1: Create a "smooth" landing.
Let the car roll off the ramp onto a hardwood or tile floor. Measure how far it goes using a piece of tape or a line of blocks.

Step 2: Create a "rough" landing.
Place a towel, a piece of bubble wrap, or a sheet of sandpaper at the base of the ramp.

Step 3: Compare results.
The car will stop much sooner on the rough surface. Explain that the bumps on the towel or sandpaper are "pushing" against the wheels of the car, which we call friction.

Key Takeaway: Ramps make gravity and friction visible. By adjusting the slope or changing the landing surface, children can see exactly how different variables change an object’s speed and distance.

Invisible Forces: Magnets and Gravity

Some of the most exciting forces are the ones we cannot see at all. For a kindergartner, these "invisible" forces can feel like magic, but they are actually the perfect introduction to advanced STEM concepts.

Magnetic Mazes

Magnets are a great way to explore "non-contact" forces. You can feel a magnet pulling on a metal object even before they touch.

Step 1: Draw a maze.
Use a marker to draw a simple maze on a sturdy paper plate.

Step 2: Choose a "runner."
Place a metal paperclip or a small magnet on top of the plate.

Step 3: The hidden pull.
Hold a second magnet underneath the plate. As the child moves the magnet under the plate, the "pull" will move the paperclip through the maze on top.

Magnetic Attraction vs. Repulsion

If you have two bar magnets, you can show children that forces can also "push" without touching.

• The Pull: When you put the opposite poles together (North and South), they snap together with a strong pull.
• The Push: When you try to put the same poles together (North and North), the magnets will actually push each other away. Children love the "bouncy" feeling of the magnets resisting each other.

Gravity: The Universal Pull

We can frame gravity as "Earth's Pull." It is the force that keeps our feet on the ground and our toys from floating away.

The Gravity Drop Experiment:
Have your child hold a ball in one hand and a feather (or a crumpled piece of paper) in the other. Ask them to let go at the same time. Both objects fall because of gravity's pull. You can then discuss why the feather takes longer—the air is "pushing" up against the flat surface of the feather, slowing it down.

In our Galaxy Donut Kit, we explore these space-themed concepts further. As children decorate their donuts to look like planets, we can talk about how the sun's massive gravity "pulls" the planets to keep them in their orbits.

Developing the Scientific Mindset in Kindergarten

While the activities themselves are fun, the real value lies in the habit of inquiry we are building. We want to move children from "accidental" play to "intentional" investigation.

The Power of "I Wonder..."

Instead of always explaining the science, we can use "I wonder" statements to invite the child to be the expert.

• "I wonder why that car stopped so fast on the rug but went far on the kitchen floor?"
• "I wonder if the dough will feel different if we push it ten more times?"
• "I wonder what would happen if we made the ramp even higher?"

This approach encourages children to form a hypothesis (a smart guess) and then test it to see if they were right.

Recording Findings: The Force Journal

Even children who cannot yet write full sentences can record their scientific findings. Give them a notebook and encourage them to draw what they see.

• Draw a picture of the "heavy" basket and the "light" basket.
• Draw a line to show how far the car rolled on different surfaces.
• Use stickers to mark which items a magnet could pull and which it could not.

STEM Skills by Activity Table

Bottom line: By encouraging children to ask "why" and "how" during play, we help them develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills that serve them in every school subject.

Literacy Connections: Books About Motion

Integrating literacy with science helps solidify vocabulary and provides a narrative for the concepts children are learning. Here are a few excellent books that pair perfectly with push and pull STEM activities for kindergarten.

"Newton and Me" by Lynn Mayer

This story follows a young boy and his dog, Newton, as they discover physics in their daily lives. It covers throwing balls, pulling wagons, and riding bikes, all told in catchy rhyme. It is a perfect "launchpad" for a discussion on how forces are everywhere.

"Ricky the Rock that Couldn't Roll" by Jay Miletsky

This is a charming story about a flat-bottomed rock who cannot roll like his round friends. It introduces the idea that the shape of an object affects how forces like a push or gravity interact with it. After reading, you can challenge your child to a STEM task: "How can we use materials like tape or foil to help a flat rock roll?"

"Move It! Motion, Forces, and You" by Adrienne Mason

This book is a more direct introduction to the science. It uses simple language to explain push, pull, and friction, and it includes mini-experiments that children can do while they read.

Transitioning from Play to Observation

As an educator or parent, your role is to facilitate the transition from simple play to scientific observation. This does not mean you have to deliver a lecture. Instead, focus on modeling curiosity.

When you open a heavy jar, say out loud: "I am having to use a lot of force to push and turn this lid!" When you see a tow truck on the road, point it out: "Look at how that truck is using a strong pull to move that car!"

Embracing the Mess

Meaningful STEM learning can be messy. Whether it is flour on the counter from kneading dough or paint on the table from pendulum art, the mess is often a sign of deep engagement and exploration. To manage this, we recommend setting up a dedicated "Science Zone" where children know it is okay to experiment. For a structured, "mess-managed" experience, bring hands-on STEM to your classroom or group.

For a structured, "mess-managed" experience, our one-time kits come with pre-measured dry ingredients and specialty supplies. For instance, our Erupting Volcano Cakes kit provides a "big reaction" that demonstrates gas pressure and force in a way that is easy to clean up.

Conclusion

Teaching push and pull STEM activities for kindergarten is one of the most rewarding ways to engage with a child’s natural wonder. These activities do more than just teach basic physics; they build confidence, improve motor skills, and foster a scientific mindset that encourages children to look deeper at the world around them.

At I'm the Chef Too!, we are committed to making these "edutainment" experiences accessible for every family. We believe that when you blend food, STEM, and the arts, you create memories that stick long after the activity is finished.

• Start small: Look for three pushes and three pulls in your living room today.
• Keep it active: Use movement to help children "feel" the science.
• Stay curious: Let your child’s questions guide the next experiment.

"The world is a giant laboratory. By focusing on simple pushes and pulls, you are helping your kindergartner understand the invisible forces that move us all."

If you are looking for an ongoing way to bring these adventures into your home, consider joining The Chef's Club. Our monthly subscription delivers a new cooking STEM adventure to your door, providing a perfect screen-free way to bond as a family while building your child's brainpower.

FAQ

What are push and pull activities for kindergarten?

Push and pull activities are hands-on experiments that teach children about forces. A "push" moves an object away from the body, while a "pull" brings an object closer. These can range from physical games like tug-of-war to kitchen-based tasks like kneading dough or whisking.

How do I explain "force" to a 5-year-old?

The easiest way to explain force is to call it a "push" or a "pull." Explain that force is what makes things start moving, stop moving, or change their direction. Using everyday examples, like pushing a swing or pulling a drawer, helps make this abstract concept concrete.

Why is it important for kindergarteners to learn about physics?

Introducing physics through push and pull is a key part of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). It helps children develop critical thinking, improves their scientific vocabulary, and builds foundational knowledge that they will use in more complex science classes later in life.

Can I teach push and pull in the kitchen?

Yes, the kitchen is an ideal environment for teaching force! Activities like pushing a rolling pin, pulling a refrigerator door open, or the resistance felt when whisking thick batter are all excellent, real-world examples of physics in action. For more screen-free science inspiration, explore additional force and motion activities.