how to play

Divide the children into groups of 2–3. Begin with a story, such as villagers needing help to lift heavy buckets of water from a deep well, or workers building a tall tower who must raise materials using clever tools. Provide each group with cardboard wheels,bottlecaps, thread, sausage stick, straws, and small weights (like erasers, pebbles, or paper cups filled with objects). Explain that their challenge is to build a pulley system that can lift the weights upward more easily than by hand. Encourage them to experiment with attaching the string around the wheel and pulling from different angles to see how the pulley changes the effort needed. If they struggle, give hints such as: What happens when the wheel spins smoothly? How does pulling down make the object go up? Can adding more wheels make it easier to lift? Once complete, let the children test their pulleys by lifting the weights and comparing which designs worked best. This way, they experience mechanical advantage and simple physics through creative play.

Questions to be asked

1. What is the difference in using a pulley and bare hands to lift objects?
2. How can we improve the pulley to make it more efficient and reduce the time required?
3. If we have to lift up a heavier object with less effort, what changes can be made?