Seesaw science, how your child learns physics as they play

Do you remember learning about forces and pivots in science lessons?? You might possibly remember diagrams of the forces acting on a seesaw, but surely all of this is way too complicated for your child?  

We aren’t going to suggest introducing written equations to your child just yet! But the wonderful thing about giving them lots of time to play and move is that they are experiencing these forces in action.  

In the future when they are learning the physics of movement, these experiences will mean they know what they’re writing about – and understand how the forces work – even if they need to learn how to represent that with numbers and symbols.     

See-saws are quite thrilling to children. The feeling you get from being thrown into the air is like no other and the adventure of making it back to the ground with a thud is exhilarating. 

But it takes an inquisitive mind to make it work to your advantage, and this is where the science comes in.  

The more you sit on a seesaw and try it with various people, the more you recognise that the size and position of the people on the see-saw change the outcome. When weight is evenly balanced by having similar-sized children placed at the right point, equilibrium has been achieved, and the seesaw balances!   

How can you help your child discover the science of a seesaw (or anything else that interests them!)? 

Follow their lead – spend a bit of time watching to see what they are exploring 

Your child might find it far more stimulating to have someone who can push off the floor more quickly with their feet or someone heavy on the other side to send them shooting up to the sky like a rocket– so they might not always be trying to get the see-saw to balance.  

Comment on what is happening  

When you talk about what you see, you can bring the science to the forefront; you might say “Sienna is bigger than you, her end went right down to the floor.  

Ask questions to get them thinking – I wonder... questions can be great for this 

“I wonder what will happen if Sienna sits nearer the middle?  

Explore yourself  

Join in with your child’s play and experiment yourself – you could try sitting right in the middle of the seesaw and then moving gradually towards the seat to see when it balances.  

Simply getting involved and showing your own curiosity is likely to bring out the scientist in your child!