Fun and easy play-based STEAM activity for toddlers, preschool & kindergarten
Work the Winch - Fun science & engineering activity about simple machines, physics & force
Activity summary
This is not JUST another science activity – it’s a play-based, hands-on STEAM activity. It will keep your children extra engaged & motivated, which helps them learn!
In this activity, your children will be little investigators helping Pi the investigator
to solve tricky problems and find creative answers to the question: How does an elevator work? By doing that, they get to practice concepts like simple machines, physics, force, and more.
For this activity, you need only these simple supplies:
masking tape
any available recycled materials
coloured pencils
string or yarn
paper cups or plastic cups
clothes pegs
straws or pencils
You can also use
paper clips
magnets
What will your children learn?
Your children will learn to:
Practice engineering and creative problem-solving.
Build your own winch.
Get creative by crafting your own lunch items.
Enjoy a fun experiment and play with the characters.
while practicing these concepts:
simple machines
physics
force
Instructions
Step 1: Introduce the problem with a story letter
Teacher introducing the reseach problem through the letter that arrived from Supraland
In this play-based activity, your children will lead the investigation as an investigator. When children role play as investigators, they learn so much better! Try starting with a little ‘spin’ to get into character!
Then, they can help Pi the investigator solve some tricky problems in their new role.
Before the activity, prepare your supplies and print the letter.
Pro tip:
When children play as scientists, they think like scientists. Try using “scientist jackets” to help them really get into character!
When you start the activity, introduce the research problem in the form of a letter that arrived from Supraland where Pi the investigator lives.
You might be wondering: “Why should I use a story?”
Well, when you introduce a research problem through play and imaginary characters rather than just stating cold facts, children will be extra motivated to solve the problem for their new imaginary friends. Academic research shows this results in increased engagement, better focus, and improved learning outcomes.
You can find the story for this activity below (register for free to print this & many more free activities!).
Howdy how scientists!
We have been climbing high towards the top of the North mountain. But we forgot our packed lunch home. Thankfully our dear friend Hoseli took the lunch basket on the bottom of the mountain. Now we just have to figure out how to get the lunch up here.
We searched through Mrs Noblegas’s backpack and found her clothesline with the necessary items to hang the line and the clothes. Dear scientists, could you help us figure out how to build a widget of a sort to get our lunch up here?
After the child understands the problem, it’s time for some hands-on experimenting!
When children are doing the experiment, remind them why they want to solve the problem – to help Pi the investigator.
This helps them stay engaged. If they get stuck, you can ask supporting questions like: “What do you think might help Pi the investigator to solve this problem?”
If needed, you can get more ideas for guiding questions and adaptation tips for different age groups
(register here to get free weekly activities).
Here are the basic steps for his activity:
Phase 1: Making Lunch
Move to a second research station, with recycled/crafting materials ready.
Discuss your own favorite lunches or discuss what you think Pi and Mrs Noblegas have packed for themselves. Encourage the scientists to discuss their own ideas.
The task can be carried out very freely. If researchers need guidance, you can encourage them to craft one drink, one fruit or vegetable, and one snack.
Finally, take the lunch items to the lunch baskets (the previous experiment).
Phase 2: Building a Winch
Present the new supplies: straws/pens and new cups.
Think together about how the machine could be built using these supplies. You can test various ideas and think about how the shapes of the objects affect the lifting.
A winch can be constructed, for example, as follows: Attach the clothes pegs to the edge of a cup, and tape the cup to the table.
Tape the other end of the string to the pen. Attach the lunch basket (the cup filled with the crafted lunch) to the free end of the string.
Can the cup be lifted up on the table/chair by rotating the pen? How about a safe landing?
Do you think you could also use this machine to pick something up from the ground? Place a magnet on the bottom of the cup that you are using as a lift and try to use the bottom of the cup to pick up small metallic objects (such as paper clips) from the floor.
Phase 3: Creative Building
Continue to develop your machines. Let your imagination roam free. You can also build multiple machines.
Tip: use this as an opportunity to discuss how you can re-purpose materials to make something new. Machines can often include recycled parts from other machines.
The teacher can show this as an example. The string is joined into a loop, and it should be able to move freely.
Discuss together: Where could you attach the string? You could, for example, loop the string through two paper clips that are attached to cardboard. Then you can pull the string and make the chairlift (another paper cup attached to the string) move up and down.
Pro tip: give children the freedom to get creative and explore their own solutions!
Remember: It’s an imaginary world. It’s more than ok if children don’t give the “correct” answers right away – give them time to practice their skills.
Academic research shows children learn best through child-led play and inquiry rather than following strict instructions or memorizing facts because play allows them to build meanings and connections in an age-appropriate way.
This perhaps unintuitive approach is also proven to keep children more engaged and improve their learning outcomes.
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Adult wrapping up a play-based activity by encouraging children to share their findings with the character they’re helping.
To encourage children to analyze and share their learnings, you can gather in a circle to report to Pi the investigator.
Again, lead with the problem the character was experiencing in the letter. Encourage sharing wild and creative solutions without correcting children if they don’t fully understand the concept.
Remember: in playful learning, we’re not leading with scientific explantions – we’re putting the problem at hand into a context that makes sense to them. We can start building meanings from there.
Scientific explanation (for adults!)
In the winch, the rope wraps around a rotating roll. The winch is mechanical, so it requires manual labour to work it. Winches are used, for example, in elevators and tow trucks.
Is this REALLY for free?
YES! Kide has a 100% free subscription. There’s no hidden costs, and you don’t need to add your credit card information.
With the free subscription, you get 1 free lesson per week which is typically more than enough to get started. See our pricing to get unlimited access to all lesson plans and training materials.
This program is incredible. The characters, the stories, the experiments are so much fun. I do not need to spend any time planning. Everything I need is given to me be Kide Science.
Elsa
Kindergarten Teacher
Super easy to plan, and the items are usually things that we already have. Planning is made very easy & the children are very motivated!
Marju
Parent
Was just observed doing one of these lessons. Principal was shocked and so was I - one of the kids with pretty severe attention issues was engaged the entire time!
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You can find printable materials in our lesson plan attachments and extras section.
Activity length: 20-30 minutes
Subjects: Science, Engineering, Movement, Geography
60 min lesson
Easy preparation
Medium prep.
