What to do with this activity?
How do some things balance and other things fall over? It's all about distributing the weight on each side of the balancing point or centre of gravity.
Try balancing a ruler on one finger. You instinctively know to move the ruler up and down your finger until you find the point that balances. That's the centre of gravity. Now add a ten cent coin to one end of the ruler. You will find that your finger needs to move closer to the coin to allow the ruler to balance. Try another experiment. Normally we stand on two feet, but if we stand on one foot we have to lean to one side to re-distribute the weight.
Have some fun making balancing sculptures with things you have around the house. Firstly, get going with some sticks and marshmallows - see how it's done in this video. And try this gravity defying experiment with two forks as shown on this video.
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Why am I doing this?
One of the ways children learn is through play. A child who is playing is refining learning skills that continue to develop during childhood and beyond. Indoor and outdoor games are a great way of practising some of the reading, writing and number skills your child has learned.
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How can I do more?
Encourage your child to teach you a game – letting them teach you something is empowering for your child.
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