Pulley Playtime

At-home engineering is not as difficult as it sounds – in fact, it’s simple! In this video, a friendly BADM fan—daughter of School and Community Partnerships’ Senior Manager Sagit Bester—shows you and your child how easy and fun it is to build your own simple machine as she designs a pulley that makes hard tasks easier. Join her!

Learning Goals:

• Make Thoughtful Decisions
• Build STEM Knowledge
• Learn to Collaborate

Materials Required:

• Materials to make two small baskets, such as milk or juice cartons, yogurt containers, small baskets, etc.
• Shoelaces, yarn, or string
• Scissors or hole punch
• Books, cutting boards, or other flat surfaces to act as a ramp
• Dolls, stuffed animals, or other small objects to “ride” the pulley
• Items for decorating, such as markers, paper, glue, etc. (optional)

Tips for Adults:

• While you and your child search for materials, take the opportunity to explore additional learning concepts, such as comparing the sizes, weights, or textures of different containers.
• Encourage your child to invent a story to go along with their pulley system. Is it being used at a playground, maybe, or a theme park? Are they in adventure story, where the hero needs to use the pulley to escape? Join in their imaginary world by asking questions and playing alongside them.