Pulley Play

Materials Needed:
pulley, rope or string, bucket, baby pool, play sand

Directions:
Tie a lightweight bucket to one end of a sturdy string or rope and then feed the
 string or rope through the pulley. Tie a loop handle in the opposite end. Place a shallow
 pool of sand below the bucket so they can fill, pull and dump.... over and over again.

Explore a Pulley

How do pulleys help us?  Use this simple activity to help your child find out.  Have your child fill
a sand bucket with blocks and try to lift it.  Ask your child if the bucket is heavy or light.
 Tie one end of the rope to the sand bucket handle and drape the other end over a doorknob.
 Then let your child pull the loose end of the rope to lift the bucket.  Your child will discover
 that using the rope makes lifting the bucket easier.  Explain that a simple machine called a
 "pulley" operates in the same way as pulling the rope over the doorknob.
 Point out that cranes have pulleys that allow them to lift heavy objects easily.

More Pulley Fun

Place simple machines in the different centers.  I use a pulley
system connecting the writing center and mailboxes.
The kids can pull the rope and deliver the mail. 

Hard Hat Hide - n - Seek

In advance, collect three plastic hard hats (without the inside padding and straps) and an
 assortment of metal hardware items, such as hinges and large washers.  Set these items
 in a center along with a roll of masking tape and a strong bar magnet.  Invite children to
 visit this center in pairs.  To do this activity, instruct one child to tape a piece of hardware
 inside the top of one of the hats.  Then have him mix up the hats and arrange them in a row.
  Next, ask his partner to guess which hat contains the hardware.  Have the partner use the
 magnet to check her guess.  What an exciting discovery when one of the hats responds to
 the magnet by moving.  Have the partners switch roles and repeat the activity as often as desired.