Push or pull

Start with something students can look at or think about: a photo, a short video, a jar on the windowsill, or a question like "what do you already know about push and pull?" Then let them work through the worksheet on their own or with a partner, keeping a word bank or anchor chart in view so the vocabulary stays available. When you review, ask students how they knew, and let them point to the part of the diagram or reading that told them. These push and pull worksheets work well as a lead in before an investigation, as a way to capture what students noticed afterward, or as review before an assessment.

These push and pull worksheets for Kindergarten give students a clear, visual way to work through one of the big ideas in forces and motion. Students label diagrams, sort and classify examples, read short explanations, and answer questions that ask them to say why, not just what. Each page keeps the science vocabulary front and center so students leave with the words they need to talk about push and pull accurately. Working through push and pull on paper gives Kindergarten students something concrete to hold onto before, during, or after the hands on part of a lesson.

This worksheet is designed for Kindergarten students (Ages 3-6), aligned to NGSS standard K-PS2-1. It can also be used as review for early students at the next grade level or as an introduction for advanced students.

Yes. This worksheet works for homeschool, classroom, and tutoring settings. Print individual pages for targeted practice, or print the full set as a packet. Works great as a morning warm-up, independent center activity, or fast-finisher task.

Push and pull worksheets teach kindergartners that forces are pushes or pulls that cause objects to move, stop, or change direction. Children practice identifying push and pull actions in everyday situations, opening a door, pulling a wagon, throwing a ball, building foundational physics knowledge.

Push and pull is a core concept in kindergarten physical science and is typically taught early in the year because it connects directly to children's play and everyday experiences. It is one of the NGSS disciplinary core ideas for kindergarten.

Point out push and pull forces during everyday activities, opening the refrigerator (pull), pushing a shopping cart, pulling on a sock. Playground time is especially rich for exploring forces, and connecting these experiences to the worksheet vocabulary deepens understanding.