Explore and Play: Switch Directions

Send a ball down a ramp, hit an obstacle, and make it change direction.

Print Activity

Materials

large marbles
ramp materials, children’s choice
masking tape
scissors

Key Science Concepts

When a rolling or sliding object hits an obstacle, it will stop or slow down and its direction may change.
When a stationary object is hit by a rolling or sliding object, the force may knock the object over or cause it to move depending on how fast the moving object is going and how heavy it is.

Directions

Challenge children to build a ramp that causes a rolling or sliding object to hit an obstacle and then change direction. They can use any of the ramp materials—flat ramps, tubes, or flexible ramps—to build their ramp.

Reflect and Share

Ask children to explain how their ramp constructions work. What problems did they run into and how did they solve them? Did they test how their ramp worked? If so, did testing help them figure out how to build their ramp so it worked the way they wanted it to? How?

Back to Curriculum

Week 3, Day 3

Morning Circle
Indoor
10 - 15 minutes

Safety Issue: Marbles

Because marbles can be a choking hazard to children, it is important to closely monitor children when they play with them. Use only large size (25 mm) marbles. Make sure children understand not to put marbles in their mouth. If your family child care has infants and toddlers, provide them with alternative ramp activities that use larger size balls.

© 2024 WGBH Educational Foundation. All rights reserved. Peep and the Big Wide World and the Peep characters and related indicia are trademarks of WGBH Educational Foundation. All third party trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Used with permission. “Peep,” “Quack,” “Chirp,” “Tom” and “Nellie” were originally created by Kai Pindal for the National Film Board of Canada productions The Peep Show, © National Film Board of Canada, 1962, and Peep and the Big Wide World, © National Film Board of Canada, 1988. Peep and the Big Wide World ® is produced by WGBH and 9 Story Entertainment in association with TVOntario. Major funding for Peep and the Big Wide World is provided by the National Science Foundation. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1222607. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.