Learning About Pulleys

For her first Science Fair, Katrina did a project on Basic Mechanics- specifically focusing on Pulleys. We wanted to make it fun, so Ken actually built a pulley system for her to demonstrate with and we thought it would be fun to share with you here. :)


I'll include instructions for how we made ours after I show you the poster she made:


We had her write everything herself (and I love the way it turned out). I love seeing her printing on the poster! I helped her a little bit with the diagram, but she labeled it and drew the person. :)



Now on to the pulley system!

If you want to create something similar, here's what you'll need:

- 2 planks of wood (same size)
- 4 thinner pieces of wood (all same length)
- Pulleys! (we used 7 in varying sizes- we got them at Home Depot)
- Rope (we found ours at the dollar store)
- Wooden Dowel for the handle (ours was a shovel handle that broke)
- Large Bottle of Water

Here's How We Made Ours:

Using some old planks of wood we had in our basement, Ken created a roof and a floor (nailed together with some smaller pieces of wood to make a frame). He attached the pulleys to another small piece of wood (attached to the bottom of the "roof") and to the handle of the water bottle with rope. Then he strung the rope through the pulleys and drilled a hole in the wooden dowel so that he could attach the rope to it, for a handle.  The other end of the rope is secured to the base (he just wrapped it around and tied it on).

We brought a second water bottle to the Science Fair so that kids could experience for themselves the difference between lifting a heavy weight on their own:


...and lifting it with the help of a pulley system!


This was a really fun project. I hope it gives you some inspiration!  There are all kinds of things you could build to help your kids to experience things in real life (going beyond just reading about them)!


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16 comments:

  1. This is a great project! I don't understand how pullys work either, so I'll have to try this out with my son. I'll say it's for him, but it's more for me ;)

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    1. Thank you! It was so fun, but I have to say my husband had more to do with it than I did ;)

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  2. great project! My kids learnt about pulleys and levers during a science presentation at school last year. So much fun when they get to do hands on stuff!

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    1. Thanks Ashley! :) Yes, it's so much more memorable when they get to experience it themselves!

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  3. Love this. Is it weird that I am looking forward to when my kids are old enough for science fair projects so we can make things like this? Love this idea, and that you made the project into an awesome teachable moment.

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  4. Your daughter did a great job on her first science fair project! I loved her presentation board, and the actual project itself is fabulous!

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  5. This is so great for the kids. I am SO blown away by her presentation board. This is so innovative and definitely builds confidence! All around awesome!!! :)

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  6. Thank you for such a well written article. It’s full of insightful information and entertaining descriptions. Your point of view is the best among many. UP Ration Card Status

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  7. Well done Katrina, how cool is that. It is so fun to watch our kids learn through doing.

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  8. Beautifully made..gonna try it for my child thanks a ton for Sharing Heather :)

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  9. Really a fun project. Thanks for this nice article! My kid will definitely like it.

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Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment- I love reading them! :)
~Heather Lynne