Push and pull for kids is the very first lesson about forces, and your child has been doing it since they could crawl: pushing a ball away, pulling a toy by its string, tugging at your dupatta. This page gives those actions names. First your child taps Push to push a swing, and it goes higher with each harder push. Then they tap Pull to pull a cart by its rope, and it rolls closer. In the second game they decide whether kicking a ball, opening a zip, pushing a chair in, flying a kite or pulling a carrot out of the ground is a push or a pull. Every sentence is spoken in Hindi and English: push (धकेलना) and pull (खींचना).
What is a push and what is a pull?
A force is a push or a pull. Forces make things start moving, stop, speed up, slow down or change direction. For young children, one simple rule is enough:
- A push moves something away from you. Kicking a ball, pushing a swing, closing a drawer, pressing a doorbell.
- A pull moves something towards you. Opening a drawer, pulling a wagon, pulling up socks, pulling a rope in tug of war.
Two more ideas that five- and six-year-olds enjoy: a harder push or pull makes something move faster or further, and a heavier thing needs a bigger push. That is why it is easy to push an empty cardboard box and hard to push a full one.
Push or pull? Everyday examples
| Push (धकेलना) | Pull (खींचना) |
|---|---|
| Kicking a football | Flying a kite (pulling the string) |
| Pushing a swing | Pulling a toy cart by its rope |
| Pushing a door open | Opening a zip on a school bag |
| Pushing a chair in under the table | Pulling a carrot or radish out of the soil |
| Rolling a toy car | Pulling a bucket up from a well |
| Pressing a lift button | Pulling socks up onto your feet |
Some actions use both. Opening a fridge is a pull; closing it is a push. Riding a bicycle uses pushes on the pedals. If your child says "both!", that is a thoughtful answer. Ask them to show you.
How to use this page
- Push & pull: two short scenes. In the first, each tap of Push sends the swing further, and on the second tap your child hears that a harder push makes it go higher. After three pushes, the voice sums up: a push moves things away from you. Tap Next for the cart scene, where three pulls bring the cart closer: a pull moves things towards you.
- Push or pull? A picture of an action appears with two big buttons. A wrong tap never buzzes. Golu hums, repeats the question, and then gently highlights the right button so your child can still finish happily.
Every game ends with a marble in the Goli Jar and a small mission to find a push and a pull at home. The अ+A button switches the language order, 🔊 repeats any line, and Settings (behind a grown-up check) let you set your child's age and turn on calm motion.
How to teach push and pull at home in 5-10 minutes
This topic is best learned with the whole body. Try one idea a day:
- Playground talk: at the park, ask "Is that a push or a pull?" for the swing, the slide ladder, the see-saw and the merry-go-round.
- Box train: tie a string to a cardboard box and put a teddy inside. Your child pulls the train from the front, then pushes it from behind. Add more toys and feel it get harder.
- Ball ramp: lean a tray on some books. Roll a ball down with a gentle push and then a harder push. Which goes further? Mark it with a spoon.
- Tug of war: with a dupatta or rope, play gentle tug of war. Both sides pull, and the stronger pull wins.
- Kitchen jobs: pulling open a drawer, pushing it closed, pulling out a chair, pushing a trolley in the supermarket. Name each one.
- Action words: push and pull are verbs too. The action words page and opposite words (push and pull are opposites) fit nicely with this lesson.
Children who love moving can also try movement games for kids, and the science for kids page has a magnet game, where a magnet pulls some things without even touching them.
Push and pull by age
| Age | What fits |
|---|---|
| 2-3 | Do it and name it: "Push the ball! Pull the wagon!" No sorting yet. |
| 3-4 | Copy actions: show a push with both hands, a pull with a fist coming back. |
| 4-5 | Sort pictures into push or pull; notice that a harder push goes further. |
| 5-6 | Use the word force; test heavy and light things; talk about actions that use both. This matches many kindergarten and class 1 science units. |
Why push and pull matters
This simple idea is the start of physics. Later, children will learn about gravity (the Earth pulls everything down), friction (a rough floor slows a rolling ball) and magnets (they pull iron). Knowing push and pull also helps with everyday safety: we pull a door gently so it does not hit anyone, and we never push friends on the stairs or the slide. It builds vocabulary for describing movement, which helps with storytelling and following instructions.
Gentle tips for every child
Keep it playful. There is no need to correct every answer; ask your child to act it out, and they will usually find the answer themselves. Praise effort ("You tested it with your hands. Great thinking!"). For children with a speech delay, doing the action counts as the answer. For children with motor difficulties, a light cardboard box and a smooth floor make pushing and pulling easier; celebrate every small movement. Autistic children often like the clear rule "push goes away, pull comes closer"; use the same words each time. In a bilingual home, say धकेलो and push together. Keep screen time short and shared, and spend most of the time pushing and pulling real things. Children under two learn this best by pushing a ball and pulling a toy with you, with no screen at all.
