Explain to your kids that learning about simple machines can be fun - like the swings they love on the playground. Ask them to name some of their favorites. Point out that screws are used to connect simple machines. Then, look at pictures together and have your kids circle the objects that use a screw.
At the playground, your kids likely love to play and swing. Swings are simple machines – they work by using force to move something. Read the following sentences to them, with some words missing - help them fill in the blanks. Simple machines make work easier by __changing__ the size or __direction__ of a force. Swings use a _fulcrum_ and a _lever_ to move.