Circus Tricks / Stuck in the Mud
From Elinor Wonders Why · 2025
23 minPre-KK1stScienceSocial-Emotional Learning
Summary
Elinor's circus act needs balance, and balance takes practice — the kids explore how bodies and objects stay steady. Then a wagon stuck in the mud becomes a lesson in pushes, pulls, and teamwork.
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All ages
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
Balance takes practice; stuck things take pushes, pulls, and friends.
- What helped Elinor keep her balance in the circus act?
- How did the kids finally get the wagon out of the mud?
- What's the difference between a push and a pull?
- Why did teamwork make the wagon easier to move?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: balance, steady, push, pull, teamwork.
Try it: Balance on one foot for ten seconds. Does spreading your arms help? Why might that be?
Try it: With a partner, list three classroom jobs that are easier with two people.