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Harder, Softer, This Way, That Way is a free printable Kindergarten science worksheet on how the strength and direction of a push change motion, aligned to NGSS performance expectation K-PS2-1. It prints 8 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 1 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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One paper per student

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All 25 sets ask different questions.

Harder, Softer, This Way, That Way

K-PS2-1

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

1.What could you do to make a rolling ball stop?
  • A.Push it the other way
  • B.Shout at it
  • C.Push it harder the same way
2.What makes a swing start moving?
  • A.A push or a pull
  • B.Waiting
  • C.Looking at it
3.You pull a wagon toward you. Which way does it go?
  • A.Toward you
  • B.Straight up
  • C.Away from you
4.Two children push a box from opposite sides, just as hard. What happens?
  • A.The box goes fast
  • B.The box lifts up
  • C.The box stays still
5.You push one side of a toy boat. Which way does it turn?
  • A.It cannot turn
  • B.Toward your hand
  • C.Away from the side you pushed
6.You push a toy car harder. What happens?
  • A.It stops sooner
  • B.It goes slower
  • C.It goes further
7.You push a ball gently. What happens?
  • A.It rolls very far
  • B.It rolls a short way
  • C.It goes up
8.A rolling ball hits a wall. What happens to its motion?
  • A.Nothing changes
  • B.It stops or bounces back
  • C.It speeds up

LessonPrint · K-PS2-1 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Harder, Softer, This Way, That Way

Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Push it the other way
  2. 2.A push or a pull
  3. 3.Toward you
  4. 4.The box stays still
  5. 5.Away from the side you pushed
  6. 6.It goes further
  7. 7.It rolls a short way
  8. 8.It stops or bounces back

Questions about Harder, Softer, This Way, That Way

What does the Harder, Softer, This Way, That Way worksheet cover?

It practices how the strength and direction of a push change motion — 8 questions for Kindergarten, all on NGSS K-PS2-1: Test how hard and which way you push or pull, and watch what the motion does. The instruction to students is “Circle the best answer”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.

Which NGSS performance expectation does Harder, Softer, This Way, That Way practice?

K-PS2-1, under Physical Science for Kindergarten. The published performance expectation reads: “Plan and conduct an investigation to compare the effects of different strengths or different directions of pushes and pulls on the motion of an object.” The worksheet assesses that performance expectation rather than a paraphrase of it.

What age or grade is this worksheet for?

Harder, Softer, This Way, That Way is written for Kindergarten, typically ages 5-6. It is one of the sheets on K-PS2-1, so it suits any student working at that standard — including older students revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.

Does Harder, Softer, This Way, That Way come with an answer key?

Yes. All 8 answers are generated from the same problems as the questions, so the key cannot drift out of step with the sheet. It starts on a fresh sheet of paper, after the questions, so it is not handed out with the class by accident.

How many different versions of Harder, Softer, This Way, That Way can I print?

25 — one per student, and all 25 ask different questions. Set 1 downloads the whole class as a single PDF. Every version is fixed to its own address, so a sheet printed today holds the same problems when you reopen it next week.

Is Harder, Softer, This Way, That Way free to print and photocopy?

Yes. Harder, Softer, This Way, That Way, its answer key and its 25 versions are free to print and photocopy for your own class, with no account, no email capture and no subscription at the download step. Please do not resell them or republish them as your own.

Is there a lesson plan to teach K-PS2-1?

Yes — “Harder, Softer, This Way, That Way” is a 45-minute Kindergarten plan for K-PS2-1, timed section by section, with the misconceptions to expect and an exit ticket. Harder, Softer, This Way, That Way is the practice that follows it.

More practice for K-PS2-1

Test how hard and which way you push or pull, and watch what the motion does.

Teaching this next? Harder, Softer, This Way, That Way is the 45-minute plan for it, with the misconceptions to expect.

All Kindergarten worksheets

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to K-PS2-1 of the Next Generation Science Standards.