Physics lessons from a four year old!

Today on the way home from pre-school, Sabrina burst out in tears for what appeared no reason.   I suggested we stop at the " Forbidden Park" and play for a few minutes.   What started as just a mom's effort to comfort an upset daughter turned into a physics demonstration.   Using momentum, Sabrina swung her legs in order to get power to climb up the platform without using the stairs.   From there she tried to do the monkey bars but she is not quite big enough for her arms to span the distance between the bars.    The next stunt was to climb what looks like a spider web, shake back and forth and then release on the backward motion and land like a spider on the ground, literally dropping four feet to her landing.  

The bars which remind me of a gymnasts "twirly" bars were the big demonstration stations.  Sabrina has grown a lot lately and now she can jump like supergirl and grasp the bar.   From there she swings her her legs, gathering enough momentum and then releases.   Her landings look like 10s to me!   This was a favorite activity for at least five minutes.   Then she discovered the smaller bar which she used to play on exclusively just a few months ago.   From this smaller bar she hooked her legs at the back of the knees and then released her hands so she could grab things.   Her item of choice was a stick which she then used to draw pictures in the dirt while hanging by her knees!  To release, she put her hands down in the dirt and then kicked her legs down to safety!   There are days when I really wish I had packed a camera.   It was simply amazing to watch her climb, twirl, swing and hang from all the structures in the park.  She was definitely a girl in motion who stays in motion unless mom makes her get in the car!