Push....Push

My son came to me the other day, looking for help fixing his toy golf club. He has a habit of knocking the heads out and using the rest of the club for other purposes. On this occasion he added a twist. As I was trying to shove the head back in, he got behind me and started shoving my elbow. He was saying "push, push".

Needless to say, this was a bit of a surprise. How did my son know that by pushing my arm from behind he would assist me in applying force to the head of the club? How does a two year old kid understand basic physics? This is a question I would like to research. No, I am not saying he can sit down and solve mathematical formulas. He can, however, use mechanical means to achieve his ends. This is pretty cool I think.

He has begun to understand the use of tools already, and dutifully carries his wooden toolbox around to help Daddy with basic repairs/upgrades. He obviously understands that by pushing my arm forward, he can contribute to the amount of force applied to an object. He can throw or bounce a ball, and has had lots of fun making bouncy balls ricochet all over the house. Is this all normal childhood development, or is it a sign he is going to be a science wiz? Hopefully it is the latter.

I have always been interested in science, and my dad can fix just about anything. My father in law is into computer engineering. I think it is possible that my son got a bit of a genetic boost in the science/mechanics department. I am interested in seeing where this goes.