Children experience forces at work while on the playground, in gymnasiums, and in toy stores. Scooters, baseball bats, basketballs, and jump ropes all need pushes or pulls to make them move. When objects change shape as they are pushed or pulled, we say they deform. If the object returns to its original shape when the force is removed, we describe the material as elastic. A rubber band, a balloon, and a spring are all elastic. Objects that remain distorted, such as modeling clay, are often categorized as plastic. Wherever there is motion, energy is always involved. What causes objects to move? This month’s Science Shorts helps students explore the concepts relating to force and motion.