Flathead or Phillips? Picking the Right Screwdriver
Have you ever tried to open a battery door and found a little screw you could not turn? That is because you need the RIGHT screwdriver! There are two kinds you will see most: the flathead and the Phillips. Knowing which one to use makes the job easy — and stops you from hurting the screw.
What You Will Learn
- Tell apart a flathead screwdriver from a Phillips screwdriver - Match each screwdriver to the right screw head - Hold a screwdriver safely and turn it the right way - Know when to ask a grown-up for help
Meet the Flathead Screwdriver
The flathead screwdriver has a tip shaped like a flat line — it looks like a minus sign (–). You slide it into a screw that has one straight slot cut across the top. Flathead screws show up on old furniture, light-switch covers, and some toy battery doors.
Flat tip goes into a flat slot. Think: one line for one line. If the tip has just one flat edge, it is a flathead!
Meet the Phillips Screwdriver
The Phillips screwdriver has a tip shaped like a plus sign (+). The screw head also has a plus-shaped slot. Phillips screws are everywhere — computers, kitchen appliances, bikes, and most toys. They were invented in the 1930s because plus-shaped screws grip more tightly and are harder to strip by accident.
Plus tip goes into a plus slot. Think: a Phillips screwdriver looks like a plus (+) because it gives MORE grip!
How to Use a Screwdriver Safely
1. Pick the right screwdriver so the tip fits snugly in the slot. 2. Point the screw away from your body and fingers. 3. Push gently DOWN while you turn. 4. To tighten: turn to the RIGHT (righty-tighty). 5. To loosen: turn to the LEFT (lefty-loosey). 6. Never push so hard that the tip slips out — that can scratch you or ruin the screw.
Drag each screwdriver to the screw it matches.
Terms
Definitions
Drag terms onto their definitions, or click a term then click a definition to match.
Your toy has a battery door with a screw shaped like a plus sign (+). Which screwdriver do you need?
You want to loosen a screw. Which way do you turn the screwdriver?
Screwdriver Scavenger Hunt
With a grown-up's help, find 3 screws around your home. For each screw: (1) Look at the top — is it a flat slot or a plus slot? (2) Write or draw the shape on paper. (3) Pick the matching screwdriver and check that it fits without wiggling. Report back: which kind of screw did you find most often — flathead or Phillips?
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