Overview
In this activity, children will explore stacking, leaning, and balancing as they build with wood pieces.
Materials
- Wood blocks or pieces
- Wooden spools
- Craft sticks
- Optional: Wood piece that shows rings and bark
Activities
First, let’s explore the wood pieces that you have.
- What do you notice about each one?
- Look closely. What do you see? Are there different colors?
- Gently run your hand over a piece of wood. How does it feel? Are there any areas that feel different?
- Does it have a smell?
How can you use these to build something that stands up?
You can stack the pieces and put one on top of another. You can put larger pieces on the bottom and add smaller pieces on top.
Can you balance a long piece that sticks out on top of a tall piece? Where does it need to go? In the middle?
Try leaning one piece on another to make a diagonal line.
If it falls down, or you want to change anything, you can always take it apart and try building again.
When you are done, move around what you’ve built so you can see all the different sides.
What do you notice?
How did you build with the wood pieces?
Did you stack, balance, or lean them to make them stand? Where did you do that?
Extension
Try building with other objects that you find in your home or classroom!
You can try building with plastic lids and caps, corks, plastic containers, small cardboard boxes, and/or small pieces of cardboard. What else can you find that would be fun to build with?
Video
Credits
Written by:
Andrea Burgay, Director of Digital Learning
Lesson Development:
Julie Applebaum, Senior Director
Sassy Kohlmeyer, Director of Early Childhood Programs
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