Beautiful Stuff: Collect, Sort, and Arrange

Overview

In this activity, children will find and collect beautiful 3D objects, then sort and arrange their “Beautiful Stuff”.

Grade Levels

PreK – 2

Media

Sculpture

Lessons In Unit

Unit & Lessons
Video
Slide Deck

Materials and Tools

3D objects found in your home
A piece of cardboard for a base –
this can be cut from any box
A basket, bag or box to store your collection
Optional: camera or paper and pencil to photograph or draw your arrangements

Activities

An object that has a top, a bottom and sides is called 3-dimensional, or 3D.

Collecting our Materials

Today, you will need to find and collect 3D objects from your home to work with.

These may be any 3D items like: shells, buttons, screws and bolts, old keys, paper clips, rubber bands, popsicle sticks, stirring sticks, straws, spools, wood scraps, corks, bottle caps, lids, wire, string, yarn, ribbons, feathers, cotton balls, Q-Tips, tin foil, hair curlers, small cloth remnants, toilet cardboard rolls, egg cartons, empty aluminum cans or anything else you can find.

Step 1: Sort and Organize by Shape

What can you do with these interesting objects? What ideas do you have?

First, let’s sort and organize your objects.
What are some things you notice that are the same about your objects?

Some might be the same shape. What shapes can you find?

Step 2: Sort and Organize by Texture

Some objects have the same texture. Texture is a way to describe how something feels. What different textures do your objects have?

Step 3: Sort and Organize by Material

Some objects are made of the same material. The objects here are made of wood, plastic and metal.

What materials are your objects made of? How can you tell?

Step 4: Sort and Organize by Color

Many objects are the same color. What colors do you notice in your objects?

What other ways can you think of to sort your objects?

Step 5: Arrange Objects In a Line

Now let’s get your cardboard piece to use as a base.
A base is a home for your arrangement.

How can you arrange your objects in an interesting way?

You can make a long line with all of your objects. These objects lined up in a straight line, going from small to big. What other kinds of lines can you make with your objects?