Age Group

Infant/Toddler
Preschool
Kindergarten

Supplies

clear contact paper, foam strips (can use construction paper strips, pipe cleaners or twist ties as alternatives), book "When a line bends ... a shape begins"
 

Description

Inspired by other "sticky table" ideas that I've seen around the web ... I thought it would be fun to use the sticky table idea to have them create shapes from thin foam rectangles and some large shiny "twist ties".  We referred the rectangles as "lines" and read the book "When a line bends ... a shape begins".  

They then took the foam lines and experimented with shapes they could create and objects they could make from those shapes on a table covered with clear contact paper - sticky side UP.  The children loved sticking the lines to the table and making their shapes ... turning squares and triangles into houses and buildings. 

When they decided they wanted to make a circle .. they quickly learned they could turn the foam pieces on their side and make a circle/oval shape by curving two foam pieces together and sticking them to the table (see pics).  It was great watching them problem-solve how they could make a curved shape with the straight pieces of bendable foam.

The large shiny twist ties were also interesting, because you can bend them in various ways and they could make more 3-dimensional object with those (see bottom pic).

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