Building Up: Cardboard Tube Crafts
Read the Building Up Book and create structures and buildings using recycled paper tubes!
Ages/Grades
Preschool
Kindergarten
Learning Domains
Mathematics and Social Studies Knowledge & Skills
Materials:
- • Dreaming Up Book
- • Collection of paper tubes (from wrapping paper, paper towels, etc) and cardboard (from cartons, food boxes, etc)
- • Adhesives (Tape, glue, Velcro)
Ready, Set, Create!
After reading the book Dreaming Up, revisit the spread showing the Paper Tube School. Share with your students the fascinating information about the school described in the endpapers at the back of the book.
Build a structure using recycled paper tubes and cardboard as the primary building materials.
Talk to the class about what type of structure could be built with these materials. Once you come to a consensus, start planning.
- • Organize the materials that were collected
- • Sort the tubes by size
- • Flatten and cut cardboard pieces (with adult’s help) to manageable sizes
- • Make a list of what you need to complete your project
- • Plan to take pictures of the whole process starting with a picture of the raw materials (A great sequencing activity for later!)
- • Need more ideas? View more uses for cardboard on Pinterest
Vocabulary Boosters
Introduce these words and phrases early in the process and continue to use them during the building activity.
- • Structure
- • Columns
- • Pillars
- • Entrance
- • Strong foundation