Sculpture

Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2

Explore the bold black and white style of Charles McGee through an engaging 3 hour paper sculpture lesson. Students experiment with patterns, cutting, and bending to create abstract forms inspired by McGee’s rhythmic lines. Encourage creativity, fine motor skill and an understanding of shape, line and repetition. Children can create their own patterns and shapes and then arrange their pieces to build a dynamic, freestanding paper sculpture full of movement and personality.

Dive into a playful paint tube sculpture project that brings art materials to life in this 2 hour project! Design and construct oversized paint tubes using simple materials, whilst exploring form, design and colour mixing. Have your class think like artists, choosing colours to mix and creating a name for their colour. A fun opportunity to develop construction skills while celebrating creativity, these sculptures can make a bright and eye-catching display in the classroom, or try a whole grade or school project to celebrate art.

Grade 3 and Grade 4

Create an imaginative seafarer sculpture using a recycled plastic bottle as the base in this 3 hour project.  Students can use egg cartons and found objects to develop their own character. Further building and refining takes place with just two layers of papier mâché and minimal mess! Encourage creative problem-solving and character development, while exploring construction techniques. Each sculpture becomes a unique ocean explorer, full of personality and storytelling. Adapt this lesson plan to make pirates or mermaids as you wish!

Explore movement and balance in this 3hr wire fish and tubular coral sculpture inspired by Alexander Calder. Students twist and shape wire to form a colourful fish and place it in tubular coral to create an underwater scene. This lesson introduces basic sculptural techniques such as stability and form, while encouraging experimentation with space and colour. The final artwork combines two individual pieces which can be used together to make a striking collaborative display, celebrating the creativity and beauty of the marine environment.

Grade 5 and Grade 6

Explore identity and expression with a relief face sculpture. Students can build form and contrast with recycled cardboard and card, layering materials to define facial features. This 3 hour project encourages careful observation, proportion and texture, while allowing for personal style through colour and surface detail. A meaningful way to combine portraiture with sculpture, each piece becoming a unique reflection of the individual. Make these as a self-portrait, of a classmate or use one of the photographs provided for inspiration.

Step into the imaginative world of steampunk with a creative 6 hour sculpture project inspired by the retro-futuristic aesthetic of gears and gadgets. Students design and construct their own fish, robot or character, using a mix of materials and found objects to create mechanical-inspired forms. This project promotes innovation, problem-solving and creative thinking, as students experiment with assembling parts and adding metallic finishes. The result is an inventive sculpture full of personality, detail and industrial flair.