Build Newspaper Structures to Develop Spatial Sense

Tell your child that you are going to build a structure out of newspaper and tape. Brainstorm what kind of structure you should build together. It can be a rocket ship, a house, a tree, anything!

Talk about the features of the structure you will build together. Ask your child, “Should it be tall or short?” “Wide or narrow?” You can create a tall tower, a small rectangular structure or something completely unique. Come up with a goal of what to build together. There is no wrong answer!

Craft building materials for your structure by rolling, bending, folding, or crumpling the newspaper. Practice manipulating the materials to see if they can form shapes that will help you reach your building goal. Ask your child, “Is this piece of newspaper straight or curved?” “Will straight or curved newspaper pieces be better to make a structure that is tall and narrow?” “What would happen if we turn or flip this piece of newspaper?” You can roll sheets of newspaper into tubes to make beams for your structure and fold newspaper into rectangles so they can be walls or a roof.

Use masking tape to make the material keep its shape or to attach different newspaper shapes to each other. Help your child tear off pieces of masking tape to wrap around the newspaper.

Build the structure by connecting the newspaper shapes. Ask your child about where the shapes will go to reach your goal. “Should this piece go behind or next to the other piece?” Each new piece your child adds to the structure is a chance to talk about spatial relations. You can ask, “Should we put this newspaper tube down or across?”

TIP: After you start building, you may find you need to adjust your plan. That’s okay! Talk together about how to bend, turn or place materials a different way.