Everyday materials: what is it made of?: what children learn
An object is a thing, such as a key, a window or a sock. A material is what the thing is made of, such as metal, glass or fabric. In Year 1, children learn to tell the difference between an object and its material, and to name everyday materials: wood, plastic, glass, metal, water and rock, plus paper and fabric.
This game names an object and asks what material it is made of, or names a material and asks which object is made of it. The objects are ones children see every day, and each one is usually made of one main material, so children can focus on the idea rather than on unusual cases. At home you can turn this into a hunt: almost everything in a kitchen or bedroom is a chance to practise.
This topic covers the Year 1 statutory requirement in the National Curriculum in England (Everyday materials): pupils should be taught to “distinguish between an object and the material from which it is made”. Year 1 pupils are usually aged 5–6.
There is no direct equivalent in the US Common Core State Standards.
How to play
Answer 10 questions before the clock runs out. Tap an answer, or press 1 to 4. Each game has 10 multiple-choice questions and a 120-second timer. A wrong answer shows the correct one before moving on. You earn up to three stars depending on your score.
Step by step
- Name the object. Say what the thing is: a spoon, a window, a T-shirt. This is the object.
- Ask "What is it made of?". The answer is the material: metal, glass, fabric and so on.
- Use your senses. Is it hard or soft? See-through or not? Shiny? Bendy? These properties are clues to the material.
- One material, many objects. Metal makes keys, pans and paper clips. Seeing the same material in different objects helps children separate the two ideas.
- One object, different materials. Spoons can be metal, wood or plastic. That is why the game uses objects that are usually made of one material.
Worked examples
Example 1: What material is a window pane made of?
Working: A window pane is hard and you can see through it.
Answer: Glass.
Example 2: Which of these is made of fabric: a sock, a pebble, a key or a jam jar?
Working: A pebble is rock, a key is metal and a jam jar is glass. A sock is soft and bendy.
Answer: A sock.
Example 3: Is "wood" an object or a material?
Working: Wood is what things like a cricket bat or a matchstick are made of.
Answer: A material.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Naming the object again instead of the material ("a window is made of window"). Practise the sentence "The ___ is made of ___" with real objects you can touch.
- Calling every shiny thing metal. Some plastic and glass is shiny too. Tap it, feel how cold it is, and check if it is see-through.
- Forgetting that water and rock are materials. Show a puddle and a pebble. They are not made by people, but they are still materials.
Activities to try at home
- Go on a material hunt: find three things made of metal, three of wood and three of plastic.
- Play "I spy something made of glass" in the kitchen.
- Sort a pile of clean recycling into paper, plastic, metal and glass.
- Print the worksheet and ask your child to say one property of each material (hard, soft, bendy, see-through).
Ideas for the classroom
- Set up a feely bag: pupils describe a hidden object, guess it, then name its material.
- Make a class chart with a column per material and add objects from around the room.
- Ask pupils to find one object made of two materials (a pencil: wood and graphite) as a challenge.
- Use the game as a plenary after a materials walk around school.
Free printable game and worksheet
The free printable starts with a game sheet, such as a colour-by-answer picture, an answer maze or a secret-code joke, followed by a worksheet. Both use the same checked questions as the online game, and the answers are on the last page. Print it, or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print menu.
Open the free printable game and worksheet
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an object and a material?
An object is a thing you can name, like a cup. A material is what it is made of, like plastic or glass. The same material makes many different objects.
Why do some objects in the game look obvious?
Some, like a drinking glass, name their material. They help younger children see the link between an object and its material. The game uses objects that are normally made of one material, so there is only one right answer.
What comes next?
Year 1 pupils also describe the simple properties of materials (hard, soft, stretchy, waterproof) and in Year 2 they compare which materials are suitable for different jobs.