Everyday Materials
Everything around us is made from materials. Let's explore them!
What Are Materials?
A material is what something is made from. Everything you can touch is made from a material!
Let's learn about 5 common materials we see every day.
Wood
Tables, pencils, doors
Metal
Spoons, keys, coins
Plastic
Toys, bottles, rulers
Fabric
Clothes, curtains, bags
Glass
Windows, cups, mirrors
Properties: How Materials Feel and Look
Materials have different properties. A property tells us what a material is like.
Hard or Soft?
Rock
Very hard!
Teddy Bear
Very soft!
Rough or Smooth?
Sandpaper
Rough!
Glass
Smooth!
Shiny or Dull?
Metal spoon
Shiny!
Cardboard
Dull!
What Is It Made Of?
Can you guess which material each object is made from?
Key
Made from: Metal
T-shirt
Made from: Fabric
Table
Made from: Wood
Water bottle
Made from: Plastic
💡 Think About It!
Pick an object near you. What material is it made from? What makes you say that? How does it feel — hard, soft, rough, smooth, shiny, or dull?
🧪 Try It at Home!
Material Hunt
Walk around your house and find objects made from different materials.
- Find something made of wood (like a spoon or chair)
- Find something made of metal (like a fork or coin)
- Find something made of plastic (like a toy or container)
- Find something made of fabric (like a pillow or shirt)
- Touch each one. Is it hard or soft? Rough or smooth? Shiny or dull?
Key Vocabulary
Material
What something is made from. Like wood, metal, or plastic.
Property
A word that describes a material. Like hard, soft, shiny, or rough.
Hard
Firm and solid. Not easy to squish. Rocks and metal are hard.
Flexible
Can bend without breaking. Fabric and rubber are flexible.
Knowledge Check
Choose the correct answer for each question. Click "Check Answer" to see if you are right!
Question 1
A key is usually made from which material? 🔑
Question 2
Which property describes a mirror? 🪄
Question 3
Your socks are made from which material? 🧦
Question 4
Which material is see-through (transparent)? 👀
Question 5
Why is a pillow made from soft material? 🛌
Key Concepts Summary
- ●A material is what something is made from.
- ●Common materials include wood, metal, plastic, fabric, and glass.
- ●Materials have properties like hard/soft, rough/smooth, and shiny/dull.
- ●We choose materials based on what we need the object to do.
- ●The same object can be made from different materials (e.g. a spoon can be wood, metal, or plastic).