Core Skills Analysis
Science
Bz explored a simple materials-based making activity by using a kit to make a taba squishy. In doing so, Bz likely observed how different ingredients or components could be combined to create a soft, flexible object with a specific texture and shape. This activity supported early scientific thinking about properties of materials, cause and effect, and following a process carefully to achieve a desired result. It also encouraged hands-on experimentation and curiosity about how manufactured objects are made.
Design and Technology
Bz completed a practical design-and-make task by assembling a taba squishy from a kit. This meant Bz followed instructions, selected and used the provided materials, and worked toward producing a finished item that was both functional and enjoyable. The activity helped Bz understand that products are made through a sequence of steps and that careful construction affects the final quality and appearance. It also developed persistence and attention to detail while building something tangible.
Tips
To extend Bz’s learning, compare the finished taba squishy with other familiar materials by feeling, squeezing, and describing how each one behaves, which can build richer vocabulary for texture and material properties. Try a simple design challenge where Bz predicts what might happen if a step is changed, helping strengthen scientific reasoning and problem-solving. Bz could also sketch the squishy, label its parts, and write a short how-to guide, which blends observation with clear instruction writing. For a creative next step, have Bz invent a new squishy design on paper first, then explain what materials or features would make it unique.
Book Recommendations
- The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires: A story about designing, building, and improving a creation through trial and persistence.
- Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty: A playful introduction to invention, problem-solving, and learning from mistakes.
- Not a Box by Antoinette Portis: An imaginative book that encourages creative thinking and turning simple materials into something new.
Learning Standards
- Science: Links to learning about the properties of materials and observing how combining materials can change texture and form.
- Design and Technology: Matches designing, making, and evaluating a product by following instructions and creating a finished object.
- UK National Curriculum (Years 5-6): KS2 DT supports using research and design criteria to create functional products; KS2 Science - Working Scientifically supports observing closely and using evidence from practical tasks.
Try This Next
- Draw and label the steps Bz used to make the taba squishy.
- Write 3 quiz questions about what materials were used and why the order mattered.
- Create a texture word bank: soft, stretchy, squishy, smooth, firm.
- Design a new squishy on paper and explain how it would be different.