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Material Properties Hunt: Free Printable Game for Year 1
- ForYear 1
- StageKey Stage 1
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Material Properties Hunt is a free printable science game for Year 1 (ages 5 to 6). Children go on a hunt for everyday objects and tick them off a checklist. They look for things that are hard, soft, rough, smooth, shiny, bendy, stretchy and see through. It needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas and a stretch task.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children go on a hunt with a checklist to tick off. They look for something hard, soft, rough, smooth, shiny, bendy, stretchy and see through. For each one they stop, look and feel, then decide which object fits best. They use describing words as they go. It is a game, so children move about and talk while they work. A grown up can read the checklist aloud for children who are still learning to read.
- Something hard
- Something soft
- Something rough
- Something smooth
- Something shiny
- Something bendy
- Something stretchy
- Something see through
Why talk about materials?
Everything around us is made from materials, such as wood, metal, plastic, glass, fabric and paper. A property is a word that describes how a material looks or feels. In Year 1, children learn to name common materials and describe them in simple words. Hard and soft, rough and smooth are some of the first science words they use.
Children learn about materials best by noticing. Looking closely, feeling carefully and then finding the right word is real scientific observing. A hunt makes this active, because children choose what to look at. Words like soft depend on comparing, so asking "is it softer than that?" helps children think more carefully about what they feel.
Adults choose and handle anything hot, sharp, breakable or small enough to go in a mouth. Check the hunting area before you start. Children should only touch things an adult has said are safe, and should not touch hot or sharp items at all.
Quick facts about materials
- A material is what an object is made from. One material can make many different objects.
- A property is a word that tells us how a material looks or feels.
- Scientists use their senses and careful looking to find out about the world.
- Glass, metal, wood, plastic and fabric are all everyday materials.
- People choose materials for a job because of their properties. A raincoat is made from a material that keeps water out.
Skills and curriculum link
- Describing
- Observing
- Naming materials
- Sorting by properties
- Using the senses
- Science vocabulary
This sheet supports the area below. It is matched to the published England framework. Please check it against your own school plan.
| Framework | Subject or area | Strand | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Curriculum (England) | Science | Everyday materials | Year 1 |
What children will be able to do
- I can find objects around me and look at what they are made of.
- I can describe an object as hard, soft, rough or shiny.
- I can sort things by how they feel and look.
Ideas for helping your child
- Use the right wordSay the science word each time, such as rough or smooth. Children pick up new words when they hear them in real use.
- Compare two thingsHold two objects together and ask which is harder or softer. Comparing is easier than judging one thing alone.
- Ask whyWhen your child picks an object, ask what made them choose it. Listen for their reasons, not just the choice.
- Allow more than one answerMany objects fit more than one word. A spoon can be hard and shiny. Praise children who spot two properties.
Key words
- MaterialWhat something is made from, such as wood, plastic or fabric.
- PropertyA word that tells you how a material looks or feels.
- HardDoes not squash or dent easily when you press it.
- SoftSquashes or changes shape easily when you press it.
- RoughBumpy or scratchy when you touch it.
- ShinyBright and gleaming because it reflects light.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes for you.
- Read the checklist aloud together. Talk about what each word means before you set off.
- Hunt in one room or area at a time. Let your child look, feel safe objects and decide where to tick.
- Ask your child to describe each find in their own words. Use page 2 to help with support and stretch ideas.
- Come back another day and hunt somewhere new. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Hunt with a grown up. Read each checklist word aloud, then look in one room at a time. Let your child feel safe objects and say one word about each. Say the word together, such as soft, before moving to the next thing.
To stretch confident children
Write the name of each thing you found next to its tick. Then add a second describing word for each one, such as hard and shiny. Can you find one thing that is both rough and hard, or both smooth and bendy?
Make it a game
Take turns to describe something in the room without saying its name. Use words like smooth or shiny. The others guess what it is. Score one point for a correct guess and one point for a clear clue.
Talk about it
- How would you describe this object to a friend who cannot see it?
- Which of the things you found feels the nicest to touch, and why?
- Can an object be more than one thing, like hard and shiny?
- What is the same about two things you found? What is different?
- Why might a window be made from a different material to a blanket?
- What other words could we use besides soft or rough?
Take it off the page
Feely bag
An adult puts a few safe objects in a bag. Your child feels one without looking and describes it. Others guess what it is.
Sort the toys
Sort toys or objects into groups, such as hard things and soft things. Ask your child to explain each group.
Texture rubbings
Place paper over safe surfaces and rub with a crayon. Compare the patterns and talk about which surfaces felt rough and which felt smooth.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first go, then let them lead. Keep sessions short and relaxed. Ask them to explain each choice, and have a go at describing things yourself.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, a plenary, an early finisher task or a table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing and links to the everyday materials strand in Year 1 science. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider science plan. It pairs well with books, outdoor play and everyday talk about the things around you. You can print it again for brothers and sisters or for revision later.
Where this fits in science
Before this, children notice and name everyday objects around them. They use their senses to say what they see and feel. Describing words such as big, little and colour names give them a first set of ideas to build on.
After this, children in Key Stage 1 learn to tell an object from the material it is made from. They compare and group everyday materials by their properties. In Year 2 they go on to think about why certain materials are chosen for particular jobs.
Check it worked
Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- How would you describe this object to a friend who cannot see it?
- Which object is the softest, and which is the hardest?
- What is the same about two shiny things?
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Material Properties Hunt for?
It is written for Year 1 (ages 5 to 6) in Key Stage 1. Younger children can enjoy it with a grown up, and older children can use the stretch ideas on page 2.
- What will children practise?
Children practise describing and observing everyday objects. They use words such as hard, soft, rough and shiny, and learn that objects are made from materials with different properties.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it as many times as you need, for brothers, sisters or a whole class.
- What do we need to play?
You need the printed sheet, a pencil and a few safe objects around you. Black and white printing works well. Adults should choose where children hunt and keep hot or sharp things out of reach.
- Is it suitable for teachers to use in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has help and stretch ideas.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it works well for quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. It gets children moving, looking closely and talking about what they find.
- What if my child finds it hard?
Hunt together with a grown up. Read each checklist word aloud, look in one room at a time and say the describing words together. Let your child lead once they feel confident.
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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.