Materials Around UsGrade 1 Science for Kids

Wood, metal, plastic and more: what things are made of and what they can do.

Materials Around Us helps first graders find out what everyday things are made of, test what sinks and what floats, and see which material soaks up the most water. Practical material science with fun experiments.

  • Grade 1 · Ages 6–7
  • 3 lessons
  • 3 experiments
  • 12 practice questions
  • About 25 min
Start Learning Free Open the Course
  • What Is It Made Of?
  • Material Detective
  • Sink or Float
  • Sink or Float?
  • Soak It Up
  • Spill Test

Science lab course · Grade 1

Materials Around Us · Learning goals

What Your Child Will Learn

Find out what everyday things are made of, test what sinks and what floats, and see which material soaks up the most water.

  • Things are made of materials. We pick the material that fits the job.
  • Things that are light for their size float. Heavy-for-their-size things sink.
  • A sponge soaks up the most water. Plastic is waterproof.

Why it matters

Why This Matters for Kids

  • Choosing materials

    Kids learn why raincoats are plastic and towels are cloth: materials are chosen for their properties.

  • Predict and test

    Sink-or-float tests teach kids to make a guess and check it.

  • Describing objects

    Words like hard, soft, waterproof and absorbent build science vocabulary.

Inside Materials Around Us

How the Course Works

Each level has a short read-aloud lesson, an interactive experiment and a mini quiz.

  1. Step 1 · Lesson

    What Is It Made Of?

    Everything is made of materials, like wood, metal, plastic, glass and cloth.

  2. Step 2 · Experiment

    Material Detective

    Be a material detective! What is each thing made of?

  3. Step 3 · Lesson

    Sink or Float

    Some things float on water. Some things sink to the bottom.

  4. Step 4 · Experiment

    Sink or Float?

    Let's drop things into a tank of water. Will each one sink or float?

  5. Step 5 · Lesson

    Soak It Up

    Some materials soak up water, like a sponge or a paper towel.

  6. Step 6 · Experiment

    Spill Test

    Oops, a spill! Let's test three materials. Which one soaks up the most water?

Lesson preview

A Peek Inside the Lesson

This is the real lesson text your child hears, read aloud by a friendly voice.

What Is It Made Of?

Everything is made of materials, like wood, metal, plastic, glass and cloth.

Wood comes from trees. Metal is hard and shiny.

Cloth is soft and bendy, so we make clothes with it.

Sink or Float

Some things float on water. Some things sink to the bottom.

Heavy things for their size, like stones and coins, usually sink.

Light things full of air, like a ball or a boat, float.

Soak It Up

Some materials soak up water, like a sponge or a paper towel.

Some materials keep water out. They are waterproof, like a raincoat.

We use soaking materials to clean spills, and waterproof ones to stay dry.

For parents

Try It at Home

Learning sticks best when kids use it in real life. Here are simple ideas from this course.

Parent Tip

Fill a sink or bowl with water and test household objects: a spoon, a cork, a leaf, a coin. Let your child predict first.

Material Detective

  1. Go on a material hunt at home.
  2. Find something wood, metal, plastic and cloth.
  3. Which one is the hardest? The softest?

Things are made of materials. We pick the material that fits the job.

Sink or Float?

  1. Fill a sink or a bowl with water.
  2. Guess, then test: a spoon, a cork, a crayon, a grape.
  3. Make two piles: sinkers and floaters.

Things that are light for their size float. Heavy-for-their-size things sink.

Spill Test

  1. Pour 3 small puddles on a tray.
  2. Wipe one with plastic, one with paper towel, one with a sponge.
  3. Which one cleaned it best?

A sponge soaks up the most water. Plastic is waterproof.

Practice

Grade 1 Science Practice Questions

Real questions from Materials Around Us. Try them with your child, then tap to see the answer.

  1. Question 1

    What is a key made of?

    • A.Cloth
    • B.Metal
    • C.Paper
    Show answer

    Metal

  2. Question 2

    What happens to a coin in water?

    • A.It floats
    • B.It melts
    • C.It sinks
    Show answer

    It sinks

  3. Question 3

    Which soaks up the most water?

    • A.A sponge
    • B.A plastic bag
    • C.A spoon
    Show answer

    A sponge

The full course has 12 questions with instant feedback, stars and rewards. Create a free account to play them all.

Materials Around Us · Questions from parents

Frequently Asked Questions

What age is this course for?

Materials Around Us is a grade 1 science course for kids ages 6–7. That is Year 2 science in the UK and Year 1 in Australia. It also works well for review in the next grade, or as a challenge for a confident younger learner.

What will my child learn?

Find out what everyday things are made of, test what sinks and what floats, and see which material soaks up the most water. Along the way they practice: Things are made of materials. We pick the material that fits the job; Things that are light for their size float. Heavy-for-their-size things sink; A sponge soaks up the most water. Plastic is waterproof.

How long does the course take?

About 25 minutes in total, split into 3 short levels. Most kids finish it over two or three sessions. Progress is saved, so they can stop any time and pick up where they left off.

Is this course free?

Materials Around Us is part of SkillBloom Premium, which unlocks every course in every subject. Each subject also has free courses, so your child can try SkillBloom before you decide.

Does my child need to read well to use it?

No. Every lesson has a friendly read-aloud voice, questions are read aloud too, and the pictures help kids follow along. Confident readers can turn the voice off.

Can we use it for homeschool?

Yes. SkillBloom is built for homeschooling families. Kids work through lessons, games and quizzes on their own, and the parent dashboard shows what they finished and which skills need more practice. It works on phones, tablets and laptops.

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