Make It Without Glue!

Imagine being a master builder, but you’re missing one ingredient – something to hold all the parts together!

In this creativity activity you are going to build a sculpture out of ten pieces of cardboard. But instead of glue, you will be using slots to join the pieces. The slots should be narrow, about 1/8 of an inch, so that they can fit snuggly against one another (Like rabbits in a rabbit hole!).

You’ll have to figure out how to balance your sculpture as you are building it upwards, and where to put the slots so that your sculpture stays in one piece!

You know you have done a great job if you can walk 100 steps while holding it by the base without your sculpture falling apart. And if it does, don’t worry. Since you didn’t use glue, you can always replace the part that is throwing off your sculpture’s balance by being too heavy or too light with one that is right.

Let Inventive Kids know if you’re successful! Send us a photo of your creation!

You’ll need:

• 1 piece of sturdy cardboard for the base, about 12’ x 12”
• coloured cardboard that you can cut with scissors, like bristol board
• scissors

Instructions:

Take a minute to think about how you want your sculpture to look. It should be interesting from all sides. Keep it to about one foot in height. Much more than that and it may be hard to keep it from falling apart.

• place your base cardboard in front of you – all your building will take place on the base
• cut out shapes from the thinner cardboard
• now, here’s the fun part
• start with two or three shapes, stand them up and move them around on the base until you like how they look together
• with your scissors cut slots in each of the pieces
• join the pieces by slipping one slot into another
• test for balance and sturdiness.
• add the other pieces, one by one, building up and out, by cutting slots into both the new piece and the place where you want to attach it
• make sure to have extra cardboard on hand in case you have to replace a piece that throws off the balance
• when you think you are finished, carefully pick up your sculpture by the base, hold your breath, and start the 100 step walk
• Good Luck!

This type of sculpture is called a stabile. Artist Alexander Calder invented the stabile, as well as the mobile. He was fascinated by balance and movement.