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How To Build 3D Piggy-Banks

Cool Math For Kids

Learn how to build 3D piggy-banks for kids and enjoy fun 3D math with Elliot and myABCdad Learning for Kids.

Elliot loses his first tooth. Before bed, he wraps it tight in a blanket and places it beside him for the night. In the morning, Elliot finds a coin. He is over the moon. He explains a special mouse came to collect his tooth and in return, left a coin behind. I am familiar with the tooth fairy but Elliot prefers a mouse, the accepted method in France, where we now live.

About to store his coin in a safe place, Elliot realizes he does not have a piggy bank. Instead of buying one, we decide to make one of his very own. Along the way, we combine a bit of math with art.

First, we build a 3D cuboid and then get artistic by covering it with paper-mache and finally, painting it.

3D Shapes

In my nine years teaching Kindergarten, learning about 3D shapes was always a big hit. Transforming paper net 2D shapes into 3D shapes and then creating something with them was fantastic. Some structures were simple and others were pretty amazing. Regardless of the engineering feats, 3D shapes were of great interest across the board. During the school year, invariably one of our units of study would involve structures. During these units, I would exploit interest and investigate them in greater detail. We would learn how to make a variety of simple paper nets, or 3D shapes made of paper, and then investigate their properties. Our shape structures would be the platform to springboard into different learning ideas. How can we make them stronger? What could we build with them?

At the age of five and six, making 3D shapes from paper nets is challenging, particularly when most are still learning to hold a pair of scissors. But what a great way to get stuck in to improving these skills.

Admittedly, by the end of each unit, and the class having had a go at cutting, folding and gluing a variety of 3D shapes including, cubes, cuboids, square based pyramids, tetrahedrons and octahedrons, I was often scratching my head as well. Some got it, but by in large it was a fine motor skills catastrophe. By the end of the year, however, most eventually succeeded. Loads of opportunities for them to choose to practise played a big part, but above all, it mattered to them, they were interested and it made sense, connecting in some way to their lives and our units of study.

Now with Elliot, the same is true, he loves building things with lego, wooden blocks and any collection of 3D material he can get his hands on. Needing 3D piggy-banks provides a brilliant springboard to creating something a bit more lasting.

After watching how to build a 3D piggy bank with Elliot, learn how to papier-mache 3D piggy-banks and then how to paint a piggy bank.

3D Shapes Preview Pictures

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