Texture Explorers

Overview

In this 45-minute kindergarten Visual Arts lesson, students will experiment with texture using everyday natural and constructed materials, and create a simple textured artwork using “layer + layer + layer” thinking.

Learning intentions

• Students will explore how different materials feel and look (rough, smooth, bumpy, sticky).
• Students will experiment with visual conventions of texture by making marks and surfaces with their hands and tools.
• Students will use art materials safely and with care while creating a textured collage/relief.
• Students will talk about what was easy or tricky and what they discovered about texture.

Success criteria

• I can choose materials that make a certain texture (rough, smooth, bumpy).
• I can make a textured surface using at least two different materials.
• I can describe my artwork using simple art words (rough/smooth/bumpy/sticky).
• I can use materials safely and clean up when finished.

Curriculum links

• Visual Arts (Foundation/Kindergarten): Students experiment and play with visual arts processes and materials to create textures.
• Visual Arts (Foundation/Kindergarten): Students use processes and materials to create artworks that communicate ideas from their experiences.
• Visual Arts: Students reflect using simple questions about their learning (what I discovered, what was challenging, what I tried next).
• General capability: Communication (students share observations and ideas) and Personal and Social Capability (working in a small group and following safety routines).

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Welcome + hook. Teacher shows 4–5 “texture mystery” samples (e.g., sandpaper, cotton, bubble wrap, leaves) and asks students to hold one carefully and say a feeling word.

2. 5–12 min · Explore materials (station rotation). Teacher sets up small stations with different materials; students rotate in pairs, touching and noticing texture, then placing a tick/face sticker on a class chart beside the texture word they observed.

3. 12–18 min · Direct teaching: how textures are made. Teacher demonstrates two texture methods on an example sheet:

• “Press and rub”: pressing materials down and rubbing with a crayon on top (if appropriate)
• “Glue and stick”: spreading glue then layering torn paper, fabric scraps, or natural pieces Teacher emphasises: textures look different when layered.

4. 18–30 min · Create time (guided art making). Teacher gives each student a base page (thick paper or card) and a “Texture Recipe” card:

• Use 2 materials (at least one rough or bumpy)
• Add 2 layers (layer 1: background; layer 2: texture feature) Students choose materials, build a textured area, and keep going until they reach the recipe steps.

5. 30–38 min · Share + reflect (Viewpoints-style questions). Students sit in a circle; teacher prompts with simple questions:

• “What texture did you make?”
• “What was tricky?”
• “What would you try next to change the texture?” Students share one artwork or one choice they made.

6. 38–45 min · Clean-up + quick check (exit). Students help with tidy-up routines; teacher asks each student to show their artwork and point to: “Rough” or “Smooth” part using teacher language supports.

Resources

• Texture samples: sandpaper, cotton balls, bubble wrap, leaves, string/yarn, sponge pieces, corrugated cardboard offcuts
• Thick paper/card bases (one per student)
• Glue sticks and/or child-safe glue bottles with pump tops
• Torn coloured paper scraps, fabric scraps, natural materials (washed/dried)
• Crayons or soft pastels (for rubbing/mark-making)
• Safety materials: wipes, paper towels, a bin for scraps, hand sanitiser
• Class texture chart with picture icons (rough/smooth/bumpy/sticky) and sticker dot markers
• Sample artwork sheet for teacher demonstration
• “Texture Recipe” cards with 2-layer and 2-materials prompts

Assessment

• Teacher observation during stations: whether students can identify textures using feeling/visual words.
• During making: teacher checks students are creating texture through pressing/rubbing or glue-and-layering, and that they follow safety/clean-up routines.
• Conversation evidence during sharing: students answer one question using at least one texture word.
• Exit check at the end: students point to a textured area and label it with a teacher-supported word (rough/smooth/bumpy).

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters and picture supports (“My texture is…”, “I used…”, “It feels…”) and a smaller material choice set for students who need reduced options.
• Support: pre-cut shapes/scraps and pre-measured glue portions; teacher models one step at a time (layer 1, then layer 2).
• Extension: challenge students to add a third texture type or create a “texture pattern” (repeat rough/smooth) and explain it.
• Fine motor considerations: allow gripping supports (larger glue stick handles) and alternative mark-making (pressing materials instead of rubbing).
• EAL/SEN: focus assessment on participation and texture vocabulary matched to student communication; allow gestures or pointing to express understanding.