Before the lesson
Watch
- Teacher video: Designing a stuffed toyA shape of outer fabric sewn together and filled with flexible material. They are also known as plush toys or stuffed animals….
- Pupil video: Designing a stuffed toy
Have ready
- Links:
- Homemade toys
- A4 paper or card (per pupil)
- FabricA natural or man-made woven or knitted material, that is made from plant fibres, animal fur or synthetic material…. in different colours
- Pins
- Scissors
- Activity: Toy designTo make, draw or write plans for something. sheet (see Classroom resources)
Learning objective
- To design a stuffed toy
National curriculum
Pupils should be taught to:
- Generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through discussions, annotated sketches, cross sectional and exploded diagrams, prototypes, pattern pieces and computer aided design
Success criteria
Success criteria:
-
- I know how to ensure that my template is proportional
- I can make a paper template
Cross-curricular links
- Nothing relevant to this lesson
Attention grabber
Show the children examples of homemade soft toys using the suggested links:
You could also hold up some examples of homemade toys.
In this topic, the children are going to make a stuffed toyA shape of outer fabric sewn together and filled with flexible material. They are also known as plush toys or stuffed animals…. for a younger child. You could narrow the age range of the recipient or the themeAn idea or specific design that your product or structure is based on (e.g. space-themed)…. of the toy to make the task more specific (such as a character from a story, a creature type, or a bedtime toy).
You can spend some time working on character descriptions for the toys that the children are going to create ( ‘The Lost Thing’, ‘The Arrival’, ‘There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom’, ‘Where the Wild Things Are’, etc).
If your class followed the Textiles topic in Year 3, ask the children to remind you how they made their cushions, as these stuffed toys will use the same approach. (The children made a fabricA natural or man-made woven or knitted material, that is made from plant fibres, animal fur or synthetic material…. shell and stuffed it).
The children should consider how practical their shapeThe form of an object. will be to make. Encourage the children to think of really simple designs so that they can finishTo complete your product with a high quality or attractive appearance…. them to a high standard.The children will make the main body first before adding any extra components.
To help the children getting the designTo make, draw or write plans for something. ideaSomething imagined or creative to solve a problem or design a product…. practical and simple, show the children the link:
-
- ‘Rollin’ Wild- Safari’ on Videolink
This may help the children to think of their toy having one main round body to which extras can be added as details.
Main event
Play the children the Pupil Video: Designing a soft toy. You may want to keep this running during the lesson so that the children can refer to it while you circulate and help individuals.
DesignTo make, draw or write plans for something. (10 minutes)
Give each child a copy of the Activity: Toy design sheet. The children use this to draw their design, annotating their drawing with notes about the materials and techniques that they will use. The children should add notes on extra pieces of fabricA natural or man-made woven or knitted material, that is made from plant fibres, animal fur or synthetic material…. they want to use for detailThe small features of an object.; any decorative stitches buttons or beads to be used.
Ask the children to consider the size of their soft toy, if it is too small then it will be very fiddly to make and if it is too large, it will take a long time to sewTo join or fasten by stitches made using a needle and thread….. Make sure the children have some time to refine their designs if necessary.
Plan (20 minutes)
Give each child a piece of blank A4 paper or card to draw the outline of the main body of their stuffed toyA shape of outer fabric sewn together and filled with flexible material. They are also known as plush toys or stuffed animals….. They should make sure that the main body fills at least half of the page.
The children should draw onto the A4 paper or card any extra appendages that they will need to cut from fabric to add to the main body. They need to make sure they factor in extra space if they plan on stuffingSoft material used to fill cushions and stuffed toys. these extra appendages as well.
Give each child a piece of fabric and instruct the children to cut out their paper/card templates and pin them to pieces of fabric, ready to cut out the next lesson.
Wrapping up
Recap the textiles skills the children have learnt in previous years (running stitchA simple style of sewing in a straight line with no overlapping…., cross-stitch, appliquéA type of textiles work where small pieces of cloth are sewn or stuck in a pattern onto a larger piece…., glueing). Ask the children which of these skills may be useful in this project and what for?
Discuss any other skills the children think they might need.
Ask if there are any unusual materials the children would like to include.
Assessing pupils' progress and understanding
Pupils with secure understanding indicated by: Designing a stuffed toyA shape of outer fabric sewn together and filled with flexible material. They are also known as plush toys or stuffed animals…. considering the main componentOne of two or more parts of which something is made. shapes required and creating an appropriate templateA stencil you use to help you draw the same shape more easily on to different materials…..
Pupils working at greater depth indicated by: Creating a detailed and complex designTo make, draw or write plans for something. of a stuffed toy considering all of the component shapes required to make the overall toy and creating an appropriately sized template.
Vocabulary
Design
Template
Model
Stuffed toy
Fabric
Running stitch
Cross-stitch
Appliqué