
Box sculpture – Whakairo pouaka Activity
Why do it?
Whakatipu booklet Te Māhuri 1, ‘Construction carpentry’, pp. 14–15.
Why do it? — He aha e mahi ai?
By constructing sculptures from boxes, tamariki can:
- be creative and resourceful using everyday household items
- have an opportunity to solve problems.
How to do it
How to do it — Te tikanga mō tēnei mahi
- Choose a suitable space where it’s okay to make a bit of a mess.
- Collect some empty containers, boxes and cardboard tubes of different shapes and sizes.
- Get tape and glue for sticking the boxes and containers together, and scissors for cutting things to shape.
- Coloured paper or card, pipe cleaners and string can also be useful.
- Ask your tamaiti open-ended questions such as ‘What do you want to make?’ and, ‘How could you make a ...?’
- Offer support with suggestions like, ‘What would happen if you...?’ or ‘How can you decorate your ...?’
- Remember, the process of ‘doing’ is what matters most, not the finished product.
- Ideas for things to create could be: houses, wharenui, waka, ships, rockets, robots, spaceships, garages, animals or people.
Using more te reo Māori
Container |
Paepae |
Box |
Pouaka |
Bigger |
Nui rawa |
Smaller |
Iti rawa |
Longer |
Roa rawa |
Shorter |
Poto rawa |
Lid |
Taupoki |
Tube |
Ngongo |
Ship |
Kaipuke |
Garage |
Karāti |
Rocket |
Waka rere aiao |
Spaceship |
Waka noho aiao |
Animal |
Kararehe |
Robot |
Keretao |