123 I Can Build

While this book is written for parents to help get their young artists started with creative building projects, I think the projects in this book are inspiring for people of all ages! Who needs expensive building blocks and erector sets? You can use items laying around your house and yard to build anything you can imagine.

This book offers a creative introduction to architecture. It explains how buildings come in all shapes and sizes and encourages us to experiment with a variety of materials and techniques to create an array of houses and buildings. Most, if not all, of the supplies needed to build the projects in this book can be found laying around your house.

You, and your kids of course, can learn about string foundations by building a city on a city by the sea. Learn more about the structure of a house by constructing a birdhouse using twigs and fun embellishments. Discover the function of different parts of a building by creating an awesome mushroom mansion. Explore more about interiors and exteriors by using paper to design a delightful dwelling. Use sugar cubes to experiment with pillars used to support an ice castle. Finally, erect a tall tower and create your own fun house.

This is not simply a how-to book parents can use to show their kids how to make buildings, it is a book written for parents to read along with their kids. Each building project is wonderfully illustrated with amusing drawings and colorful photographs, and the material list shown in the front of the book is too. There is also a glossary of building related terms for kids to learn.

This is one of several books in the Starting Art series from Kids Can Press and would make a great addition to your arts and crafts library. The Starting Art series introduces art concepts such as color, form and texture, reinforced and put into practice through the creative process. Each book includes a visual glossary of key art terms and a note to parents and teachers on how to ensure a good art experience every time.