Science · Tick and write worksheet
Material Properties Worksheet (Free KS1 Science Printable)
This free printable introduces the Year 1 science topic of everyday materials, helping children begin to describe and compare what objects are made from and how they feel or behave. The worksheet pairs a colourable picture of four familiar objects with simple tick and write tasks, so learning stays hands-on and low-pressure.
It is designed for ages 5 to 7 and prints cleanly to a single A4 page, making it equally suitable for the classroom carpet, a home learning table or a quiet afternoon activity.
Material Properties Sort
Free Science worksheet · Ages 5 to 7
Activity 1
Colour the four objects. Try to make the teddy look soft and fluffy and the glass look clear and shiny.
- Colour the soft teddy bear.
- Colour the hard brick.
- Leave the clear glass mostly white so it still looks transparent.
- Colour the springy spring.
Activity 2
Read each sentence. Tick the box if it is true.
- The teddy bear is soft.
- The brick is hard.
- You can see through the glass because it is transparent.
- The spring is bendy and springy.
- The brick is soft and squashy.
- You cannot see through the teddy bear.
Activity 3
Write the best describing word for each object. Use the word bank to help you.
How does the teddy bear feel?
How does the brick feel?
What word means you can see through it, like the glass?
Which word describes the springy spring?
Material Properties Sortowee.worldAnswer key
- The teddy bear is soft. — tick
- The brick is hard. — tick
- You can see through the glass because it is transparent. — tick
- The spring is bendy and springy. — tick
- You cannot see through the teddy bear. — tick
- How does the teddy bear feel? — soft
- How does the brick feel? — hard
- What word means you can see through it, like the glass? — transparent
- Which word describes the springy spring? — bendy
What this worksheet covers
The activities focus on the simple physical properties that young children can observe and feel for themselves: hard and soft, bendy and stiff, transparent and opaque, and rough and smooth. Rather than asking children to memorise definitions, the sheet invites them to look closely at four everyday objects, a teddy, a brick, a glass and a spring, and decide which words best describe each one. This observation-led approach mirrors how the Year 1 programme of study expects children to encounter materials science.
How to use it at home or in class
Begin by colouring the picture together and naming each object. Before tackling the written tasks, encourage some real handling where it is safe to do so: a soft toy, a building brick and a smooth tumbler give children direct sensory evidence to draw on. Talk through one example aloud, modelling the language ("the teddy feels soft"), then let children complete the ticks and the short writing tasks independently. The word bank supports early spellers and reduces the writing load so the focus stays on the science.
Why describing materials matters
Sorting and describing materials lays the groundwork for later science, where children compare materials more formally and investigate why a particular material is chosen for a job, such as glass for a window because it is transparent. Building a confident vocabulary of property words early on, and learning that one object can have several properties at once, helps children explain their thinking and gives them the language they will reuse throughout Key Stage 1 and beyond.
Extending the activity
Once the sheet is complete, turn it into a short material hunt around the room or home. Ask children to find one more thing that is soft, one that is transparent and one that is bendy, then describe it using two property words. A simple sorting tray, with headings such as "hard" and "soft", lets children group real objects and reinforces the idea that materials can be compared and grouped on the basis of how they look, feel and behave.
Frequently asked questions
What are the simple physical properties children learn in KS1?
In Year 1 children describe properties they can see or feel, such as hard or soft, bendy or stiff, transparent or opaque, rough or smooth, shiny or dull, and waterproof or not waterproof. This worksheet focuses on the first four pairs, which are the easiest to observe with everyday objects.
Is this worksheet suitable for Year 1 or Year 2?
It is pitched at Year 1, where everyday materials is the relevant topic, but it also works well as revision or consolidation in early Year 2, and for confident Reception children with adult support.
What is the difference between an object and a material?
An object is a thing, such as a window or a teddy, while the material is what it is made from, such as glass or fabric. Helping children separate the two is an explicit Year 1 objective, and you can reinforce it by asking "what is it?" and then "what is it made of?"
Can one object have more than one property?
Yes, and this is an important idea for children to grasp. A drinking glass, for example, is both hard and transparent and smooth. Encourage children to use more than one describing word for each object on the sheet.
Is the worksheet free to print?
Yes. The worksheet is completely free, prints to a single A4 page in black and white, and can be used at home or in school without any account or sign-up.
Curriculum links
- Year 1 Science, Everyday materials: describe the simple physical properties of a variety of everyday materials.
- Year 1 Science, Everyday materials: compare and group together a variety of everyday materials on the basis of their simple physical properties.
- Year 1 Science, Everyday materials: distinguish between an object and the material from which it is made.
- Working scientifically (Years 1 and 2): observing closely and using simple equipment, and identifying and classifying.
Made by The Owee education team. Updated 02/06/2026. Free to print and share.
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