3D Structures

10-45 min

Ages 5-18

What Will You Learn?

What even is a dodecahedron? In this activity, you will become more familiar with geometric terminology, learn geometry, and understand the 2d to 3d building process by molding your flat 2d design into cool 3D forms.

About Inventor City

Become artists and engineers by experimenting with your digital creativity and bringing your online designs to life with activities from inventor city. Projects include designing and building your own loom, sunglasses, 3D structures, and more!

Each Inventor City activity offers campers the experience to express and grow their digital and hands-on imagination, problem-solving skills, and technical understanding. All activities embrace the relationship between online and hands-on technologies by starting out digitally and later being assembled physically. Activities begin online, where campers showcase and practice their computer and artistic skills by designing their project through pixel art. Their custom designs are then integrated into the physical project, which they can print at home and/or order a laser cut version. Following the step by step instructions, campers then assemble their project and see their digital designs come alive! From putting their projects together, campers learn how to fabricate using different materials, experiment with various joinery methods, and gain confidence about their developing skills. Being part of the conceptual design to production process, campers take ownership of their work, thus boosting their self-esteem and their understanding of the thinking and development process.

Design Your Shape

Step 1

Visit inventor.city and select a shape you would like to create: tetrahedron, hexahedron, dodecahedron, or 24-sided polyhedron.

Step 2

Complete the activity and print out your worksheet.

Step 3

Cut out entire shape and prefold.

Step 4

Attach all tabs working from one end to the other using tape or glue.

What's Next?

Now that you’ve made some awesome 3D forms, experiment with other shapes and patterns to see what other cool structures you can create through cut and fold techniques. Want more? Check out inventor.city to unleash your creativity and make your digital designs come to life.

Steamlabs is a small team of coders, designers, and makers. They developed the Inventor City website because we wanted to create accessible learning activities that not only influence users to explore their creativity, but also help them learn about science, technology, engineering, art and math – all while having fun.

Their approach to this is simple: create open ended online activities that could easily transform into hands-on experiments.

From there, they’ve produced diverse programs that encourage creative imagination, problem-solving, and have inspired kids (and adults) to embrace the relationship between online and hands-on technologies. Along the way, they’ve collaborated with various science centres and educational organizations in supporting their spaces and in developing unique activities. They continue to create more playful and interactive activities in the hopes of bringing the love of science and learning to kids and adults everywhere.