How 5 minutes with Alexander Calder can lead to hours of creative, STEAM play?

To stand beneath one of Alexander Calder's majestic large scale mobiles is to be wrapped in wonder.

Calder created stunning, large-scale, wind-powered metal pieces using his iconic primary colors: red, blue and yellow — complemented by black and white.

Calder, best known for inventing the mobiles (Yes! Without him, we wouldn't have mobiles to put our kids to sleep!), was a joyful, curious, American artist born in Pennsylvania in 1898. He is widely recognized as the inventor of mobiles and as one of the most prominent figures in early Kinetic Art — art that moves.

Before him, sculpture was static.

After him, sculptures could move.

Let's think about that for a moment:

For about 40,000 years since the creation of the first known sculpture, Lionman, until the 1940s — sculpture remained still. Then along came Calder and asked:

“Why must art be static?” and the rest (as they say) is history.

Reflect on this as a family, and ask yourselves:

How would our world look differently without Calder and his mobiles? 

Then, grab old wire hangers, floral wire, cardboard, toilet paper rolls, colored paper, primary colors (with some black and white) and challenge yourself to build art that moves a la Calder.

What other upcycled materials can you use? Raid your recycling bin for inspiration.

Will your piece have a base? Hang down from the ceiling? Or a wall?

What will you use as connectors? For balance?

Need a bit more inspo?

Click here to learn more with Tate Kids.

Share your creations below!