Found Object Sculpture: Create our own Circus!

Alexander Calder used materials you can find around the house to make sculptures for his Circus. Inspired by the performers and animals he saw at the circus, he used scraps of materials to create moveable figures and assemble the characters for his performance.

What you’ll need:

Found objects and materials such as wire, paper, fabric, shoelaces, corks, paper clips

  1. Have you ever been to the circus? Think about some of the things you might see when you’re at the circus—clowns, acrobats, elephants, horses, lions and tigers, and more!
  2. Choose a character from the circus that interests you. Who or what is it? What do they wear? How do they move?
  3. Inspired by your circus character, look around your house for different materials you might use to create a sculpture for a circus of your own! You could use anything from wire, paper, and fabric to shoelaces, corks, paper clips, and push pins. Be creative!
  4. For an extra challenge, make several circus characters, and stage your own circus performance at home.