Year 1 Challenge
Year 1 have been working with the book “Mrs Armitage On Wheels” by Quentin Blake. Mrs Armitage sets off on a bike ride and encounters a range of challenges along the way. She is inventive and creates different adaptations for her bike to solve each problem, resulting in and eye-catching contraption. The year 1 team would like to challenge all the Year 1 children to create their own bicycle with their own adaptations and inventive ideas, using any junk modelling items they can find at home such as boxes, tubes, bottle tops, cartons, and paper. They should try to add inventive features just as Mrs Armitage does—such as extra horns, toolkits, a seat for a toy dog, umbrellas, or other imaginative accessories.
Instructions for Children
- Start with a basic “bike” shape using junk materials.
- Think about what Mrs Armitage adds in the story, then invent and attach your own funny and useful additions for your bike. What does your bike need for a special celebration, unusual weather or other challenges she might encounter?
- Label or explain the different parts you have added.
- Optional: Draw and name your finished invention, or write one sentence about what makes your bike unique.
Extra Ideas
- Make sure to include a seat for Breakspear the dog or space for snacks, just like in the book.
- Encourage children to use storytelling along with their model, describing what each part does or why it’s useful.
We would love to see any models the children manage to make, so please do send them in for us to see. Year 1 Team
