Grade by Grade
D. Structures and Mechanisms · Materials, Objects, and Everyday Structures

Fasteners: Holding Things Together

D2.7 D2.6 D2.5 A1.2 A1.5About 30 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can name different kinds of fasteners.
  • I can tell what each fastener is used for.
  • I can explain why some fasteners can come undone and some are meant to stay.
  • I can test which fastener holds best.

Words to know

fastener
Something that holds two things together, like a button, a zipper, glue or a nail.
join
To put two things together.
temporary
Not forever. A zipper opens and closes again and again.
permanent
Meant to stay for a long time. Glue and nails are meant to stay.

Zip, snap, click!

When you put on your winter coat, you hear sounds: zzzip goes the zipper, snap goes the snap, rrrip goes the hook-and-loop strap on your boots.

All of these hold things together. They are called fasteners.

What are fasteners?

A fastener joins two things so they stay together.

Some fasteners can be opened and closed again and again. They are temporary. A zipper, a button and a shoelace are temporary. That's good, because you need to take off your coat!

Other fasteners are meant to stay closed for a long time. They are permanent. Glue, nails and screws in a house are meant to stay.

A coat with a zipper, buttons, metal snaps, a laced shoe and a boot with hook-and-loop straps on a wooden table.
Find the fasteners: a zipper, buttons, snaps, a shoelace and hook-and-loop straps. All of them are temporary, because they can open and close again. AI-generated image
FastenerTemporary or permanent?What it is used for
zippertemporarycoats, backpacks, pencil cases
buttontemporaryshirts, coats, sweaters
snaptemporaryjackets, baby clothes, mittens on a string
hook-and-loop tapetemporaryshoes, boots, lunch bags
shoelace (a knot)temporaryshoes, skates, boots
paper cliptemporaryholding papers together
clothespintemporaryhanging wet mittens to dry, closing a chip bag
tapecan be eitherwrapping gifts, fixing a torn page
stapleusually staysbooklets, papers
gluepermanentcrafts, fixing a broken toy
nail or screwpermanent (but a screw can be taken out with a tool)building houses, furniture, birdhouses
Fasteners and their uses
🧥👟📎🔩🧵
A coat (zipper and buttons), shoes (laces), a paper clip, a nut and bolt, and thread for sewing.

Choosing the right fastener

Pick a fastener that fits the job.

  • Do you need to open it again? Pick a temporary fastener, like a zipper.
  • Must it be very strong and stay? Pick a permanent fastener, like nails or screws.
  • Is it for little hands or mittens? Hook-and-loop tape is easy to open and close.
  • Will it get wet? Some glues and tapes stop sticking when wet.
TEMPORARYopens and closes againPERMANENTmeant to stayzipperbuttonshoelacenailglue
Temporary fasteners let you open things again, like your coat. Permanent fasteners, like nails and glue, are meant to stay put.

Fasteners in nature and history

People have used natural fasteners for a long time. Remember the birchbark canoe? The bark was sewn with spruce roots, and the seams were sealed with tree gum. Sewing with thread is a fastener too: the thread holds pieces of cloth together.

Worked example

Let's pick a fastener for a winter coat

A coat must keep you warm, but you need to take it off indoors. Which fastener is best: glue, nails, or a zipper?

  1. Job: Close the coat to keep cold air out, then open it again.
  2. Glue: It would stay closed forever. You could never take the coat off! No.
  3. Nails: They would poke holes and could hurt you. No!
  4. Zipper: It closes tightly and opens again and again. Yes!

A zipper (or buttons or snaps) is best because the coat must open and close many times. It is a temporary fastener.

Just for fun

Riddle: What has lots of teeth but never bites?

A zipper!

Worked example

Let's test: which fastener holds paper best?

We join two strips of paper three ways: with a paper clip, a piece of tape, and a dab of glue stick. Which join holds best when we pull gently?

  1. Predict: I think tape will hold best.
  2. Make it fair: Use the same kind of paper strips. Overlap them the same amount. Let the glue dry for 5 minutes. Pull each one gently in the same way.
  3. Test each one by holding one end and gently pulling the other end.
  4. Observe: The paper clip slid off. The glue stick held a little, then came apart. The tape held!

In our test, the tape held best. Your results may be different. Glue that dries longer may hold better. Scientists say what they really observed.

Hands-on activity

Fastener hunt

You need: paper and a pencil.

  1. Look at your clothes, shoes, backpack, kitchen and toys.
  2. Find as many different fasteners as you can. Try for 8!
  3. Make a chart with two columns: opens and closes again (temporary) and stays put (permanent).
  4. Pick one fastener. Tell a grown-up why it is a good choice for that object.

Ideas to look for: zippers, buttons, snaps, laces, hook-and-loop tape, clips, clothespins, twist ties, buckles, magnets on a cupboard door, screws in a chair, staples, tape and glue.

Your turn

1

What is a fastener?

2

Name 3 fasteners on clothes or shoes.

3

Is glue temporary or permanent?

4

Why are shoes often closed with laces or hook-and-loop tape, not glue?

5

What fastener would a builder use to hold the boards of a fence together?

6

What fastener could you use to hang wet mittens on a line?

7

What fastener holds pages of a booklet together?

More practice: warm-up

1

Name a fastener on a backpack.

2

What fastener holds papers together and can be taken off easily?

3

Does a zipper open and close again?

4

What do you tie to keep your skates on?

5

What sticky fastener do you use to wrap a present?

More practice: on your own

1

Why are nails not a good fastener for a mitten?

2

A toddler can't do up buttons. What fastener would be easier for their shoes?

3

You fixed a broken teacup handle. Should you use tape or glue? Why?

4

Name a fastener that is found in nature or made from nature.

5

In a fair test of fasteners, what should stay the same?

Challenge

1

A screw is usually permanent, but it can be taken out. When would that be useful?

2

Design a fastener for a mitten that a child with cold fingers can open. Explain why it works.

3

Why do you think winter coats often have a zipper and snaps over it?

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

Which one is a fastener?

2.

Which fastener is permanent?

3.

What is the best fastener for a jacket you take on and off every day?

4.

Which fastener holds wet laundry on a line?

5.

What did First Nations use to sew birchbark canoes?

6.

Builders join wooden boards with...

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Fasteners join things together. Different fasteners suit different uses (D2.7): some open and close (zippers, buttons, snaps, laces), some are meant to stay (glue, nails, screws). The choice depends on the object's purpose and the properties needed (D2.5, D2.6).

How to help: Getting dressed is a great fastener lesson. Name each fastener and ask why it fits. Practise doing up buttons, zippers and snaps (fine-motor practice too!). In the kitchen, notice clips, twist ties and lids.

About the test: Keep it gentle and fair: same paper, same overlap, same pull. Results may differ; what matters is predicting, observing and reporting honestly.

Common difficulties:

  • Not knowing the words. "Hook-and-loop tape" is the general name for the fuzzy/scratchy strips many families call by a brand name.
  • Thinking tape is always permanent or always temporary. It depends on the tape; that is fine to discuss.

Safety: Nails, screws and staples are for grown-ups to handle. Supervise scissors and glue.