The purpose of this work is to investigate how 4-5 year olds perceptions of materials and material properties can be developed through an educational activity. The study is based on two interviews with eight children in that age category. The interviews were conducted before and after an activity where the children were first introduced to the subject by the tale of The three little pigs (Harris, 2009) and then given the opportunity to explore various materials related to the book. The kids got to experiment and explore how water affected materials and to compare different materials properties. The children were also attracted to build and create the material that was offered during the activity. The results of the survey show that children through practical exploration and surveying of the material increased their perceptions of concepts, properties and use of the materials in question. The children explored the materials with their minds and with the body in interaction with their peers and participating adult. The children were inspired by the book and each other in their creative work. Through dialogue and communication during the activity, similarities and differences were compared and the children developed their conceptual understanding.