Here’s a fun STEM building challenge for a cold, rainy day. Construct the strongest bridge possible using only plastic straws and tape.
You will need:
-Wooden base spaced 10” apart (either build your own or space two wooden unit blocks 10” apart)
-Plastic Straws (straight, not the bendy kind)
-Scissors and Tape
-Small weights (such as coins, marbles, rocks or metal washers)
Before constructing, discuss different types of bridges and what makes them strong. This video from SciKids is a great place to start. Also take a look at this video by TeachEngineering for helpful visuals of the building process.
Then get to building. Straws may be taped together in any fashion but may not be taped to the wooden base. When your bridge is complete, place a paper cup in the middle and begin adding the weights one at a time. How much can your bridge hold before collapsing? Can you redesign the bridge to make it stronger?
Check out this project and more fun STEM activities from our At-Home Science Camp.