30 min
Paper Aeroplane Testing Lab
Three designs, one tape measure, and an argument about which flies furthest.
📐
Tallest Straw Tower
Twenty straws, some tape, and one rule: it has to stand on its own.
A ten minute engineering challenge that gets repeated far more than ten minutes.
Ce qu’il vous faut
- drinking straws
- masking tape
- scissors
Comment faire
- Give each builder twenty straws and one arm length of tape.
- The tower must stand on its own for ten seconds to count.
- Build, measure, and write the height down.
- Knock it down and build again with what you learned.
- Best of three attempts wins.
Pourquoi c’est bon pour eux
Almost every child builds a tall thin tower first and watches it fall, then discovers a wide base on the second attempt. That discovery is worth far more than being told, and the strict material limit is what forces the thinking.
Adapter selon l’âge
5 to 6 yearsTen straws and unlimited tape.
11 to 12 yearsIt must also support the weight of an apple at the top.
Sécurité
Adult handles scissors for younger children.
Astuce rangement
Straws can be reused several times before the tape ruins them.
Dans le même esprit
30 min
Balloon Rocket on a String
A straw, a string across the room, and a balloon that fires along it.
35 min
Build a Lolly Stick Catapult
Seven lolly sticks, two elastic bands, and a pom-pom that goes further than expected.
35 min
Frozen Treasure Excavation
Freeze small toys in a tub of water and let them dig them out.
45 min
Cardboard Marble Run
Kitchen roll tubes taped to a wall, and a marble that keeps falling out.
30 min
Origami Jumping Frog
Fold it in five minutes, then race it across the table for half an hour.