Games
Straw Bridge
Children build bridges using straws, exploring concepts of structure, balance, and strength through hands-on experimentation and creative problem-solving.
Materials
- Straws
- Tape
- Scissors
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Checklist
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how to play
Divide the children into groups of 3 - 4. Begin by telling a short story, such as helping villagers build a bridge to cross a river or creating a safe path for animals to travel, to spark creativity. Give each group a set of straws, tape, and a small gap between two tables or chairs to act as their “river.” Explain that their goal is to design and build a bridge strong enough to hold small objects like stationaries or blocks. Encourage them to experiment with different shapes, supports, and joining methods to make their bridge stable. If children have difficulty, give hints such as: How can you make the base stronger? Which shapes make the bridge more stable? How can you join straws to make them longer? Make sure each child has enough time to help build, test, and improve their bridge before the activity ends.
Challanges
- Try using different shapes or structures. You could use squares, rectangles, or even circles to build your bridge.
- Make the bridge longer and set a distance between the two ends.
- Try adding weight to the bridge to see if it can hold up. Make sure to design the bridge strong enough to support the weight without breaking.
Questions to be asked
- How can we make sure our bridge is strong enough to hold weight?
- How would you make it still and strong in the middle part too when your bridge is longer?