STEAM Project: Design Challenge with Sticks, Clay, and a Mandarin
This open-ended STEAM project encourages children to use creative and critical thinking skills to build a structure, with limited supplies, to support a mandarin. Once you set up the building invitation, stand back (or build side-by-side) and watch imaginations unfold. Sky is the limit, creativity is encouraged, and all solutions are welcome!
New to STEAM? STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. A STEAM project incorporates at least two of these disciplines in one project. In this challenge, we will work with engineering and art.
This article may contain affiliate links
The Challenge
Build a structure, using at least 15 skewers, to support a mandarin.
Supplies
- Wonderful Halos
- 6″ Bamboo Skewers *
- Modeling Clay – we love this brand
* Note: If you have a different size skewer, that’s fine, too!
The Set Up
The set up is simple. Clear the table and set up the supplies, including a small collection of Wonderful Halos mandarins. They are a great snack time treat, and can be included in creative engineering projects to teach kids that healthy snacking is fun. They’re in season from November to May, and I can’t forget to mention that Wonderful Halos are sweet, seedless and easy to peel, perfect for kids and adults!
- Fill a cup with skewers.
- Open box of modeling clay.
- Gather Wonderful Halos mandarins
- Print out a challenge table card (optional – see below for link to PDF)
- Place all the supplies on the table and invite your child to build a structure, using at least 15 sticks, to support a mandarin.
The solutions we saw were wildly different.
The LOW structure
This totally stable structure was able to support multiple mandarins. Scroll down to see the results. None of the mandarins touched the table! This solution actually prompted a new challenge to build a structure that can support more than one mandarin.
The Speared Structure
This one gets points for ingenuity. Nothing in the challenge says that the mandarin has to balance on the sticks. Totally cracked me up. Genius!
The Tripod Solution (above)
The above structure was built with 4 tripods and exactly 15 sticks. Works like a charm!
All of these solutions prompted more challenge ideas!
We tested this with a group of Stanford students (so fun – they’re such a brilliant group!) who came up with more novel solutions.
Make the Tallest Free-standing Structure
Make the Tallest Free-standing Structure you can, using just 20 sticks. My 7-year old loved this one, especially with Wonderful Halos by her side. Just look at her face to see how proud she is to accomplish the task!
Build a Structure that can Support More than one Mandarin
This one was mentioned earlier. My 9-year old loved got wrapped up in aesthetics during the assembly process.
Build a Vehicle using sticks, clay, and mandarins
Two of the aforementioned Stanford students built this truck, inspired by the Stanford d.School Truck, an old fashioned truck, parked right inside the Hasso Platner Institute of Design.
Download the STEAM Mandarin Design Challenge Cards
Click the image below or click this link to download your FREE Design Challenge cards.
Thank you Wonderful Halos for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.
More Projects like this one
Spaghetti Tower Marshmallow Challenge
DIY Water Wall, it’s like a marble run, but with water!
Easy Contact Solution Glitter Slime
I have yet to meet a kid who isn’t crazy for slime. We first made slime when my daughter was two. It was such a hit that we printed up the recipe (download it here) and I published it in my book, TinkerLab: A Hands-on Guide for Little Inventors.
TinkerLab has readers from all over the world, and I learned that not all of the ingredients in our original slime recipe can be found outside of the United States. So, I did some digging to find an incredible slime recipe that can be made with ingredients – worldwide.
Note: This post contains affiliate links.
Low and behold, I found a simple over-the-counter slime recipe, and it’s amazing! My kids tested it, loved it, stretched it, played with it endlessly, packed it away in plastic baggies, and have continued to use it for over the past few weeks. Plus, glitter!
We’ve always used Elmer’s school glue for our slime (I stock gallons of it – no joke!), and it’s no surprise that Elmer’s is also behind the Glitter Glue in this Glitter Slime recipe. Not only is Elmer’s a solid product that I trust for our crafting needs, but it’s also affordable, making slime an economical activity that keeps on giving.
Here’s how to make an easy GLITTER slime with just three ingredients…
Supplies for Glitter Slime
- Bottle of Elmer’s Glitter Glue (6 oz.)
- 1.5 teaspoons (7.5 ml) baking soda – We are die-hard fans of Arm and Hammer Brand
- 1.5 teaspoons (7.5 ml) eye drops or saline solution (contact solution) with Boric Acid or Sodium Borate in the ingredients – We used Bausch and Lomb ReNu Contact Solution
- Spoon or spatula
- Mixing bowl
Steps for Glitter Slime
- Empty the bottle of glitter glue into a mixing bowl
- Stir in the baking soda. Mix well.
- Add contact solution and mix until slime forms. You’ll notice it comes together immediately, and takes a few minutes to fully form.
- Knead the slime with your hands to get it to a consistency you’re happy with.
Would you like our free recipe card for two kinds of slime? Go ahead and download it here >>> Click here to download the free Slime Recipe Cards
How to Make Saline Solution Glitter Slime
Empty the bottle of glitter glue into a mixing bowl
Stir in the baking soda. Mix well.
Add contact solution and mix until slime forms.
You’ll notice it comes together immediately, and takes a few minutes to fully form.
Knead the slime with your hands to get it to a consistency you’re happy with.
Note: Be sure to wash your hands after playing with slime, and always use your best judgement when using sensory and art supplies with children.
The Science Behind the Slime
Contact solution contains boric acid which is a disinfectant that keeps the eyes fungus-free. This makes contact lens wearer’s eyes super happy. School glue contains polyvinyl alcohol (also known as PVA) which is made up of ethylene, oxygen, and acetic acid (from vinegar).
Here’s how it the slime comes together: The polyvinyl alcohol molecules (found in the glue) and boric acid (found in the contact solution) combine and stick together. As they combine they make a polymer chain, which is the slime!
More Slime Recipes from our Slime Lab
Fluffy Snow Slime (it sparkles!)
Cozy Christmas Slime for the Holidays
Sparkly Glitter New Years Slime Recipe
Slime Recipe Cards (Glitter and Easy Slime with Borax) – PDF
Borax vs. Boric Acid
Are you interested in the difference between Borax and Boric Acid? Click over to this slime recipe for the full scoop.
Thank you Elmer’s for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.
Engineering Kids | Rube Goldberg Machine
Build a Rube Goldberg Machine with Kids
So, are you interested in building a Rube Goldberg-style machine with little kids? This post will give you a few tips and ideas to make your own complicated machine.
This project has long been on my to-do list with my kids. We are long-time fans of marble runs (see the resources page for recommendations), and extending our love for rolling balls and ramps into the world of Rube Goldberg was a no-brainer. And triple hurrah for projects that celebrate STEM and STEAM learning. We were on the hunt for easy Rube Goldberg ideas, watched a few videos, and came up with this fun solution that works for young children.
About Rube Goldberg
For the uninitiated, Rube Goldberg was an American Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer, and inventor, and his work is a classic example of the melding of art and science. Goldberg began his career as an engineer, and later became a cartoonist who drew elaborate illustrations of contraptions made up of pulleys, cups, birds, balloons, and watering cans that were designed to solve a simple task such as opening a window or setting an alarm clock. Interestingly, Goldberg only drew the pictures, and never built any of his inventions. However, these pictures have since served as inspiration for makers and builders who want the challenge of making wild inventions to solve everyday problems.
And apparently, Rube Goldberg is a now an adjective in the dictionary! You can read more about Goldberg here.
Step 1: Get Inspired
First things first, you’ll want to watch some Rube Goldberg contraptions in action to get inspired. My kids and I LOVE this video from OK Go. It’s incredible complicated, but oh-so-amazing, so don’t think for one hot second that you’ll be able to replicate this with little kids. I’ll add more inspiring videos below.
Step 2: Solve a Problem
Next, come up with a simple problem that you’re trying to solve. For example:
- Ring a Bell
- Pop a Balloon
- Open a Door
- Shut a window
- Put out a candle
Once you have a problem sorted out (and don’t worry – you can change this later if you want), gather supplies…
Step 3: Gather Supplies
You can print out the following list here.
Collect a bucket-full of supplies and then lay them out so they’re easily seen. These can largely be found in your home or classroom — start with what you have! You will most likely start with some of these basics, and then forage your home or classroom for more supplies as you go. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Things that Roll
- Marbles
- Balls: Tennis, Baseball, Bowling, etc.
- Toy Cars
- Dominoes
- Skateboard
- Roller Skate
- Mousetrap
Things that Move
- Mousetrap
- Dominoes
- Toaster
- Fan
Ramps
- Toy Train Tracks
- Marble Runs
- Books
- Trays
- PVC pipe
- Plastic tubing
- Gutters
Recyclables
- Cardboard
- Cereal Boxes
- Cardboard Rolls
- Plastic Water Bottles
- Cans
- Aluminum Foil
Household Materials
- Chopsticks
- Popsicle Sticks
- Ruler
- Wooden Blocks
- Bowl
- String
- Tape
- Sand
- Pins
- Hammer
- Balloons
- Water
- Fan
- Vinegar and Baking Soda
Step 4: Build Your Machine!
Once you have the supplies ready, start building. While the OK Go video (and others like it) includes some pretty complex machines and concepts, keep this simple for preschoolers. The basic concept that we’re exploring is that of a chain reaction, so anything that tips something else over (and so one) is what you’re going for. Don’t worry too much about building things like pulleys and levers for young children.
Take a look at our machine to get a sense of what’s possible.
Our Rube Goldberg Machine in Action
5 Tips for Success
- Success breeds enthusiasm, so keep the steps to a minimum. You can always add more as you go.
- Keep your expectations low
- Ask your child for ideas and input
- Work collaboratively
- Aim to have fun
A Note on Failure
As you test and try out different set-ups, you’ll undoubtedly fail a few times. I could have filled a 20 minute video with outtakes from all our misses (the balloon is a good example of that). But this is great news! Failure is an intrinsic piece of the invention process, and without these mistakes we won’t learn how things really work. So embrace failure and celebrate it as part of the learning process.
Next Steps: Full STEAM Ahead
- Ask: What other simple problems could we solve?
- Ask: What materials could we use?
- Ask: Why didn’t that work? How could we fix it or try it again?
- Encourage your child to problem solve by seeking out materials and moving objects.
Did you enjoy this project? Join the semi-secret Club TinkerLab on Facebook to swap and share more ideas like this.
Inspiring Rube Goldberg Machines
Watch this one light up a Christmas tree
Learn about Rube Goldberg Machines on Sesame Street
Easy Rube Goldberg Example
More Projects like this one
DIY Water Wall, it’s like a marble run, but with water!
Activate Learning with STEAM
If you’ve been a loyal TinkerLab fan (thank you! you mean the world to me.) you’ll know that I’m happiest sharing projects that live at the intersection of disciplines. Too often we’re quick to separate science from writing or math from art, but when we seek out ways to make interdisciplinary connections, learning can be more meaningful and novel discoveries can be made.
In that vein, you may also enjoy these projects that circle around STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) ideas. This week’s theme is REACT, and you can see the other reaction-related ideas here:
Stixplosions | Babble Dabble Do
Smoosh Painting | Meri Cherry
Color Changing Chemistry Clock | Left Brain Craft Brain
Zoom Ball | What Do We Do All Day?
Glowing Hands | All For The Boys
Rainbow Reactions | Lemon Lime Adventures
Colorful Chemical Reaction | Frugal Fun for Boys
STEAM on Pinterest
You might also enjoy following my STEAM + STEM Activities board on Pinterest for more ideas like this.