Today let’s do some engineering! (Engineering at this age means problem solving through design and exploration of an open ended quest) Provide your child with any of the materials listed below and then let them work. When we work on these projects at school, we typically start by letting the children explore their materials. After learning how the materials work together, then provide a challenge. Make the tallest Christmas tree. Make a gift box. Make a candy cane. Make a sleigh. Make an ornament for the tree. Whatever you want your child to create/engineer.
Pick any of these combinations:
- jingle bells with pipe cleaners
- jingle bells with playdough
- gum drops (or other gummy candy) with toothpicks
- beads and pipe cleaners or string
- playdough and beads
- marshmallows with toothpicks
- toothpicks, straws, tape, string,
- playdough and candy canes (this can be tough since candy canes aren’t as strong as you’d think)
Ok… here’s a different way to engineer
Build an ornament holder (that suspends an ornament up) using straws, tape, pipe cleaners, ornament holders
Design a new sleigh for Santa use paper, tape, glue, popsicle sticks, egg cartons, Lego blocks or whatever creative items your child wants to use
Remember! There is no right or wrong way to work on these STEM projects. Your roll is to ask questions. If you want to participate…. do your own version beside your child. Children often figure out how to do things by struggling through the steps of what not do it… failure is always an option, it is the first step on the way to success.
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