Friday, July 6, 2012

BRIDGES AND TOWERS MADE OUT OF FOOD (BUILD IT HOMESCHOOL CLASSES)



My 7 and 4 year old have been taking summer homeschool Science classes at our local museum.

They have been learning about bridges and buildings - how they are build and what gives them their strength. In doing so they have had the opportunities to make their own bridges and towers.

 
For bridges they used gum drops and tooth picks to make a bridge structure.
Then with weights attached in the pie pan the kids got to see how much weight their bridges held. My 7 year old's bridge held 1 1/2 LBS.
My 4 year old opted to add marshmallows to his structure to hold his toothpicks together as well.

 His bridge also held up to 1 1/2 LBS.

Then the kids learned about buildings / towers how they are structurally strong. Using triangle shapes in their building to make them sound.
Using uncooked pasta and large marshmallows the kids made their own structures.

 My 4 year old loved getting super messy with the marshmallows. Can you tell?

What fun Science activities are you doing this summer with your children?


Linking this homeschool post up to Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers, and delicate Construction, 1 +1 +1 = 1Homeschool Creations  and this week.
Science Sunday






26 comments:

  1. Thats awesome I want to try that with our children:)

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  2. i love the spaghetti twist, my kids have done this at school only using marshmallows and toothpicks.

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  3. How fun! I love the marshmallow and spaghetti one!

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  4. Wow, those things are pretty strong to hold that kinda weight! How fun.

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  5. Nicole,
    You're great with doing so many crafty things with your kids. It's a huge work of love! Thank you for sharing it all.

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  6. I would have never guessed that they would hold so much!

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  7. Your kids are so creative! I normally never leave links in comments but I think you would probably find some great activities for your kids to do on this Pinterest Board I found yesterday if you don't already know about it. http://pinterest.com/denschool/science/

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  8. what a fun experiment for the kids!

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  9. Those are awesome! My kids would have a blast!

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  10. This is awesome! I remember doing this in school when I was a kid but I completely forgot. Thanks for sharing!

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  11. What a great Idea we will have to try this. We have made slime, which was very interesting and very messy.

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  12. This looks awesome!! :D My boys would eat both the candy and the marshmallows though!

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  13. This is great - I love when science is taught in a fun way that kids can understand! Looks like they had a ball!

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  14. Wow! That looks like such a fun project. I love it when the kids can have a good time while learning!

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  15. My 4 year old would love to make a tower out of candy and sticks. Thanks for sharing this. Very fun!

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  16. Fun and educational! My daughter would love it too. Thanks for sharing.

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  17. So cool you are continuing school in the summer. Do your kids get a break? Love that science experiment.

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  18. We've done that multiple times with Sparks and Brownies and Girl Guides but never the weight part of it. I'll have to try that next time.

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  19. I have a feeling more marshmallows would be eaten on this end than used in building... :)

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  20. What a fun experiment. I want to try that with my kids!

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  21. Definitely looks a little messy, but I bet they had a blast :D

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  22. fun stuff! i have all these things to try with kids when they're a little older. daughter is already doing a few science experiments, but son is just a bit young yet. :)

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  23. Really super idea and the pictures of the kids are terrific!

    Sheilatf52 at yahoo dot com

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  24. I haven't home-schooled my child. As I type this note, Steven and his fiance are driving to Texas from our East Coast home where he'll be starting a job at A Montesorri school. The organization and fun hands-on activities are fabulous. The ability to organize for and with the children certainly is a blessing!

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  25. love this idea - and those hands crack me up. :)

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Nicole, the mama behind the Mama to 5 Blessings blog, is a mom to 5 children. Three boys: ages 8 years, 5 years, 2 years, a daughter 4 years and a new baby girl born April 19th 2013. She has been married to her husband Fritz for 11 years. Here at Mama to 5 Blessings you will find quite a variety of topics: recipes, crafts for moms and children, homeschooling, parenting, reviews and giveaways, thrifty tips and much more! Mama to 5 Blessings can also be found on Twitter @mamato3blessing, Facebook and Pinterest.