Popsicle Stick Bridge Building Challenge

Popsicle sticks — 30 to 40

White glue or hot glue (adult supervised for hot glue)

Books or boxes for bridge supports

Small objects for weight testing — coins, erasers, small toys

Set two stacks of books about 8 inches apart on a table. These are the riverbanks your bridge needs to span.

Give your child a pile of 30 to 40 popsicle sticks and glue. No other materials allowed — that is the constraint that drives creativity.

Talk briefly about how bridges work. They need solid support at each end (abutments) and strength across the middle (the span). Real bridges use triangles for strength.

Let your child design and build freely. Resist the urge to take over. Their first design might fail — and that is the most valuable part.

If building multiple layers, allow glue to dry between each one. A clothespin or binder clip can hold pieces while they dry.

When the bridge looks ready, test it. Place one coin on top. Then two. Then three. Keep adding weight until it buckles or collapses.

After the test, discuss: where did it break? Why? What shape would be stronger? Can we rebuild it better?

The failing and rebuilding is the learning. A bridge that holds two coins and then collapses teaches more than one that works perfectly on the first try.

Triangles are the strongest shapes in engineering. If your child's flat bridge fails, suggest adding triangle supports underneath.

Hot glue sets faster and stronger than white glue, which matters for structural projects. An adult should operate the hot glue gun.

Document the process with photos — the initial build, the testing, the collapse, and the rebuild. This is engineering documentation.

Set specific challenges to make it harder: span a wider gap, use fewer sticks, or hold a heavier object.