Fundraising Activities: Engineering and Inventing
5 hours – 2 morning 2.5 hours each
Cost $30
Day 1
1 – Gumball Structures (:30)
Supplies: Toothpicks, gumdrops, mini marshmallows, play dough
Challenge: experiment with what you can build using the materials you have – how tall can you go before it falls over, what can you do to make it stronger?
2 – Straw Towers and bridges (:30)
Supplies: straws, masking tape or painters tape
Challenge 1: Design a super tall tower out of just straws and tape. Can you make it taller than yourself?
Challenge 2: Put 2 chairs about 4 feet apart. Build a bridge between the chairs using just straws and tape
3 – Paper Scrapers (:30)
Supplies: Scrap book paper or construction paper, scissors, ruler, pencil, clear tape
Challenge: Build a skyscraper using construction paper
Instructions: (you may want to have these printed out for the students)
-Cut 9.5 x 6 inch rectangle of paper
-Fold rectangle in half lengthwise and then unfold
-Fold each long edge toward the center fold line.
-Refold the paper on the center fold to make a long strip with the flaps inside.
-Starting at one end, make a mark every 3 inches.
-Fold the paper on the marks to make a triangle, tuck the short tab in and tape in place.
-Make as many triangles as you think you will need.
-Stack them together – see how tall you can go and how much weight your structure will hold.
4 – Paper Table Challenge (:60) – plans taken from https://pbskids.org/designsquad/parentseducators/lesson-plans/structures.html
Supplies: 8.5 x 11 chipboard or cardboard, masking tape, newspapers, weight
Challenge: Make a table that is at least 6 inches tall and strong enough to support our weight.
Instructions: available on the design squad web site – you may want copies printed for your participants.
Day 2
1 – Pop Fly Challenge (:60) – plans taken from https://pbskids.org/designsquad/parentseducators/lesson-plans/simple_machines.html
Supplies: Duct tape, paint stirrers, ping pong ball, wooden spool (large enough to support the paint stirrer), 3-oz paper cups
Challenge: Use the materials available, make something that will launch the ping pong ball high enough that you can catch it.
Instructions: available on the design squad web site – you may want copies printed for your participants.
2 – Alternate Reality (:60+) adapted from The Maker Cookbook
Supplies: paper plates (different sizes and strengths), craft sticks, pencils (for construction), muslin, canvas, wax paper, twine, scissors, bamboo skewers, clear tape, masking tape, duct tape, painters tape, pieces of cardboard (you may want to cut these into circles ahead of time)
Book: Leonardo and the Flying Boy by Laurence Anholt. B.E.S. Publishing, 2007.
Intro: Read Leonardo and the Flying Boy aloud. Talk about how our world might be different today if the daVinci had not invented the helicopter in the 1500s.
Show slide show of some of daVinci’s ideas and inventions.
Challenge: create a flying machine using the materials on the supply table. First sketch your design before doing the building.
3 – Time filler:
Book: Amazing Leonardo daVinci Inventions by Maxine Anderson. Nomad Press, 2006.
If there is time left students can look through Amazing Leonardo daVinci Inventions and see if there is something they would like to try.
Extras / Take – homes:
Childhood 101 has a couple of great “mystery bags.” Make up enough that your students can each have one to work on if you have extra time either day or to take home to do if you don’t have time to fill.
Bag 1 – Pom Launcher
Supplies in the bag: pom poms, large index cards, paper drinking cups, drinking straws, rubber bands, string, paper clips.
They will also need scissors, tape, and stapler.
Bag 2 – Marble Run
Supplies in the bag: marbles, cardboard tube, large index cards, large craft sticks, paper clips
They will also need scissors, stapler, and tape
When you find a something on Library Lady that you would like to purchase, I hope you will use the purchase links provided. When you make a purchase through our affiliate links, you support this school librarian blog. I am grateful for you. Thank you!
Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions: You Can Build Yourself (Build It Yourself)
Engineer It! Skyscraper Projects (Super Simple Engineering Projects)
Leonardo and the Flying Boy (Anholt’s Artists Books For Children)
The Curious Kid’s Science Book: 100+ Creative Hands-On Activities for Ages 4-8
The Maker Cookbook: Recipes for Children’s and ‘Tween Library Programs
Tinkerlab: A Hands-On Guide for Little Inventors
Other Resources:
Paper Table Challenge – https://pbskids.org/designsquad/parentseducators/lesson-plans/structures.html
Pop Fly Challenge – https://pbskids.org/designsquad/parentseducators/lesson-plans/simple_machines.html
Engineering Mystery Bag Challenge – https://childhood101.com/create-an-engineering-mystery-bag-challenge-for-kids/
