STEM Straw Bridges

Science Technology Engineering and Math {STEM} activities are fun ways to teach kids how things work. This straw bridge activity takes just a few minutes to prep but will keep young engineers learning for hours.

Who can build the strongest bridge?  Find out and then hop over to our shop to grab our Epic STEM Challenges Bundle!

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Building Straw Bridges

To give the kids a strong introduction to bridge design, we started our activity by reading Carol Johmann’s Bridges! together as a class.

Then, we talked about five popular types of bridges: arch, beam, suspension, cable-stay and truss. As we reviewed the characteristics of each one, I drew a simple anchor chart kids could refer to when they were designing their bridges later.

Then, I placed students into teams of three or four and gave each group a tray of supplies:

• Tape
• Yarn
• Scissors
• Paper clips
• Straws

Their task was simple: build a bridge that was strong enough to hold a plastic cup filled with 100 pennies.

They could cut the straws to any length, but their bridges had to sit at least one inch off the table.

Some teams succeeded and some failed, but either way, it was impressive to watch their problem solving and teamwork. They loved observing what worked for other groups and then incorporating it into their own designs.

More STEM Challenges

Looking for an easy way to boost critical thinking and problem-solving in your classroom? These free LEGO Challenge Cards are perfect for engaging students in hands-on STEM exploration!