Craft Stick Bridge

Build a bridge out of craft sticks and see how much it can hold

Skill Level: Moderate

Time Needed: 1 hour

Age(s): 8 to 12

Appropriate For: Birthday

Supplies Needed:

Project Rating:

Think about how you'd like to design your bridge. Sketch a drawing of it on a sheet of paper. Try to design the bridge to be strong and solid.
Paint a set of craft sticks your favorite colors. Let the paint dry completely.
Glue the craft sticks together to form your bridge design. Let the glue dry completely.
Once the bridge is complete, test its strength! Suspend the bridge between the seats of two chairs. Begin by placing a small amount of weight on the bridge. See if it holds. Continue adding small amounts of weight until the bridge begins to crack!

Teaching Tips:

Hold a classroom contest! Have each student design a craft stick bridge. Then, help students test the strength of their bridges by adding weight to them. Reward the students whose bridges hold the most weight!
Discuss architecture with your students. Talk about the meanings of the words architecture and architect. Introduce students to a few important styles of architecture from history, such as Gothic, Art Deco, and Romanesque. Show students pictures of these different styles of architecture.
Give each student the name of a famous bridge. Some examples include the Golden Gate Bridge, and the San Francisco Bay Bridge. Ask each student to identify the location of their bridge on a classroom map.
Have students do all of the weighing and measuring for this project. Have students measure the weight on their bridge in ounces and pounds. Then, ask students to convert the measurement to grams and kilograms.