STEM egg holder challenge
This STEM challenge is the perfect #WhatsInMyTray activity to get your class creatively building structures and testing their problem-solving skills. Give your students a wide range of materials to see if they can effectively create a structure that will hold the weight of an egg without support. If you’re using real eggs, it might be a good idea for the students to test their structures within a Shallow (F1) Gratnells Tray to catch any mess should the structures fall and the eggs break.
You will need…
- 1 Shallow (F1) Gratnells Tray
- 1 3×3 Gratnells Insert
- Reusable plastic straws or paper straws
- Pipe cleaners
- Sticky tape
- Elastic bands
- Wooden lolly sticks
- Eggs – we’ve used craft Easter eggs but you could use real ones
You could also include…
- Yoghurt pots
- Card/paper
- Tin foil
- String
- Newspaper
What to do…
- Organise a range of the above materials into Gratnells tray inserts and place into Shallow (F1) Gratnells trays
- Using the resources provided, create a structure strong enough to hold the weight of an egg. You might want to set a time limit to make this more challenging.
- Once the time is up and the structures are complete, test them inside a Gratnells tray to catch any mess that might be made. The Gratnells tray also provides a level surface for the structures to stand on.
Health and Safety
As with all Gratnells What’s In My Tray Activities, you should carry out your own risk assessment and health & safety measurements prior to undertaking any of the activities with children.