Building a bridge

Ages 3 to 5 Read and do together · about 15 minutes

Read together

A bridge helps us cross a gap.

Let us build one that holds a toy car.

Do it

1. Put two stacks of books a hand apart. This is the “river”. Lay a sheet of paper across. Put a toy car on it. What happens?
2. Fold the paper like a fan (accordion) and try again. Is it stronger?
3. Try other materials: card, a tray, a ruler. Test each one.
4. Say “strong” and “weak”. Pick the best bridge together.

Talk about it

• Which bridge was strongest?
• What could make it stronger?

For the grown-up

Engineers test, learn and improve. A folded sheet of paper holds more weight than a flat one, because the folds make it stiffer. Let your child try and fail and try again.

Mark as done

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Where this comes from

• NGSS Lead States, Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States (National Academies Press, 2013), performance expectation K-2-ETS1-2 (develop a simple sketch, drawing or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function)
• Museum of Science, Boston, Engineering is Elementary curriculum on the engineering design process

Written with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed. Please read it before sharing it with a child.