Spring is here, and what better way to celebrate Easter than with an egg-citing STEAM challenge? This hands-on activity will get kids thinking critically, collaborating, and engineering a creative solution—all while having a blast!
The Egg-stravagant Tower Challenge
Challenge: The Easter Bunny needs a new lookout tower to spot hidden eggs, and your team is here to help! Using everyday materials, your team will design and build the tallest freestanding tower that can hold at least one plastic egg for 10 seconds—without attaching the eggs to the structure.
Materials: 5 plastic eggs, 15 straws, 10 pipe cleaners, 1 paper plate, 2 plastic spoons, 2 sheets of paper, 1 foot of tape, scissors
Time Limit: 8 minutes
Scoring:
- 1 point for every inch of height of your tower
- 10 points if your tower successfully holds one egg; 5 points for each additional egg your tower successfully holds (25 points max)
- Up to 20 points for how creatively you use the materials
- Up to 20 points for how well your team works together
A Few Tips for Success
- Plan Before You Build – Take a minute to brainstorm ideas before jumping into construction. Talk about different ways to make the tower strong and stable.
- Test and Adjust – If your tower isn’t standing strong, try small adjustments. Think about balance, weight distribution, and structure.
- Use Materials Wisely – You have a limited supply, so be strategic! Consider how each material can add height, strength, or support for the egg.
- Communicate & Collaborate – Work together and listen to everyone’s ideas. Great teamwork leads to better results!
- Think Like Engineers – Engineers test, improve, and redesign their creations. If something doesn’t work, figure out why and try again!
Reflection Questions
After completing the challenge, take a few moments to reflect on your process as a team:
- What strategies did you use to make your tower strong and stable?
- How did you decide on the best way to use your materials?
- Did your tower hold an egg successfully? If not, what would you change if you could try again?
- How did your team communicate and work together?
- What was the biggest challenge, and how did you overcome it?
- If you had unlimited materials, what would you do differently?
- How does this challenge connect to real-world engineering or problem-solving?
Keep Building, Keep Learning!
This challenge is a great way to explore the creative process while practicing teamwork, problem-solving, and hands-on STEAM skills. Whether your tower stood tall or toppled over, every experiment is a step toward learning and innovation. So, keep creating, keep testing, and keep having fun!
