Engineering Design Challenges There are 80 items.

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  Soundproof Box

  Patron build a box that is as soundproof as possible. 0
  
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  Age Group 

  • Family
  • Tweens (9-12)
  • Teens

  Time to Complete Activity 

  • 1-2 hours

  Difficulty Level (by content) 

  • Medium
• 

  Build a Sorting Machine

  Patrons build a gravity-powered machine that automatically sorts two different sizes of beads into separate plastic cups. 0
  
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  Age Group 

  • Family
  • Tweens (9-12)
  • Teens

  Time to Complete Activity 

  • 40 minutes to 1 hour
  • 1-2 hours

  Cost associated with Activity Materials 

  • $1-$5

  Difficulty Level (by content) 

  • Easy
• 

  Bring in the Natural Light

  No windows? No problem. Design a light tube to bring as much light as possible into a dark room. 0
  
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  Age Group 

  • Family
  • Upper Elementary
  • Tweens (9-12)

  Time to Complete Activity 

  • 40 minutes to 1 hour
  • 1-2 hours

  Cost associated with Activity Materials 

  • $5-$10

  Difficulty Level (by content) 

  • Medium
• 

  Aviary Architect

  Patrons build a roof for a birdhouse that will stay cool in the summer. 0
  
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  Age Group 

  • Family
  • Upper Elementary
  • Tweens (9-12)

  Time to Complete Activity 

  • 1-2 hours

  Cost associated with Activity Materials 

  • $10-$20

  Difficulty Level (by content) 

  • Medium
• 

  Water Sampling

  Participants design bottles that can float, sink, or remain suspended to hold simulated sensors that would monitor the health of a river. 0
  
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  Age Group 

  • Family
  • Tweens (9-12)
  • Teens

  Time to Complete Activity 

  • 40 minutes to 1 hour

  Cost associated with Activity Materials 

  • $5-$10

  Difficulty Level (by content) 

  • Medium
• 

  Homemade Wigglebot

  Patrons create a simple robot that can draw its own designs. 0
  
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  Age Group 

  • Family
  • Early Elementary
  • Upper Elementary

  Time to Complete Activity 

  • 20-40 minutes

  Cost associated with Activity Materials 

  • $10-$20

  Difficulty Level (by content) 

  • Medium
• 

  Shake it Up with Seismographs

  Patrons can record earthquake activity in the library or their homes by designing their own seismograph.  0
  
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  Age Group 

  • Family
  • Tweens (9-12)
  • Teens
  • Adults

  Time to Complete Activity 

  • 1-2 hours
  • 2-4 hours

  Cost associated with Activity Materials 

  • $5-$10

  Difficulty Level (by content) 

  • Medium
• 

  Crank It Up

  Machines help us get work done; some are complex, with lots of moving parts, and others are simple. Cams are one example of a simple machine. They are like gears, but have no teeth and come in lots of different shapes. We use them to convert rotating motion (such as turning a crank) into back and forth motion (such as waving an arm). 0
  
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  Age Group 

  • Family
  • Upper Elementary
  • Tweens (9-12)
  • Teens

  Time to Complete Activity 

  • 40 minutes to 1 hour

  Cost associated with Activity Materials 

  • $5-$10

  Difficulty Level (by content) 

  • Medium

  Additional Languages Available 

  • Español / Spanish