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Waterproof the Roof
New activity
Design and construct a roof that will protect a cardboard house from getting wet.
Open Activity
Family Take-home Activity
A take-home that can be sent with patrons that wish to do STEM activities at home. These at-home activities cover similar topic areas as the associated activity and could be handed out at the conclusion of a program or left on a circulation desk for patrons to take home.
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Rating
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Participants Enjoyed the ActivityParticipants Learned from This ActivityActivity Instructions Were Clear and Easy to FollowWould Recommend
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Reviews
Fun and informative
I used this project in a session for 1st and 2nd graders on extreme weather. We spent time talking about different weather issues and what causes them, and then we moved into talking about how buildings are designed to withstand extreme weather. We looked at a slideshow of different designs, and then started on the project.
For the project, we had kids work in groups of 4, and together they worked on creating a waterproof roof for their cardstock houses (we used cardstock, rather than cardboard). We gave them paper, tinfoil, wax paper, popsicle sticks, cotton balls, and some other random materials to try out.
Their designs were quite inventive, and most withstood a good amount of water. To test the roofs, we placed the houses on a baking cooling rake in a bin, and used a watering can to rain down water.
The kids were delighted to see how the houses withstood the rain and had a wonderful time.
Hands down, I would do this program again, and it would be perfect for a multitude of age groups. For older kids, I would recommend adding more challenges to the project- limiting the materials, installing a time limit- to keep it engaging.