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 and safety measurements prior to undertaking any of the activities with children.