Edible structures are the perfect snack time STEM activity for engineering. They are super easy to set up, use what you have, and cover snack time, too. Our edible structures make for tasty, hands-on learning!
How to Make Edible Structures
Supplies for Edible Structures:
- Toothpicks
- STEM Foods (marshmallows, apple pieces, cheese chunks)
STEM Challenge Set Up
I prepped the cheese and apples for our edible structures. A nice big honey crisp apple was perfect. Any size marshmallow should work, but we had a bag of small ones. I put each snack item in a bowl and set out a paper towel and a box of toothpicks.
Let the engineering fun begin. Edible structures are a terrific STEAM or STEM activity, too. We made geometric shapes, towers, and sculptures, all while counting, designing, and problem-solving.
Make Connections:
When using the various building materials together, my son learned that you have to account for the different weights of the snacks, too. He also had to account for the shapes of the snacks when trying to build a stable base.
💡 Learn about the Engineering Design Process!
More Fun STEM Challenges To Try
Check out our most popular STEM activities here! Including…
Spaghetti Marshmallow Tower – Build the tallest spaghetti tower that can hold the weight of a jumbo marshmallow.
Paper Bridges – Similar to our strong spaghettti challenge. Design a paper bridge with folded paper. Which one will hold the most coins?
Egg Drop Challenge – Create your own designs to protect your egg from breaking when it is dropped from a height.
Strong Paper – Experiment with folding paper in different ways to test its strength, and learn about what shapes make the strongest structures.
Penny Boat Challenge – Design a simple tin foil boat, and see how many pennies it can hold before it sinks.
Gumdrop Bridge – Build a bridge from gumdrops and toothpicks and see how much weight it can hold.
Paper Clip Challenge – Grab a bunch of paper clips and make a chain. Are paper clips strong enough to hold weight?
STEM Resources To Get You Started
Here are a few resources that will help you introduce STEM more effectively to your kiddos or students and feel confident yourself when presenting materials. You’ll find helpful free printables throughout.
- Engineering Design Process Explained
- What Is An Engineer?
- Engineering Words
- Real World STEM
- Questions for Reflection (get them talking about it!)
- BEST STEM Books for Kids
- 14 Engineering Books for Kids
- Jr. Engineer Challenge Calendar (Free)
- Must Have STEM Supplies List
- Join us in the Club
Printable STEM Pack for Kids
80+ Doable Engineering Projects in one convenient pack!
- Full instructions with sample images
- Activity-specific instruction sheets
- Data Collection Sheets
- Questions for Reflection
- Architecture Building Cards: Try the tallest tower challenge
- Bridge Building Cards: Explore different types of bridges to build your own.
- Paper Chain STEM Challenge: Who can make the longest chain? Great icebreaker or quick challenge!
- 3 Little Pigs Architectural Pack: Design a house that won’t blow away!
- Great marshmallow challenge: A classic challenge kids love!
- Real-world STEM challenge lesson but don’t know where to start? Our easy-to-follow template shows the steps!
- What’s the difference between a scientist and an engineer?
- Crossword and word search with engineering vocabulary.
- Engineering vocabulary cards
- Design a one-of-a-kind invention and write about it with this 5-page activity!
My kids took one look at this and asked to do it right away. I will be gathering supplies to do this very soon. Thanks so much for taking part in our A-Z of Indoor Activities.
I love this idea! Very clever!
Thank you! Fun way to play, learn, and snack!
Wonderful site with LOTS of tech to table learning!