This is an awesome STEM challenge for young kids and older ones too! Explore forces, and what makes a paper bridge strong. Fold that paper and test our your paper bridge designs. Which one will hold the most coins? We have tons more easy STEM activities for you to try!
What Makes a Paper Bridge Strong?
Beam, truss, arch, suspension… Bridges vary in their design, their length and how they balance two main forces, tension and compression. Tension is a pulling or stretching force which acts outward and compression is a pushing or squeezing force, acting inward.
The goal in building a bridge is that there is no overall force to cause motion and do damage. A bridge will buckle if compression, the force pushing down on it, becomes too much; it will snap if tension, the force pulling on it, overwhelms.
Depending on the purpose of the bridge, how much weight it will need to hold, and the distance it needs to cover, engineers can figure out which bridge is the best bridge.
Paper Bridge Challenge
Take up the challenge and test your paper bridge designs. Design the strongest paper bridge. Fold your paper and see how many coins your paper bridge can hold before it collapses.
While you are at it, check out these other fun paper STEM challenges!
Supplies Needed:
- Books
- Paper
- Pennies (coins)
Instructions:
STEP 1: Place several books about 6 inches apart.
STEP 2: Fold the papers into different paper bridge designs.
STEP 3: Place the paper across the books like a bridge.
STEP 4: Test how strong your bridge is by adding pennies onto the bridge until it collapses.
STEP 5: Keep a record of how many pennies your bridge could hold before it collapsed! Which paper bridge design was the strongest?
Free Paper Bridge STEM Challenge Printable!
More Bridge Building Activities
Explore engineering projects and more…
- Explore bridge building for preschoolers.
- Try this printable bridge building challenge.
- Make a bridge from gumdrops and toothpicks.
- Build the strongest spaghetti bridge.
- Take the skeleton bridge STEM challenge.
More Fun STEM Challenges To Try
- Straw Boats Challenge – Design a boat made from nothing but straws and tape, and see how many items it can hold before it sinks.
- Paper Chain STEM Challenge – One of the simplest STEM challenges ever!
- Egg Drop Challenge – Create your own designs to protect your egg from breaking when it is dropped from a height.
- Spaghetti Marshmallow Tower – Build the tallest spaghetti tower that can hold the weight of a jumbo marshmallow.
- Strong Paper – Experiment with folding paper in different ways to test its strength, and learn about what shapes make the strongest structures.
Helpful STEM Resources
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
- Growth Mindset For 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 Activities Pack👇
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!
