STREAM Activity: Build Your Own Tinker Blocks

Put on your architect hat and get building!

Activity best for children age 2 and up- Adult supervision when using scissors!

Building with blocks is a great way to learn about buildings. The designers of buildings are called architects. Architects create ideas for all kinds of buildings from homes to skyscrapers! Architects are always designing new styles as well as new ways of constructing buildings. What if a building had the shape of a wave or was all round instead of square? Using blocks to build with at home is a great way to think like an architect. Today you are going to make your own type of building blocks in order to think like an architect. Paper roll tubes and popsicle sticks are what you are going to use, but you can make these unique by wrapping the tubes in foil, painting them, or coloring them with markers if you want. Put on your architect hat and get building!

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Materials you’ll need:

Paper roll tubes 

Popsicle sticks

Guiding Questions:

How big do I want my building to be?

What kind of building should I make?

What shapes can I make?

How many levels can I build?

Directions

STEP 1
Have a grown up make some holes in the paper roll tubes for you. It is up to you how many holes you would like in each tube.

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STEP 2

Slide the popsicle sticks into the holes. Add new paper roll tubes to the sticks. Keep adding sticks and rolls until your building is done.

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STEP 3

What creative and  amazing things are you going to build? A spaceship? A tall tower? A tree house? Have fun!

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Grown Ups-Are you looking for more ways to extend your child’s learning? Check out these extension activities to build upon today’s STREAM activity!

Reading Connections: 

The Three Little Pigs: An Architectural Tale by Steven Guarnaccia

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Math Connections: 

How tall will your building be? How long can your building be? Count the rolls and sticks that you use. Which one is more, which one is less?

Real-World Connections:

Can you find any interesting shaped buildings in your neighborhood? There are buildings around the world that are very interesting shapes like waves, circles and even sails. How do you think they are built?