Play Ball Obstacle Course

Review the Engineering Design Process with your child and talk about each step. Ask your child, “Why is each step an important part of creating something amazing?”

Define a Problem: Ask your child how you can get a ball to move from one place to another using recyclable materials.

Imagine and Plan: Wonder aloud together about what you can use to build bridges and tracks. Find materials that will add variety to the ball’s journey. For example, have the ball drop through a hole, slide through a tunnel, or go over a bump. If you don’t have an open space, build the course across a table.

Create: Attach different materials together to create a track for the ball. Start from one high base object and moving across others, attach the course with tape.

Test: Help your child make adjustments by adding different items under the track to create ramps and jumps.

Improve: How can we make the obstacle course better? Test and improve (again and again)!

When your ball travels through the obstacle course across the table, you’ve been successful! Celebrate your accomplishment and continue to encourage your child to use the Engineering Design Process to solve other problems.