Nature Sculpture Engineering Challenges

I love art made from natural objects. Engineering challenges are a great open-ended way for kids to be creative and stretch their thinking. Let's combine both of these ideas into an outdoor STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) project.

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The overarching idea of these engineering challenges will to be to build a sculpture using only natural items. Just as a professional engineer goes through the engineering process, so will the kids while they sculpt. They will define the problem, or challenge, identify any requirements or limitations on materials, brainstorm a solution, build their prototype and test it to see if it solves the problem. They will redesign their sculpture as necessary.

Here are some nature sculpture engineering challenge ideas:

• Design and build a sculpture made of round rocks, stacked at least 4 rocks high.
  
• Design and build a sculpture that can hold water.
• Design and build a sculpture that is an inverted pyramid- where the small stones are on the bottom and the large ones on the top! 

• Design and build a woven sculpture.
• Design and build a sculpture made of leaves.

• Design and build a wall either of sticks or rocks that is sturdy enough for you to sit on.
• Design and build a tower made of sticks that can hold a rock the size of your fist on top.

• Design and build a sturdy log cabin structure. 
• Design and build a sturdy tee-pee shaped structure.

Here are some other great Outdoor STEAM activities to try: 

 

Watermelon Seed Spitting Measurement from Schooling a Monkey

Dry Ice Film Canister Rockets from Science Kiddo

Simple Ways to Take STEAM Outdoors from Little Bins for Little Hands