Design Challenges

DESIGN CHALLENGES

Ready to have some fun with TGR Foundation’s Design Challenges?! These family-friendly activities will unlock your creativity to explore, design and test solutions for real-world problems. The challenges use everyday household items but you can switch them out with similar items you have at home.

 

DAY 5

Build an amusement park on a square of cardboard.
Spanish Language Version MINIATURE AMUSEMENT PARK WEEK ONE DAY 1

Develop a new vehicle for transporting hazardous waste.
INVENT A VEHICLE Spanish Language Version DAY 2

Create a maze to move marbles from the tabletop to the floor.
MOVE THE MARBLES DAY 3

Create a cube/block with letters of the alphabet.
BUILD AN ALPHABET BLOCK Spanish Language Version DAY 4

Build an arch that is three feet tall. BUILD AN ARCH Spanish Language Version New Layer Spanish Language Version

 

DAY 5

Build a ping pong ball launcher to project them into containers. Spanish Language Version MOVE THE PING PONG BALLS WEEK TWO DAY 1

Create a device that will spin a marshmallow five revolutions.
SPIN A MARSHMALLOW Spanish Language Version DAY 2

Suspend an egg from a paper clip hanging from a yardstick
SUSPEND IT Spanish Language Version DAY 3

Create a pedestal for each of the miniature cars.
CAR SHOWCASE Spanish Language Version DAY 4

Design a parachute that can hold weight and descend slowly. PARACHUTE Spanish Language Version

 

DAY 5

Design a trampoline that will lift an object that weighs three ounces. Spanish Language Version DESIGN A TRAMPOLINE WEEK THREE DAY 1

Create a flying machine that travels the farthest possible distance.
GO THE DISTANCE Spanish Language Version DAY 2

Using a string, you must move an unopened can across the floor.
MOVE THE CAN Spanish Language Version DAY 3

Build the tallest, free-standing tower with newspaper.
TALLEST TOWER Spanish Language Version DAY 4

Move the cotton balls into the paper bag without touching the cotton balls. MOVE THE COTTON BALLS Spanish Language Version

 

DAY 5

Design a device that will float in water and hold 50 pennies. Spanish Language Version FLOTATION DEVICE WEEK FOUR DAY 1

Design a basketball shooter and hoop. BASKETBALL SHOOTER Spanish Language Version DAY 2

Design a lander that can keep two mini marshmallows (“aliens”) inside a cup.
SPACE LANDER Spanish Language Version DAY 3

Design a device that will move a cup of beads from one side of the table to the other. SIMPLE DEVICE Spanish Language Version DAY 4

Build the strongest bridge with a unique design. BRIDGE BUILDER
Spanish Language Version

 

WEEK FIVE 5 DAY CHALLENGE

Build a game that the family can play by the end of the week.




DESIGN A GAME WEEK SIX 5 DAY CHALLENGE

Use a simple design process to create a wordless picture or photo book.




MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS CHALLENGE Spanish Langauge Version WEEK EIGHT 5 DAY CHALLENGE

Build musical instruments that the family can play at the end of the week.




WORDLESS PICTURE/PHOTO BOOK Spanish Langauge Version Spanish Langauge Version 5 DAY CHALLENGE

Build an Animal Shelter with materials found inside and outside the house.




ANIMAL SHELTER CHALLENGE Spanish Langauge Version WEEK SEVEN

 

*Click the icons to unlock the digital download instructions for each challenge.

Design Reflection Questions:

• What were some interesting discoveries you made while working on the Design Challenges, about the problems and about yourself?

• What were some of the difficulties of the Design Challenges and what made them difficult?

• What were some learning moments and what made them so?

• How can you use what you have learned in the future?