It's All About Those Straws!

A few days ago I was putting together some containers of STEM materials for a class challenge and heard a student say this:

"I see straws in those bins. We use a lot of straws!"

Yes, we do! In fact, we use so many straws for challenges that  I asked for straws to be added to our school supply list this year! So now I have one entire cabinet filled with straws. Just for fun, we counted the boxes one day and there were 40. FORTY. That is 4000 straws, just in boxes. There are also smaller boxes and bags, and more bags, and even more boxes.

Well, I asked for them! Right?

But why?

Let me show a little we have done with straws!

This is going to be a quick look at some of our challenges. If possible I have linked these back to blog posts of the past that would give you more details. 
In this post, for your convenience, you may find Amazon Affiliate links to resources. This means that with your purchase of items Amazon will pass on small percentages to me. This will not create extra costs to you at all! It will help me keep this blog running!

Amazing Mazes!

Above is a Quick Challenge called Straw Mazes. The walls of the maze were built of straws. A little bit of tape and that's about it! {Blog Post}

Yes, tennis ball towers!

Above is another Challenge called Tennis Ball Towers. This one has some unusual materials and a surprising constraint- kids must use all the materials. They get so creative!{Blog Post}

Bridges and Boats

Above is a bridge challenge. This is one of the first STEM challenges I invented and I promise it was a throw- together- some- junk- and- see- what -they- build kind of challenge! We ended up calling these Straw Bridges (with Toothpicks)!{Blog Post}

Above is a VERY popular challenge called Building Boats! All kids LOVE this one! {Blog Post}

Bubbles and Bubble Wands

Above is Making Bubbles! There is actually more to it than that. With a bunch of wacky supplies, kids make bubble wands! They LOVE it!

Platforms and Parachutes

Above is a Straw Platform! This was a little challenging since it had to hold weight!

Above kids are making a container to hold an egg. It was then dropped with a parachute! So, of course, we called this one Egg Parachutes!

Towers, Rescue Devices, Hoop Flyers, and Geodesic Domes

Above is a Straw Tower! The trick with this one was that the kids only received 12 straws! Ha!

Above is one of my all-time favorites! Kids had to build a rescue device and it had to wind up! Awesome and clever solutions were part of this one! {Blog Post}

Above is one of our most recent challenges! We made hoop flyers and experimented with changing variables. It was spectacular! {Blog Post}

Above is another recent challenge building Bucket Towers! We loved this one, too! The bucket had to be suspended and hold weight! {Blog Post}

Finally, you have another recent challenge about building Geodesic Domes! This was really, really fun!  Check back next week because it may be my next Wednesday post!

So, now, you ask, 

"Why do we use so many straws?"

Because, my friends, they do not cost very much! I have FIFTEEN classes of STEM each week. I cannot spend a lot of money. 

Advice: Ask parents to send in straws. And another little giblet of knowledge for you is this: The best straw you can get is from the Dollar Tree!

So what are you waiting for? Get some straws!