Make a simple bridge with craft sticks in this fun STEM activity. Kids can think like engineers as they design and build a bridge to support toy cars. 

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Kids love building roads and tunnels and bridges for toy cars and trucks. They'll often use anything available, including blocks and cardboard boxes, to complete their structures.

The possibilities are only limited by their imaginations!

A bridge is fun to make with a few craft sticks and some duct tape. The activity supports cognitive thinking and fine motor skills as kids explore and experiment with the materials.

Craft stick bridge activity

This is one way to build a bridge. Bring your own creativity to the project. 

Set out the materials and give kids time to explore, discuss, plan, discover.

Guide the play as needed. Duct tape is sticky, and may be hard for kids to manage on their own.

Follow your preschooler's lead as the bridge building evolves.

Materials for bridge building activity

We used duct tape along with the craft sticks for this activity. Duct tape is a multi-purpose material that offers creative possibilities for everything from crafting to household repairs. We love using duct tape for both! 

Duct tape is strong enough to support toy cars in this bridge-building activity, but you can substitute masking tape or electrical tape or other strong tape. 

We used regular size craft sticks but I think it would be fun to use jumbo craft sticks too.

• You might like to compare bridges for strength, size, and durability using different sticks.

Instructions

1. Roll out a piece of duct tape, sticky side up. Roll the end over to stick to the floor, or secure the end to the floor with a piece of tape.

2. Place craft sticks on the duct tape until you reach a desired length for your bridge.

3. Cut the duct tape. Fold the tape over at the ends to make tabs. This makes it easier to hold the row of craft sticks without your hands sticking to it as you complete the bridge.

4. Place a tray or deep plastic dish on the table or floor to create a ravine or lake the bridge will cross.

5. Tape the tabs you made on the ends of the duct tape strip to opposites sides of the plastic dish.

6. Tape a cardboard ramp in place on each side as a roadway for the cars to access the bridge.
 

Drive your cars and trucks over the bridge. Add some water to the "lake" under the bridge.

Is your bridge strong enough to hold a toy car as it passes over the ravine?

How many cars can it hold at a time?

Can you think of other ways to build the bridge?

More ways to play

We used these slanted wooden blocks to make a ramp. 

• We added a support in the middle so the bridge wouldn't collapse when cars rode through the tunnel.

There are lots of ways to build and create.

Enjoy this bridge-building challenge with preschoolers!

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