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Is a square stronger than a triangle? Use tongue depressors to build simple shapes. Then apply a little weight to them and see what happens!

In this activity, learners explore the parts of a circuit by modeling, as a group, a “human” circuit.

In this activity, learners listen to songs and decode hidden messages based on the same principle as a modem. As a final challenge, learners decode the binary messages in a music video.

This is a great activity for investigating the basics of lift and drag as they pertain to flight. Learners will discover how to avoid "taking a nosedive" by building their own paper airplane.

In this activity, learners investigate soil erosion. Learners set up a simulation to observe how water can change the land and move nutrients from one place to another.

In this activity, learners construct a device that allows them to look over ledges or around corners.

In this activity, learners conduct three experiments to examine temperature, the different stages of the water cycle, and how convection creates wind.

In this activity, learners use recycled materials to build a bridge that holds as many potatoes as possible. They investigate weight, height, strength, and measurement as they seek design solutions.

In this hands-on activity, children create their own kites that can fly indoors. Learners are exposed to basic concepts of gravity and air resistance.

Make a cuíca (“kwee-ka”), a traditional Brazilian musical instrument that originated in Africa. Played primarily in Brazil, now you can play it at home, too, with this Exploratorium produced activity.

In this activity, learners will engineer three different parachutes to test how well each one works.

Learners place water and part of an antacid tablet in a film canister. The reaction creates a gas reaction that launches the film canister like a rocket.

Learners follow the template to build and fly a paper helicopter.

In this activity, challenge learners to keep an ice cube from completely melting in 30 minutes. Learners engineer a box or wrap to prevent an ice cube from melting.

In this engineering activity, challenge learners to make a "grabber" that can pick up trash. Learners use simple materials to create pinchers that can grab small items.

In this activity, learners build rockets and shoot them into the air by stomping on the plastic bottle launchers.

In this activity, learners build a switch to turn electrical circuits on and off.

In this activity, learners will engineer a roof using simple materials to protect a construction paper person from a rainstorm.

In this activity, learners construct a traditional handicraft toy that illustrates a motion commonly associated with violins and earthquakes.

In this activity, learners build a mini crank machine to make a bird "fly." This engineering activity introduces learners to automata, rotational motion, cranks and cams.