Create Towers and Patterns using Plastic Easter Eggs | STEAM Activity for Kids

For today’s STEAM Activity we once again used plastic Easter eggs. We already had some from last year we’ve been playing with, and then we got more from the Easter Bunny 🐰 yesterday, so we might as well keep playing and learning with them!

Today we made towers with the eggs. I challenged my kids to see how tall they could go. Then, when it inevitably falls, I asked them to count how many egg halves they used. Once they were tired of towers we continued the math theme by making caterpillars using patterns.

MATERIALS:

• Plastic eggs

PROCEDURE:

1. Break the plastic eggs apart into halves
2. Stack the egg halves one in top of the other to see how high you can go
3. When it falls count the number of egg halves used
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3, trying to stack more eggs each time, and compare your final number (was it more than or less than the previous tower)

5. Once they’re done stacking try lining up the egg halves on the ground in patterns. Can they make a caterpillar using AB pattern? Or a square with the 4 sides each a different color? Let their imaginations work, but guide it into a STEAM activity focused on patterns, shapes, colors or any combination of the three.

STEAM CONCEPTS LEARNED:

• Engineering: when the kids are stacking they’re learning many engineering concepts
  • forces, such as gravity when it falls
  • building concepts like keeping the stack straight and a strong foundation
• Math: there are lots of math opportunities in this activity
  • measure the height of the the tower
  • count the number of egg halves used in the tower
  • more than and less than comparisons
  • making patterns
  • learning and creating shapes with the egg halves
• Art: The colorful plastic eggs make for plenty of color practice opportunities, here are just a few examples
  • Can they make a tower with just 1 color?
  • Can they make a tower with a rainbow pattern?

This was another great way to use the toys we already have around to make educational play time. Both of my kids really enjoyed this activity. I hope you’ll give it a try and let me know how it goes!