Paper Cup STEM Challenges

Earlier this year we were studying Objects, Materials, and Structures in science. One fun STEM challenge that we did together used paper cups.

I first challenged Landon to try building a sturdy structure using paper cups. The challenge was to build it as tall as he could. It didn’t take long for us to see that stacking them one on top of another was not nearly as stable as if they were stacked in a pyramid shape with a wide base.

The second challenge was to build a structure that would allow paper cups to support the weight of Landon, Ried and I. A single paper cup could hold Landon for a short time before collapsing under his weight. But by distributing our weight over several cups using a piece of cardboard on top, they could easily hold us all.

All you need to complete this challenge at home are a large piece of cardboard and several paper cups!