Making Bridges Investigation Station for Preschoolers

Make bridges with your little kids using things you already have around the house! Check out this quick & easy STEAM Investigation Station for preschoolers. What an awesome way to build problem-solving and engineering skills for your next Transportation theme! 

I can’t believe that we’re starting another new preschool curriculum kit. This month, it’s all about cars and trucks and things that go. And today, we had lots of fun learning about and making bridges.

For today’s Investigation Station, the Teacher Guide suggested that we use marshmallows or packing peanuts and toothpicks to build bridges.

Except we didn’t have any marshmallows, so instead we used cornstarch noodles. Either way, the little guy and I had so much fun with this Making Bridges Investigation Station.

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A huge thanks to Experience Early Learning (formerly Mother Goose Time) for providing us with their Experience Preschool curriculum for free in exchange for sharing our honest and authentic stories resulting from our personal experiences. It’s been such a huge blessing to us! As always, my opinions on awesome stuff for little kids are 100% my own.

Keep in mind that all preschoolers do things in their own time and on their own terms. What one is ready for, another might not be. Please use your best mama judgement when planning activities for your little kids. 

Making Bridges Investigation Station

Scientific Reasoning (25.2), Logic (20.1), Fine Motor (5.1)

Set Up

• Set out bowls of toothpicks and marshmallows in the block area.
• Set out pictures or books about different types of bridges.
• Encourage children to construct bridges using the materials. (If you don’t want to use marshmallows, use packing peanuts instead).
• Challenge children to build shapes like squares and triangles with the materials.

Big Questions

• How long can you build the bridge?
• What shapes do you see in your bridge?
• What shapes make the strongest bridge?

He loves building and creating and of course I love watching him. It’s amazing to me how much he’s grown and changed since we started using this curriculum almost 3 years ago.

Then again, it’s hard to believe that it’s been almost 3 years. Like seriously! Who would’ve thought, right? You can read more about our preschool homeschool experience here.

I still remember the very first school bus box that we opened together. The little guy had just turned two and it was A to Zoo animals.

I can’t even tell you how excited I am that we’ll be doing that theme again this summer. I’ll be interested to see how our experience differs this year as compared to three years ago.

The funny thing is that somehow making bridges turned into making shapes. The little guy made squares and triangles without any prompting what so ever from me.

I love how open-ended activities like this one turn into awesome learning opportunities. It never fails.

We start out doing one thing and before you know it we’ve transitioned to something entirely different with the exact same supplies. Talk about being versatile, right?

Don’t forget to stop by next week if you’re interested in seeing what we’re up to with our Transportation Station theme. And if you missed this year’s preschool homeschool space post, you can check it out here.

Looking for more insight & inspiration? Here are the top 10 most popular posts from The Keeper of the Memories. You’re definitely not going to want to miss these!

As a Mother Goose Time blog ambassador, I receive the Mother Goose Time Preschool curriculum in exchange for my honest and authentic stories resulting from our personal experiences. As always, my opinions on awesome stuff for little kids are 100% my own. Keep in mind that all preschoolers do things in their own time and on their own terms. What one is ready for, another might not be. Please use your best mama judgement when planning activities for your little kids. #mgtblogger

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