Engineering at Home · Wrecking Ball

Ages 7 - 12 · Check in on our YouTube channel once a week for a new video featuring an engineering activity you can do with common objects and materials at home! All activities will begin with specific materials and instructions, but with your creativity you can experiment and make each activity your own. - - WRECKING BALL For our project this week, we're making a wrecking ball! We'll show you how to make a wrecking ball and support your ball as it swings. STEP ONE · Gather Your Materials - strong tape - scissors - two glasses of water, or other heavy objects like two stacks of books - 8 straws or colored pencils - a ball or round object of some kind (we used an orange!) - string STEP TWO · Tape Together 8 Straws or Pencils - gather your 8 straws or pencils, and tape them together - use a few pieces of tape to make sure they're secure STEP THREE · Set Taped Pencils On Top of Glasses & Tape To Secure - Place your bundle of taped straws or pencils on top of the glasses of water - Make sure the glasses are about 4-6 inches apart (wide enough for your ball) - Tape each end of your bundle to the top of the glasses so that they are stable and stay put STEP FOUR · Tie a String Around Your Ball, & Secure With Tape - Wrap your string around the ball or round object that will be your wrecking ball - Once you wrap it around several times, secure on both ends with tape STEP FIVE · Tie Other End of String Around Straws or Pencils, & Secure With Tape - Take the string that is now attached to your wrecking ball, and wrap the other end around the bundle of straws or pencils - Adjust so that your wrecking ball is hanging just above the table or surface you're working on - Cut your string so that you have an extra 1-2 inches, then tie to attach - Secure with tape STEP SIX · Place Objects & Let Your Wrecking Ball Swing! - take a few random (non-breakable!) objects you have around the house, and use your wrecking ball to see if it can knock them over! Then, it's up to you! Get creative see what else you can do with this build! - - Spark Central is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that ignites the creativity, innovation, and imagination necessary for people to forge the path to their best future. We break down barriers to creativity like cost, confidence, and access by offering transformative programs, access to innovative technology, and a welcoming creative community for people of all economic backgrounds. Visit Spark-Central.org for more information on who we are and other programs we offer. - - Music courtesy of YouTube's Audio Library - Splashing Around by The Green Orbs - Sleeplessness by The Brothers Records - After the Soft Rains by South London HiFi Special thanks to Brittney for helping with this week's video!