Suggestions for One Day Work Shop Ages 5 - 13

[JaneYoung]

Team 418 has worked with Helping Hand Home, a residential home for the most severely abused and neglected children in Central Texas, for the past 3 years. We present a challenge to the children that they can work with and enjoy. It helps them with developing team work and with keeping themselves calm and focused while working with an engineering concept.

One year we made roller coasters and plinkos out of manilla folders.
Another year we presented the penny sinking boats made from tin foil. (You add pennies until the boat sinks.) Several children had difficulty allowing the boat to sink, they were worried. We would explain to them that it was the goal and they dealt with it though it was hard.

We work with these children because it is important to our team to reach out to children who are hard to reach.

I'm looking for an idea to share with the children this year. We will spend the day with 4 groups ranging in ages from 5 through 13. The ages usually have the youngest group together but it can be mixed as the children grow older, depending on how the home organizes it. We are outside and have access to electricity, water, and tables. We have always presented the same challenge to each group. It helps us with time constraints and it helps prevent unnecessary tensions. The 45 minute session includes set up and break down. We take our materials in with us, they are not provided. We have to receive permission for each challenge because of concerns for small pieces. Last year we were able to do the penny challenge only because it was so carefully organized and presented.

Anyone have any suggestions for this year's challenge? These children love LASA Robotics and look forward to our visit each year. Their adult volunteers always look forward to seeing the new challenge as well. Most groups that visit the home offer projects for the individual - we are one of the only groups that tries to help with teamwork development.

Thanks for any suggestions. I just got permission to start on this and will have to have everything good to go in the next 2 weeks. If you would like to PM me, that is fine, or you can respond to this thread.

Jane