Building Models

Building Models

A relay or team competition where participants build with matches, sticks, or blocks.

  • 3-15 years
  • Group size: 2+
  • Duration: 20 min
  • Relay
  • Gym / Sports hall
  • Indoor
  • Open space

Before starting, the 'building materials' (e.g., long matches) are laid out together for each group. Participants can work individually or in pairs. Younger children may benefit from working in small groups and collaborating on the task.

In the illustration, participants are tasked with building the tallest possible structure within a set time limit. There might be rules that only allow placing one element (e.g., one matchstick) at a time, or that multiple elements can be placed per turn. Another type of task could be to form various geometric shapes.

Variations

  • Vary the distance from the starting area to the building area.
  • Vary the building material.
  • Encourage participants to find objects in their surroundings that they can use for building.