2nd & 3rd
Challenge Instuctions
Click on the + icon to read the instructions.
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🚨 Attention, Young Engineers! 🚨
The grand opening of the STEAM Adventure Park is today… but there’s one BIG problem: The roller coaster is not finished!
Your mission is to design and build an exciting roller coaster that can safely carry a Ping-Pong ball from the top of the ride all the way to the finish line.
Use your creativity, teamwork, and engineering skills to build the most amazing coaster possible!
⏰ You have only 12 minutes to complete the challenge!
Engineering Materials
You may use:
Cardboard tubes cut in half
Pack of straws
Mailing labels
Pieces of tape
Pipe cleaners
Craft sticks
Toothpicks
Paper
Aluminum foil
Mission Rules
Your roller coaster must transport the Ping-Pong ball from top to bottom
The ball must travel using gravity only
Teams should test, improve, and redesign their coaster as needed
Think creatively and build a fun, stable, and exciting design!
Scoring
⭐ 10 points if your roller coaster is at least 16 inches (41 cm) tall
⭐ 10 points if your roller coaster includes at least 2 turns
⭐ 10 points if the Ping-Pong ball travels successfully from start to finish
⭐ 15 points if you use 4 or fewer materials in your solution
⭐ 10 points if you use 5 or more materials in your solution
⭐ Up to 20 points for creativity and engineering design
Think Like Engineers!
After the challenge, discuss with your team:
Which materials were the easiest to use?
Which materials were the most difficult?
What did you enjoy most about this challenge?
How could you redesign your coaster using different materials?
🌟 BONUS IDEA:
Can you build a roller coaster that travels underneath chairs or a table and comes out on the other side carrying the Ping-Pong ball?
🎢 Ready, engineers?
Build fast, test often, and let the ride begin!
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Attention, Secret Communicators!
The lights have gone out, and the only way to send and receive an important secret message is by using Morse code and light signals!
Your mission is to build a working electrical circuit that can power a LED light and help your team communicate with another team. Once you reproduce the code with your LED light and the other team deciphers it, your challenge will be to decipher the secret Morse code message they want to communicate.
Use your engineering, teamwork, and communication skills to become expert codebreakers!
⏰ Challenge Time:
5 minutes to build your circuit
5 minutes to send and share your secret message
Materials
You may use:
Cables
AA battery holder
AA batteries
LED light
Morse code guide
Cardboard paper
Markers
Paper sheets
Pencil
Mission Rules
Build a working circuit that lights the LED
Use the light to communicate a Morse code message
Teams must decode or explain their message clearly
Work together to test and improve your design
Scoring
⭐ 20 points for building a working circuit
⭐ 20 points for correctly communicating the Morse code message
⭐ 20 points for teamwork and collaboration
⭐ 20 points for creativity and presentation
⭐ 20 points for accuracy and successful decoding of the message
💡 Think like engineers…
🔐 Communicate like secret agents…
⚡ And light up the darkness with your code!
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🚨 Attention, Engineers! 🚨
Your team has been selected to design a powerful air-powered vehicle capable of transporting valuable Ping-Pong cargo across the testing zone!
But there’s a catch…
Your vehicle cannot use batteries, motors, or hands to move.
Your only power source is AIR from your team blowing on it!
Use teamwork, creativity, and innovation to build a vehicle that can travel as far as possible while keeping the Ping-Pong balls safely inside.
⏰ Challenge Time:
10 minutes to build and test your vehicle
2 minutes for the final distance challenge
Materials
You may use:
2 Ping-Pong balls
1 sheet of construction paper
2 straws
4 labels
4 bottle tops
4 rubber bands
4 paper clips
8 toothpicks
1 balloon
Mission Rules
Your vehicle must begin behind the start line
Teams may only use air (blowing) to move the vehicle
No touching the vehicle or Ping-Pong balls during the 2-minute challenge
All team members must remain behind the start line
The goal is to move the vehicle as far as possible while keeping the Ping-Pong balls inside
Scoring
⭐ Points based on the total distance traveled by the vehicle (inches)
⭐ 20 points if both Ping-Pong balls remain inside the vehicle
⭐ 20 points for creativity and engineering design
⭐ 20 points for teamwork and collaboration
⭐ 20 points for stability and successful vehicle movement
💨 Think creatively…
🚗 Build carefully…
🏁 And let the power of teamwork move your vehicle to victory!
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🚨 Scientists need your help! 🚨
A hungry geometric monster has escaped from the STEAM Lab… and it needs to reach its dinner before it loses all its energy!
Your mission is to design and build your very own geometric monster using 3D shapes and engineering skills. Then, create a propulsion system with circuits and moving parts so your monster can travel to its food!
Your monster must:
Include geometric shapes
Move using a motor-powered propulsion system
Travel toward its dinner
Be creative and unique
⏰ You have only 12 minutes to complete the challenge!
Materials
You may use:
Motor
3D geometric shape templates
Alligator (caiman) cables
Tape
Googly eyes
AA battery holder
AA battery
Paddle
Silicone sticks
Wood sticks
Rubber wheels
Scoring
⭐ 20 points if the monster moves successfully
⭐ 20 points if the propulsion system works correctly
⭐ 20 points for completing and using geometric shapes
⭐ 20 points for creativity and monster design
⭐ 20 points if the monster reaches its dinner
👾 Build fast, engineers…
The monster is hungry! 🍕⚡"
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The stars are out there! 🌌
Your final optional challenge is to explore the night sky and identify some of the groups of stars we call constellations.
Many constellations were discovered in ancient times, and their names and shapes often require imagination, observation, and focus to recognize.
See how many of the following constellations you and your family can find tonight:
- Ursa Minor
- Orion
- Leo
- Capricornus
Can you discover any others?
🔭 Remember:
Right now it is dusk, so some stars and constellations may not yet be visible or may still be below the horizon.
Thank you for being part of our STEAM Night! ✨