Kids love candy. They also love STEM challenges. Combine these two to create the ultimate STEM activity! This is the Best Candy STEM Challenge that I have ever done with my kids, and my students. Kids love creating and building with candy so it’s a great mix of hands-on fun and learning. There’s also a free task card available for the activity that you can print and use.

We had some leftover candy at our home after a holiday and my kids had already eaten plenty of sugar. We decided to use some of the candy for this hands-on STEM challenge. They liked the idea that they got to ‘play’ with their food and I liked the fact that some of their candy was being used for a learning activity.

STEM challenges are easy to plan and are excellent for developing problem solving and critical thinking skills. Children learn as they begin building that their creation will likely fall down, maybe several times, as they make their tower. That’s okay! It’s a great opportunity to learn and rebuild.

The best STEM challenges mix some science, technology, engineering and math. At the bottom of this activity description I have included a few ways to mix in more learning and these subject areas, specifically math.

For more hands-on STEM activities, check out the popular collection of 60 of the Best STEM Activities for Kids or the collection of 33 Free Printable STEM Challenge Task Cards and activity ideas.

Candy STEM Challenge Materials

You don’t need a lot of materials for this challenge, and the materials are really simple. If you work with kids you may already have the popsicle sticks on hand.

The more of each material you can provide for children, the more detailed their structure will be. For this activity you will need:

• Gumdrops Candy
• Popsicle Sticks
• Task Card (Available at the bottom of this post)

If you don’t have gumdrops, you can use other candy that you already have on hand. Things like gummy bears and marshmallows work well, whereas candies like smarties and other irregular shaped candy will not work as well.

Another option is to use jumbo popsicle sticks instead of the regular craft sized ones. Either will work for this challenge. As I suggest with all STEM challenges, use materials that you already have on hand.

Best Candy STEM Activity

Once you have gathered your materials, and have a copy of the task card, you’re ready to start the challenge. Share with kids that their challenge is to, “Build the tallest free-standing tower possible using only popsicle sticks and candy.”

Once children know what is expected, hand out the materials and they can get started. Avoid giving children a lot of suggestions and ideas. There are countless solutions for this challenge and it’s a great learning opportunity for kids to figure it out on their own.

Once materials have been handed out, kids can start building. They may test how well the popsicle sticks balance on the gumdrops. It is likely that every groups structure will fall down at least once when kids begin building. This is a great opportunity for children to problem solve as they rebuild. Kids will think about what was working with their structure before the tower fell and what they need to redesign.

One of my favorite things about this, and other STEM challenges is the fact that all children are doing the same challenge, but each child, or group will come up with a slightly different solution. Each tower, or structure looks a little bit different.

Some of my groups color coordinated their towers, which was a great bit of engineering and design. Other groups understood the challenge differently and instead of stacking the sticks and candy, they stuck the sticks into the gumdrops. I love this idea because it shows how there can be different interpretations and solutions.

Extension Ideas

On its own the challenge described above is a great, and easy way to get kids building and problem solving. However, there are simple changes you can make or add to make the project even better, more challenging and more focused on learning.

One addition to the challenge that works well if you have older children doing the project is to limit the number of popsicle sticks and gumdrops you provide. For example, increase the challenging by only giving kids 20 of each. Children then have to be careful and mindful about how and where they use each of their materials.

Another addition to the challenge is to place a weight on top of the structure to test the strength. The weight can be anything from a plastic figure to a plate. On the plate you can add weights until the tower crumbles. Test who has the strongest tower. Encourage children to discuss why they think certain towers where the strongest?

Another way to easily add math to the activity is to measure the height of each of the towers. If you have a group of children each building, you can compare the towers. Decide who made the tallest tower? Who has the shortest tower? Widest?

You can also create STEM kits with the materials and task card. Place everything kids need to complete this challenge into a sealable bag, along with the printed task card, and send it with children to complete independently or at home.

Best Candy STEM Activity Free Task Card

Download Here

Grab your copy of the free task card featured above. You can download the black and white or color copy to use in your classroom or at home. Click the box below and subscribe to Hands-On teaching Ideas. Once you subscribe, the file will download right away. By subscribing through Grow you will also unlock all of the other freebies on this site.

Once you have subscribed, you will receive an email with a link to the Free Resource Library. Here you will find over 100 free printable resources. From more STEM task cards and escape room games to math and language activities. Join today!