Instant Challenge -- Ready for take off

Just before Thanksgiving I came across a new challenge for homeschoolers, an Instant Challenge posted weekly over at Delightful Learning.

Basically, at the start of the week she posts a challenge, sometime during the week you hopefully accept the challenge along with your children, and participants return the following week to report on their results.

Last week's challenge involved flying objects, so I easily convinced my kids that we would attempt this project. Michelle makes it incredibly easy, and has everything right in the post that you need to know. The supplies needed, the time allowed, how to score the project (the competition aspect of this hooked my son for sure), and other details to help you enjoy this challenge with your child(ren).

So we set up the room and gathered our supplies:



Then, after a quick review of the rules we dug in. I was pleasantly surprised at how well my kids worked together to come up with an interesting plan for their flying object. We added some incentive as I decided to make my own project. I couldn't benefit from the group interaction, but it encouraged them to try even harder to beat me, or at least to give it a try.

Their flying contraption:


Interesting. I guess next time I will need to specify that you need to use the whole object, not just the piece that you tear off of it. Their idea: a rubber band wrapped with the various other supplies that they fling toward the designated target.

My plane:

Less creative, but with the supplies all included, just tucked inside the plane. And, just for the record, it flew further . . .

Nevertheless, the kids took their best shot. The girls cheered Blake on as he launched their production. It did well. Went almost 21 feet on its longest run, but still not the 22 feet that mine finished with ease.

I had some sympathy on them, and let them take a second launching time. That round they hit the target, at 21 feet, and easily outscored me with a total of 112 points.

A fun activity perfect for a Friday afternoon when the brain cells are begging for mercy. Can't wait to try this week's challenge . . . the leaning tower.