Just For Fun – Popsicle Stick Snake

Sugata Mitra says, "If children know there is someone standing over them who knows all the answers, they are less inclined to find the answers for themselves."  And the thing he didn't say is, it's a lot of fun for them when they do find the answers!

 Having fun while learning is a powerful force.  To make this happen, sometimes the learning activities need to be fun.  Here is a fun activity designed by Keelan Stack, and researched in his cub scout book.

Hi. I'm going to show you how to do something that makes ... It's a cool pattern and once you let it one go, the Popsicle sticks will fly up.

Start with Thick Popsicle Sticks 

You want to have the thicker ones because they bend a little more and they're longer. How you do it is you start with crossing it like that, and then you go over, but you want to have it a lot with it. But that one you don't need it as much. Then you take another one. You go under, over, and what you want to do is have a little space there, and then put that one under that one, and then put under and over, and then it'll start to bend up. But you want to make sure you hold onto that one, otherwise, it'll fly up.

Over & Under

Then you go like that. Under this one right here so you should have a little like that. And so then you go under that one and then under, then attach the ends, then go like that under, you go like that. Then under that one, then you go, so then you're going to just repeat what's like ... you're going to go under that one, remember this one, and then you're going to do that again. Then it shouldn't have straight, like two, not like this. You shouldn't go into like that. It should go under this one, and then it'll move. It'll change sides. Then you have to put all these at an angle, and then actually that one stays. Just keep on doing this pattern. Then once you have enough, you can just let the one you just put down, like this one I just put down. If you want it to fly up then you let go of that one.

Repeat the Steps to Make It Longer

But if want to make it longer then you just keep repeating the steps. But you need to keep, make sure that this one you always hold down, because otherwise it'll fly up when you're not ready. Then you just keep repeating them. I like to put my foot on the one that I just had on them so you don't let it go, and you can have both of your hands free. Then keep on going. The first time I tried this, I couldn't get it. It takes practice to do.

Explode the Cans at the End

I'm going to put some cans on to make ... When it goes, it will make the cans fall over. You could use cups, paper cops, whatever you want, and just put him in a tower. But you need to make sure it goes over the thing that you made, more at the beginning, not at the end, where it ended, and you can put something over at the end to make sure that it doesn't fly up, or ask somebody to, and then so ..