Sample Hands-on Problems
Hands-On Spontaneous problems require team members to use various items to create a final solution. Following are several practice Hands-On Spontaneous problems. A list of materials needed is given before each problem. A scoring system is also given. Where teamwork is scored, the non-performing team members can be the scorekeepers. Materials may be substituted if necessary. Coaches may also modify the requirements to add additional elements to the problems.
Bridge
Materials: 2 plastic cups, 6 plastic drinking straws, 20 miniature marshmallows, 20 toothpicks, four golf balls, and 6" masking tape.
Time: 5 minutes
Problem: Build a bridge that will support weights. Place the two plastic cups on a table 12 inches apart. Create a bridge, the ends of which are placed on the two plastic cups, that will support at least one or more golf balls. To test the bridge after time runs out, place one golf ball at a time on the bridge.
Scoring:
Structure Scoring: 1 golf ball- 10 points; 2 golf balls - 25 points; 3 golf balls - 50 points; 4 golf balls - 100 points
Creativity of bridge: 1 - 10 points
Teamwork: 1 - 10 points
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Tower
Materials: 5 drinking straws, 20 marshmallows, 20 toothpicks, and 4 computer labels.
Time: 5 minutes
Problem: Build a tall tower. Build a tower as tall as possible. The team may stop at any time to have the tower judged.
Scoring:
Structure Scoring: 2 points for each half-inch in height. Fractions of a half-inch are to be counted as the next tallest half-inch.
Creativity of tower: 1 - 20 points
Teamwork: 1 - 15 points
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Car
Materials: Paper milk carton, large deflated balloon, 20 pieces of spaghetti, 20 miniature marshmallows, 20 toothpicks, 5 computer labels, and 4 large round cookies.
Time: 5 minutes
Problem: Build a car. Build a car that will travel at least five feet.
Scoring:
Structure Scoring: 25 points if the car travels at least one foot. 2 points for each inch traveled past five feet.
Creativity of car: 1 - 25 points
Teamwork: 1 - 25 points
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Egg
Materials: Uncooked egg, plastic sandwich bag, 3-inch cardboard square, 2 rubber bands, 1-inch square modeling clay, 2 computer labels, small dish sponge, business-size envelope, and 2 rubber bands
Time: 4 minutes
Problem: Protect an egg. Design a protection system for the egg. When completed, put the protected egg into the plastic sandwich bag. Then roll the egg underhanded at least six feet across the floor against the wall.
Scoring:
Structure Scoring: 50 points if the egg is not damaged in any way. 25 points if the egg has a small crack. 10 points if the egg is broken but the contents have not leaked out. No points if the egg is smashed, but score points for teamwork and creativity.
Creativity of protection system: 1 - 15 points
Teamwork: 1 - 15 points
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Airplane
Materials: 5 sheets of paper, 5 paper clips, crayons or markers, and scissors
Time: 3 minutes
Problem: Fly an airplane. Give each team member one piece of paper and one paper clip. Each team member is to make a paper airplane that will fly at least 15 feet and will make at least two complete spirals (plane rolls over 360 degrees twice) while flying that distance.
Scoring:
Structure Scoring: Creativity of each airplane: 1 - 20 points
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added 11-17
Tied-Up Teamwork
by Ryan
Given: 5 medium rubber bands, 10 dimes, 3 chains, Legos, shoes with Laces. Members form a circle in which alternate members face toward and away from the center. Attach the wrists of the members standing next to one another.
Without talking, complete the following tasks.
Don’t Lose Your Marbles by Ryan
Given: 10 marbles, table or other raised surface from which to start, cardboard-flat and tubes, paper plates, construction paper, egg cartons, plastic cups, nails, push pins, masking tape, sponges, tacks, various boards, small boxes, 8 foot and / or shorter pieces of plastic molding for paneling or other supplies as desired and available.
Design and build a marble run with as much variety as possible. At the end of the allotted time (10-30 minutes), run 10 marbles and judge the run on variety, creativity, and engineering. The problem might be altered to give more points for very slow descent of the marbles.
Your Teammates are Lifesavers
by Ryan
Given: 15 large marshmallows, 15 licorice sticks, a cup, lifesavers.
Build a structure that will hang from the ceiling. You will have 10 minutes to complete the problem. After you have built the structure it will be hung from the doorway.
Attach a cup at the bottom of the structure and fill it with lifesavers.
After each addition of 5 lifesavers the structure will be rocked.
Each time the structure is rocked (and survives), 2 points will be given.
The length of the structure will earn points as well- 5 points per 1 inch.
Build a bridge type structure. You will be given one minute to discuss
the problem. You may talk to your teammates.
You will have 10 minutes to complete the problem.
After you’ve built the structure, a cup will be placed in the middle of the bridge span. The addition of each lifesaver to the cup counts as two points, and each inch of the structure’s horizontal span will equal 5 points.
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added 12-4
Hands On - Bucket Ball
(When the team enters the room, tell them this is a hands-on problem)
You will have 8 minutes to solve this problem. You may ask questions at any time, but time will continue. You will be warned when you have 2 minutes left and again at 1 minute.
Your problem is to move as many of these balls as you can into this bucket.
When moving a ball, team members must be completely behind the launch line.
There are materials for you to use to move the balls. Nothing else may be used.
You may choose to flip the bucket on its side, but you must do this before you launch the first ball. If you flip the buck on its side, it must stay that way the entire time. Likewise, if you leave the bucket upright, it must remain that way until time ends. You may not alter the setup in any other way.
Ping-pong balls are worth 1 point, golf balls are worth 2 points, and tennis balls are worth 3 points.
Score will be as follows:
Each ball in the bucket if the bucket is on its side will receive the point of the ball
Each ball in the upright bucket will receive double the points of the ball
Creativity of how the balls are moved 1-20
Teamwork 1-20
Hands on - Long Arm
(When the team enters the room, tell them this is a hands-on a problem)
This is a two-part problem. In part 1, you will have 5 minutes to build your solution. In part 2, you will have 2 minutes to test your solution.
Your problem is to build a structure that can extend as far past the edge of the table as possible.
Your structure can only touch the table in the taped off area. The structure may not touch anything else. You may not change the setup.
There are materials provided to build your structure, nothing else may be used.
In part two, you will test your structure by placing marbles on it. A marble must rest on the structure for 3 seconds to count for score. Each marble may only be used once.
To count for score, the marble can only touch the structure.
Score will be as follows.
Each inch of the structure past the edge of the table will receive 1 point
Each marble supported by the structure will receive 3 points.
Creative use of materials 1-20
Teamwork 1-20
For Judges Only:
Tape a 3” x 3” square on the table, near the edge.
Give the team a bag of marbles in part two
Give the team the following materials: 15 straws, 15 pieces of spaghetti, 1 mailing label, 1 plate, 1 piece of paper, and 1 cup.
Hands-On Spontaneous problems require team members to use various items to create a final solution. Following are several practice Hands-On Spontaneous problems. A list of materials needed is given before each problem. A scoring system is also given. Where teamwork is scored, the non-performing team members can be the scorekeepers. Materials may be substituted if necessary. Coaches may also modify the requirements to add additional elements to the problems.
Bridge
Materials: 2 plastic cups, 6 plastic drinking straws, 20 miniature marshmallows, 20 toothpicks, four golf balls, and 6" masking tape.
Time: 5 minutes
Problem: Build a bridge that will support weights. Place the two plastic cups on a table 12 inches apart. Create a bridge, the ends of which are placed on the two plastic cups, that will support at least one or more golf balls. To test the bridge after time runs out, place one golf ball at a time on the bridge.
Scoring:
Structure Scoring: 1 golf ball- 10 points; 2 golf balls - 25 points; 3 golf balls - 50 points; 4 golf balls - 100 points
Creativity of bridge: 1 - 10 points
Teamwork: 1 - 10 points
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Tower
Materials: 5 drinking straws, 20 marshmallows, 20 toothpicks, and 4 computer labels.
Time: 5 minutes
Problem: Build a tall tower. Build a tower as tall as possible. The team may stop at any time to have the tower judged.
Scoring:
Structure Scoring: 2 points for each half-inch in height. Fractions of a half-inch are to be counted as the next tallest half-inch.
Creativity of tower: 1 - 20 points
Teamwork: 1 - 15 points
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Car
Materials: Paper milk carton, large deflated balloon, 20 pieces of spaghetti, 20 miniature marshmallows, 20 toothpicks, 5 computer labels, and 4 large round cookies.
Time: 5 minutes
Problem: Build a car. Build a car that will travel at least five feet.
Scoring:
Structure Scoring: 25 points if the car travels at least one foot. 2 points for each inch traveled past five feet.
Creativity of car: 1 - 25 points
Teamwork: 1 - 25 points
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Egg
Materials: Uncooked egg, plastic sandwich bag, 3-inch cardboard square, 2 rubber bands, 1-inch square modeling clay, 2 computer labels, small dish sponge, business-size envelope, and 2 rubber bands
Time: 4 minutes
Problem: Protect an egg. Design a protection system for the egg. When completed, put the protected egg into the plastic sandwich bag. Then roll the egg underhanded at least six feet across the floor against the wall.
Scoring:
Structure Scoring: 50 points if the egg is not damaged in any way. 25 points if the egg has a small crack. 10 points if the egg is broken but the contents have not leaked out. No points if the egg is smashed, but score points for teamwork and creativity.
Creativity of protection system: 1 - 15 points
Teamwork: 1 - 15 points
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Airplane
Materials: 5 sheets of paper, 5 paper clips, crayons or markers, and scissors
Time: 3 minutes
Problem: Fly an airplane. Give each team member one piece of paper and one paper clip. Each team member is to make a paper airplane that will fly at least 15 feet and will make at least two complete spirals (plane rolls over 360 degrees twice) while flying that distance.
Scoring:
Structure Scoring: Creativity of each airplane: 1 - 20 points
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
added 11-17
Tied-Up Teamwork
by Ryan
Given: 5 medium rubber bands, 10 dimes, 3 chains, Legos, shoes with Laces. Members form a circle in which alternate members face toward and away from the center. Attach the wrists of the members standing next to one another.
Without talking, complete the following tasks.
- Stack the dimes
- Untie and retie two individuals’ sneakers
- Unstack three chairs
- Build a car with the Legos
Don’t Lose Your Marbles by Ryan
Given: 10 marbles, table or other raised surface from which to start, cardboard-flat and tubes, paper plates, construction paper, egg cartons, plastic cups, nails, push pins, masking tape, sponges, tacks, various boards, small boxes, 8 foot and / or shorter pieces of plastic molding for paneling or other supplies as desired and available.
Design and build a marble run with as much variety as possible. At the end of the allotted time (10-30 minutes), run 10 marbles and judge the run on variety, creativity, and engineering. The problem might be altered to give more points for very slow descent of the marbles.
Your Teammates are Lifesavers
by Ryan
Given: 15 large marshmallows, 15 licorice sticks, a cup, lifesavers.
Build a structure that will hang from the ceiling. You will have 10 minutes to complete the problem. After you have built the structure it will be hung from the doorway.
Attach a cup at the bottom of the structure and fill it with lifesavers.
After each addition of 5 lifesavers the structure will be rocked.
Each time the structure is rocked (and survives), 2 points will be given.
The length of the structure will earn points as well- 5 points per 1 inch.
Build a bridge type structure. You will be given one minute to discuss
the problem. You may talk to your teammates.
You will have 10 minutes to complete the problem.
After you’ve built the structure, a cup will be placed in the middle of the bridge span. The addition of each lifesaver to the cup counts as two points, and each inch of the structure’s horizontal span will equal 5 points.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
added 12-4
Hands On - Bucket Ball
(When the team enters the room, tell them this is a hands-on problem)
You will have 8 minutes to solve this problem. You may ask questions at any time, but time will continue. You will be warned when you have 2 minutes left and again at 1 minute.
Your problem is to move as many of these balls as you can into this bucket.
When moving a ball, team members must be completely behind the launch line.
There are materials for you to use to move the balls. Nothing else may be used.
You may choose to flip the bucket on its side, but you must do this before you launch the first ball. If you flip the buck on its side, it must stay that way the entire time. Likewise, if you leave the bucket upright, it must remain that way until time ends. You may not alter the setup in any other way.
Ping-pong balls are worth 1 point, golf balls are worth 2 points, and tennis balls are worth 3 points.
Score will be as follows:
Each ball in the bucket if the bucket is on its side will receive the point of the ball
Each ball in the upright bucket will receive double the points of the ball
Creativity of how the balls are moved 1-20
Teamwork 1-20
Hands on - Long Arm
(When the team enters the room, tell them this is a hands-on a problem)
This is a two-part problem. In part 1, you will have 5 minutes to build your solution. In part 2, you will have 2 minutes to test your solution.
Your problem is to build a structure that can extend as far past the edge of the table as possible.
Your structure can only touch the table in the taped off area. The structure may not touch anything else. You may not change the setup.
There are materials provided to build your structure, nothing else may be used.
In part two, you will test your structure by placing marbles on it. A marble must rest on the structure for 3 seconds to count for score. Each marble may only be used once.
To count for score, the marble can only touch the structure.
Score will be as follows.
Each inch of the structure past the edge of the table will receive 1 point
Each marble supported by the structure will receive 3 points.
Creative use of materials 1-20
Teamwork 1-20
For Judges Only:
Tape a 3” x 3” square on the table, near the edge.
Give the team a bag of marbles in part two
Give the team the following materials: 15 straws, 15 pieces of spaghetti, 1 mailing label, 1 plate, 1 piece of paper, and 1 cup.
