Have Fun Learning about Shapes with this Fun Quadrilateral STEM Project

This fun quadrilateral STEM project is a fun way to practice building quadrilaterals and practice shape recognition. There is even a free printable to guide your project.

The free printable can be found at the END of this post. Click on the blue “get your free printable here” button.

My boys always get very enthusiastic when they know a building challenge is coming, and today was no different. The excitement was contagious as we sat down at the table and I pulled out our marshmallows and toothpicks.

The questions flowed.

“What are we building?”

“Can we start?”

“What do we have to do?”

“Is it time?”

As you can see, we can be quite impatient! But they were ready for their Quadrilateral STEM project to begin!!!

This is Day Four of my Quadrilateral Unit. Check out our other activities!!!!

First was our Quadrilateral Art Project

Then came the Quadrilateral Family Tree

On the third Day, we had a  Quadrilateral BINGO

Finally, Quadrilateral Clip Cards

Supplies Needed

• Toothpicks
• Candy (marshmallows, gum drops, ect)
• Free printable
• Optional: paint and paintbrushes

Kraft Jet Puffed Mini Marshmallows, 10 oz (Pack of 3)Diamond Round Toothpick Tray, 250 CountCrayola Washable Kid’s Paint (6 count)

Directions for Quadrilateral STEM Project

Step 1:

First, have the children use their interactive notebook and create each of the shapes they have studied using the toothpicks and marshmallows.

When this was complete, I issued them their real challenge.

Step 2:

Next, it is time to create the structure with each shape in it!!

My seven year old began by trying to connect all shapes on the table, and then build up. I challenged him to start building up right away, and he changed his plan. He ended up with quite a structure.

My six-year-olds turned out a little different. He has a fun sense of style and his ended up looking like a modern sculpture in a museum!

Step 3:

Finally, it is time to analyze the work, and the free printable will help you do this. It has questions about the project, but the most important part is the last page! Here the children are asked to count all the shape in their structure….it is a great way to get in that shape recognition one more time!!!

I knew this step may be a little difficult for my little guys, so I pulled out the paint. And as they found a shape they could paint the vertices of that shapes!!

It was interesting to watch my boy count the shapes they had made. There were numerous triangles all throughout their structures, and we were finding squares inside rectangles, and small trapezoids inside large trapezoids.

My goal for my six-year-old was to recognize all 6 shapes easily, and this was another great way for him to get in the little extra practice he tends to need. I also loved how my seven- year- old was seeing that there were three triangles in a trapezoid. This background knowledge is going to be helpful when we start playing with fractions and pattern blocks in the next week or two.

Overall this was quite a challenge for my little ones, but they learned so much. They also had a blast showing off their structures to anyone who came by the house. Oh and you bet I made them show our guests (probably to their annoyance, though everyone was nice about it) all the quadrilaterals they had added. Just one more opportunity to get some practice in, right?

Enjoy your time of creating. You’ve Got This

You can purchase all five lessons, plus three cut and paste printables not on my blog at  TpT or my store.