Engineer the Most Sturdiest and Spill-Proof Cup Ever!

K-12 Resource: Activity

Design a sturdy, spill-proof cup

Project Details

  • Grade Level K-5
  • Subject Science, Art
  • Activity Type Engineering, Design

About

Learning Objectives

Get ready to design a sturdy, spill-proof cup for Jordan! She wants to make sure Jessie can never trick her again!

Materials Needed

  • Cups (plastic or paper)
  • Craft materials (such as tape, scissors, and cardboard)
  • Anything that might help make your cup super sturdy and spill-proof!
  • Beans or beads to test spills (instead of using water)
  • Pencil

Assignment

Watch Video

Watch Morning Cup of Joke to prepare for this engineering challenge!

Brainstorm and Plan

Take a moment to think about what makes a cup sturdy and resistant to spills. How can you design a cup that won’t tip over easily? Sketch out your ideas and plan how you’ll bring them to life.

Make sure you are still able to drink out of the cup and that it can withstand three taps with a pencil.

Start Building

Now it’s time to put your ideas into action! Use the materials provided to build your cup design. Try experimenting with different cup shapes and base designs to see what works best for stability.

Test Your Cup

Once your cup is built, it’s time to put it to the test! Fill it with beads or beans. Gently tip your cup over and observe whether it remains upright without spilling. If it spills, don’t worry–that's all part of the learning process! Just make note of what happened and think about how you can improve your design.

If your cup did pass the test, is it still easy to pick up and drink from it?

Make Adjustments

If your cup didn’t pass the test, don’t give up! Think about what went wrong and how you can make improvements. Maybe you need to adjust the shape of your cup or add extra support to the base. Make any necessary changes, and test your cup again.

Reflect and Share

After testing your cup, take a moment to reflect on your design process. What worked well? What could you do differently next time? Share your experiences with your classmates and listen to their ideas too!

Celebrate Your Success

Whether your cup passed the test on the first try or you had to make some adjustments along the way, be proud of your hard work and creativity! You’ve successfully tackled the sturdy and spill-proof cup challenge!

Congratulations, cup engineers! You’ve completed the sturdy and spill-proof cup challenge with flying colors. Keep experimenting, designing, and engineering – the sky’s the limit!

Vocabulary

Stability

Staying balanced and steady. Just like when you build a tower out of blocks, you want it to stay strong and not fall over.

Extensions

Design the worst cup ever! Can you engineer a cup that spills incredibly easily? What features does the cup have that make it the worst cup ever?