EYFS – Cookridge Water Tower Team Challenge

As part of our Location, Location, Location topic we have talked about the Cookridge landmark of our water tower, which sits next to the school. 

To flex our design and technology skills, we split into four teams and were each given the same tools and materials with which to construct our own mini water towers. The brief was that they must stand independently and hold a bowl to be filled with water clearly off the ground. 

The teams got together and discussed ideas before starting work. It was fantastic to hear the children’s reasoning and the ways in which the towers developed and changed to meet the given criteria. As the towers began to lean or buckle, the children had to assess and adjust their designs accordingly until the time  was up. 

All four water towers were then tested to see if they could hold the weight of water at their top. Two towers sadly failed the test and crumbled under the weight of the water (much to the delight of the watching children as Mr Green was drenched in the falling water!) but two others easily held 100ml, then 200ml and even 300ml! Miss Rushworth’s group’s team was deemed victorious as the tower held the water slightly straighter with zero overflow. 

Much fun was had and we all learned more about how best to construct towers to bear weight (and how to soak Mr Green with water, of course!).