Homemade Stick Workshop: Build, Test, Play

In pairs, students build a stick from a cardboard tube and a reinforced cardboard blade, plus a newspaper ball. Then they test how sturdy it is and play a mini-game with their own gear.

How to play

1. The teacher shows a finished model and the workshop rules: scissors stay on the table or floor, and only in the hands of whoever is cutting (5 min).
2. Build in pairs: two sticks made from a tube and a multi-layer folded cardboard blade held with duct tape, plus two balls of pressed newspaper wrapped in tape (15 min).
3. Quality test: using their own gear, each pair makes ten push passes and five shots at a cone goal without anything breaking (5 min).
4. Fix-it time: reinforce whatever failed, and each pair explains its change to another pair (5 min).
5. 3v3 mini-games to cone goals with the homemade sticks, switching opponents every three minutes (10 min).

Rules

• Scissors stay in the work area and nobody walks around with them.
• Homemade sticks stay below the waist too.
• If a stick breaks during the game, step out to fix it and come back in; nobody plays with loose pieces.

Variations

Adaptations

• Fine-motor difficulties: the pair splits the tasks and this student rolls and presses the balls.
• Wheelchair users: build a shorter stick suited to their height and play on a roomier court.
• Highly able or very keen students: design an improvement and test it against the basic model.

Learning goals

• Design and build sports equipment from reused materials.
• Test equipment in a game situation.
• Work as a pair on a project from start to finish.

Equipment for a class of 25

• cardboard tubes: 30
• heavy cardboard sheets: 15
• duct tape rolls: 8
• newspaper sheets: 60
• scissors: 15
• cones: 12

Teacher tip

Ask for tubes and newspaper a week ahead; gift-wrap or poster tubes work best. Split it over two lessons if you want more playing time.

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