Building Brick Challenge: Find the Perfect Fit

What You Need:

• Building bricks of any size and shape 
• Index card or piece of paper 

What You Do: 

1. Ask your learner, “Can you fill up this index card or paper perfectly with building bricks?”
2. Encourage your child to make a plan. Ask, “How many bricks do you think you'll need?” or “What part of the index card do you want to fill up first?”
3. Give your child time to create their building brick design on the paper. Ask your child if they need help, but they should be allowed to do most of the building. 
4. After testing out different building brick layouts, ask your child in what ways they can adjust the bricks to fit better on the paper. For example:
   • Would it be helpful to use different pieces?
   • Should you use bigger or smaller pieces?
   • Would it be helpful to begin from a different place on the index card?
5. Challenge designers to share their building block combinations. They can record a video, or draw a picture of the design and add a few sentences describing it. Ask some prompting questions, like:
   • What did you enjoy the most about this activity?
   • Did you find this activity difficult?
   • Even though you faced difficulty, why was it important for you not to quit?
   • Can you complete this challenge using only one size building brick?