“These, Sir, are Rubbish Chairs” – Dr Isaac
A wise man once said: “Chairs come in all shapes and sizes.”
But unless you’ve had one collapse beneath you, it’s unlikely you’ve ever thought about how they are built! Many modern buildings are built in almost the same way as the humble chair. Can you create your own chair using only recycled rubbish? And can you sit on it without it collapsing?
What
A drop-in session for curious children run as part of Open House Families 2019 at Here East, Stratford.
Participants had the opportunity to build their own thrones out of everyday rubbish, and recline on it in triumph.
The activity engages children of all ages to think about fundamental engineering concepts like tension, compression and bending – allowing them to experiment with forces and load paths and be creative. The act of making and breaking models enables kids to develop an intuitive understanding of structures through trial and error, finding out through play what works and what doesn’t.
But as well as engineering, rubbish chairs also engages children of all ages to think about waste, reuse and the inherent value locked in the objects around us.
Team
Activity developers and organisers: Phil + Annabel + Pauline + Simona + Veronica + Andy + Megan
With
When
