GUMDROP TETRAHEDRON
Did you know the triangle
is stronger than the square?
It's also the building block of
the Ferris Wheel, geodesic
dome, and the truss bridge.
Let your cubs prove it with
gumdrop and
toothpick
constructions.
Empty a bag of
gumdrops, put
out a package of
toothpicks, and
see what grows
from your boys' imaginations.
EDIBLE MATH
How do they do that? This Chinese stick
game can be
changed to fit
even the
hungriest of
Cub Scouts.
Use 18
pretzels,
carrots, or
celery
sticks. Have
the boys lay
their sticks out
into nine
equilateral triangles as shown in the
diagram. The challenge is to remove three
sticks to change the pattern to six equilateral
triangles. There are several solutions; one is
shown here.
GAK
A very cool substance that resembles silly
putty, and the more modem counterpart
Gooze ™
Formula 1
3/4-cup warm water
1 cup Elmer's glue
Several drops of food coloring
Formula 2
4 teaspoons borax
1 3/4 warm water
Stir formula 1 in a medium bowl. In a large
bowl, mix up formula 2., but DON'T STIR.
Let it sit for one minute, then lift the now
congealed Gak out of the bowl. Divide up
and keep in re-closeable sandwich bags.
(Gak may stick to certain fabrics, have boys
keep it in a plastic bag when not playing with
it. Since borax is toxic in large doses, keep
Gak away from children younger than
three.)
Great Salt Lake Council