Spooky Spider Web Challenge

What did the spider say to the fly on Halloween?

The web is a trick and you are the treat! HA!

Now that I got your attention let's spin this conversation to our newest Halloween STEAM activity! Are you looking for a fun lesson that isn't as messy as pumpkin carving? This festive spider web challenge will get your little ones in the holiday spirit AND have them learn more about those amazing spider webs!

This challenge is a great way for your kids to design and construct using critical thinking skills. To make it more challenging make sure the web can catch and hold up to 3 items. So, that web better be strong! A simple science lesson using items you have at home! 

Spider webs are sticky nets that spiders create from silk to trap their prey. When insects fly or crawl onto the web, they get stuck and the spider eats them. If you see a spider web you may think they are thin, but many don't realize just how strong they really are! Spiders also design their webs so they have easy walkways when crawling on and off their web. Did you know that different types of spiders create different types of webs?

Now, let's start our spider web challenge. This activity is recommended for Grade 3, but flexible for other grade levels! 

Materials Needed

• Yarn or any type of string
• Popsicle Sticks
• Hot glue gun
• Plastic Fly/ Insect
• Feather

Step One

Grab one of your popsicle sticks and lay it flat on your surface. Begin hot gluing the center of the stick.

Step Two

Where you glue, stick another popsicle stick in the opposite direction of the current one. Create a 'T' shape. Now you are beginning to form the frame of the web! 

Step Three

Next, begin hot gluing the center of the popsicle stick. This will be directly on top of where you hot glued last. 

Step Four

Place another popsicle stick onto the glue. Turn your current sticks to the left about halfway to make sure they are now in an 'X' shape. Then, place another popsicle stick straight up and down onto the X.

Step Five

Repeat the previous steps for your hot glue placement. Then, place another popsicle stick by creating a 'T' shape on top of the last popsicle stick glued. Your frame looks great!

Step Six

Now the web begins! Begin by wrapping your string around the backend of one popsicle stick and hot gluing it.

Step Seven

 

Once you wrap the string around the first popsicle stick, repeat the process until you wrap every end of each popsicle stick and end up back where you started.

Step Eight

Grab another piece of string and begin wrapping it around the center, creating the full web.

Step Nine

Next, hot glue a piece of string from the center to the gap between each of the popsicle sticks. Once complete, create a ball of string to make the center of the web. 

Step Ten

Grab another piece of string and create a small circle around the center of the web, directly on top of the other smaller circle that is wrapped around the center of the web. Hot glue it down.

Step Eleven

Grab your creepy critter and glue it onto the web. Then add some feathers and leaves to make the web seem a little more realistic!  

Don’t forget to tag us on social to share your spider web challenge!