10 Reasons to Do the Rubber Band Car Challenge

By Amy Cowen on January 30, 2024 8:08 AM

Thinking about the 2024 Rubber Band Car Challenge? Here are 10 reasons this is a great STEM challenge for your students.

Example of rubber band cars for the 2024 Engineering Challenge

The annual Science Buddies Engineering Challenge makes it fun for students to try engineering. Each year, the Science Buddies Engineering Challenge presents an innovative and engaging engineering task and asks students in grades K-12 around the world to use the engineering design process to brainstorm, design, build, and test a solution.

The 2024 project is the Rubber Band Car Challenge. Using simple craft and recycled materials, students are challenged to design a car that is powered only by a rubber band and that can go as far as possible. The car needs to have a frame, at least one axle, and at least one wheel. Using materials from the "allowed materials" list, students can get creative with the design of the car as they use engineering design, problem-solving, and troubleshooting skills to design, build, and test their cars. Once they have a working car, they can continue to improve it to increase the distance it travels or reduce the materials used to increase the overall score.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f22hAgv6XWQ

10 Reasons to Do the Science Buddies Engineering Challenge with Students

It's fun! Students will have all kinds of creative approaches to designing a Rubber Band Car for the challenge. Bringing their designs to life is fun and a great way to employ active learning!

It uses simple materials. The Rubber Band Car Challenge uses everyday materials (e.g., paper, tape, rubber bands, and paperclips) and a few other craft and recycled materials. You may even already have these on hand. With a list of simple allowable materials, all students are working from the same starting point and within the same limitations to solve the challenge. (This year's challenge allows slightly more options for materials than in other years. Be sure to check the project directions or lesson plan(s) for the complete list and associated point values.)

It's accessible. The Science Buddies Engineering Challenge is open to students in grades K-12 everywhere, and the emphasis is on trying engineering and thinking like an engineer to design a solution. Tip! Sample Rubber Band Cars shown in the directions and overview video can be helpful when brainstorming solutions with younger students, but these are not the only ways to build a Rubber Band Car! With distance and materials both factoring into the final score, the Rubber Band Car Challenge easily scales in complexity to challenge older students.

It demonstrates the engineering design process. Doing the Rubber Band Car Challenge emphasizes brainstorming, prototyping, testing, and iteration, all important steps of the engineering design process. There are lots of ways students might approach designing a car that meets the requirements, uses only allowed materials, and can travel a long distance. This kind of hands-on engineering activity empowers students to be creative in designing and building their unique solution!

Iterate! The engineering design process involves testing, making changes, and testing again. Tip! Use this short video to talk about what iteration means with students.

It puts science concepts in action. Engineering projects often combine engineering design and other areas of science. Students doing this year's challenge will be learning about and using simple machines, potential and kinetic energy, and physics as they design and build their rubber band cars. What simple machines will their cars use?

Tip!: For supplemental lessons, experiments, and activities, see the following STEM resource collections:

Teach About Simple Machines

26 Science Projects and Experiments To Teach About Types of Energy

13 Activities and Lessons to Teach Potential and Kinetic Energy

Rev Up STEM Learning with Car Science Projects

It emphasizes problem-solving. Students may find their rubber band cars don't work the first time. They might not be stable. They might not roll far or at all. Students will need to practice problem-solving to find ways to improve their designs. Once their cars work, they can continue to try and increase the distance the cars will go. The farther the car travels, the more points the team will earn! Seeing their perseverance and determination in action can be incredible, and encouraging them to find ways to solve problems helps build confidence in their STEM skills.

It supports teamwork. Students can build their rubber band cars alone or on teams of up to four students. When working on a team, students practice important real-world collaboration and communication skills as they work together to build, test, and improve their final design.

It's doable in and out of the classroom. The Rubber Band Car Challenge is designed for classroom use, but it works for out-of-school programs and for families at home, too. (Families can choose to have kids enter the Science Buddies Engineering Challenge even if it isn't assigned at school!)

It could win money for your program. There are ten $1,000 (USD) prizes up for grabs in the Science Buddies Engineering Challenge. All complete entries from students in listed geographic locations (see the rules) will be entered in random drawings for a chance to win money for the student or team's school or qualified organization. Prizes are not awarded based on high scores. In eligible locations, your students have a chance to win $1,000 for your program just by entering.

It's a global challenge! Students from around the world are invited to take part in the Science Buddies Engineering Challenge. While only students in certain locations are eligible for the random drawings (see the rules), students everywhere can submit their Rubber Band Car Challenge solutions and compete to get the highest score and a spot on the leaderboard at the end of the challenge. (All participants will receive a printable certificate of participation.) The challenge is free to enter.

How to Enter the 2024 Science Buddies Engineering Challenge

Submissions for the Rubber Band Car Challenge will be accepted using the online entry form from February 18-March 18, 2024.

When the submission window opens, it will be available from the main Engineering Challenge page.

2024 Science Buddies Engineering Challenge Resources

Directions for the Rubber Band Car Challenge are available in the following formats:

Rubber Band Car Challenge (independent student project)
Rubber Band Car Challenge for Grades 3-5 (lesson plan)
Rubber Band Car Challenge for Grades 6-8 (lesson plan)
Rubber Band Car Challenge for Grades 9-12 (lesson plan)

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