Training Happy Hearts: Try a Design Challenge for All Saints and All Souls Days

Would you like to challenge your children as you learn and play in celebration of All Saints Day? Then, you might want to try the design challenge I will be using in our fifth Problem Solving with the Saints co-op class this week.

Before I share it, though, I'd like to catch you up with some photos from our St. John Paul II challenge.

Flashback to Mountains and Book Stands

For our Saint John Paul II challenge, the children had to make a self-standing "mountain" that was at least 27 inches tall using just these supplies.

When my children tried this challenge at home, they used rolling, folding, tearing, twisting and taping...

...then measuring...

...to make this:

At co-op, one team used rolling, tearing, and taping to make this:

All the children that tried the challenge hearkened back to what they'd learned during our St. Kenneth Build a Book Stand challenge: Cardstock becomes strong in two cylinder shapes.

And, maybe in one...

Yes, even in one!

Even in a short one!

I just love to see the children applying what they've learned through one challenge to another. I'll be curious to see how their past experience and new ideas play out for our All Saints Day challenge this week!

All Saints and All Souls Days Design Challenge Food for Thought

This week will be the only week during our Problem Solving with the Saints co-op course that we do not use a saint scrapbooking sheet. Instead, we'll chat about All Saints Day and All Souls day using two favorite books.

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To introduce All Saints Day, we will read and chat about Jackie's Special Halloween, which I just reviewed this past week and fell in love with.

Later, to introduce All Souls Day, we'll read and chat about The Spirit of Tio Fernando: A Day f the Dead Story.

The All Saints and All Souls Design Challenge

After we read and chat about All Saints and All Souls days, I will offer the children the following supplies:

1/2 bag of marshmallows (or a small bag of cotton balls)
2 disposable drinking cups
10 paper clips
5 sticks of spaghetti
1 inch of tape
10 inches of string or yarn
a ruler or tape measure (to be used for measuring only)

With these, the children's goal will be to suspend as many marshmallows or cotton balls) as possible above the floor or table as they meet these specifications:

Of course, our Lord wants all souls with Him as saints in heaven. Gather as many “souls” (marshmallows) as possible in the “heavens” (a place at least three inches above the table or floor.)

I cannot wait to see the creative solutions the children come up with!

More Ideas for Praying for All Souls

You can find five ways to observe November, the month of Souls in Purgatory by clicking through the photo below:

Try Other Problem Solving with the Saints Challenges

You might also enjoy clicking through the images below to see more of our co-op plans and to access free printables.

http://traininghappyhearts.blogspot.com/2016/10/Saint-John-Paul-II-instant-challenge-design-challenge-notebooking-page.html

http://traininghappyhearts.blogspot.com/2016/10/Saint-Kenneth-Design-Challenge.html

http://traininghappyhearts.blogspot.com/2016/10/Saint-Theodore-Guerin-Design-Challenge.html

Forthcoming will be our St. Edward challenge from a few weeks ago and an upcoming Saint Charles Borromeo challenge.

In Case You've Yet to Find Our All Saints Day Party Challenges...

You might also like to click through the post titles or images below to find details and free printable challenge sheets for game challenges to enjoy at an All Saints Day party, in your home, at a co-op, or on specific saint feast days.