Building a Brick House

Materials Needed:

Large tub like container for mixing
Pint size cartons (e.g. milk, juice)
Dirt (clay based works best)
Dried straw/grass
Water
Scissors

What to Do:

Cut the straw/grass into small pieces.
Mix clay soil with the water in a large tub, until it is the consistency of batter.

 Cut the cartons so they are approximately one inch high.
Instruct the children to:

- Add the straw/grass to the mixture (while adding the straw/grass, explain to the children how it acts as a binding agent to hold everything together).
- Spoon the mixture into the containers.
- Tap the containers so that the mud settles down (this will help make your brick flat on its surfaces).
- Place the containers in the sun to dry for several days.
- Remove the brick from the carton when it has set.
- Build a simple structure using mud as mortar to hold the bricks together.

* Explain to the children that bricks were also called adobes and the people used the adobes to build their houses.