Rolling into Literacy: Ramps, Construction Play, and Mighty, Mighty Construction Site

At Kodo Kids, we believe in creating hands-on experiences that inspire curiosity, problem-solving, and a love of learning. One of our favorite ways to integrate literacy with STEM exploration is by pairing engaging stories with open-ended materials. By integrating ramps, children can experiment with force and motion, fostering creativity and engineering skills while strengthening early literacy connections.

Mighty, Mighty Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker is a perfect book to spark conversations about teamwork, perseverance, and the power of machines. By combining this beloved story with ramp exploration, children can bring the book’s themes to life while building foundational STEM skills.

Ramps: The Ultimate Construction Tool

In the book, each construction vehicle has a special job—digging, lifting, and hauling materials to get the job done. Ramps play a similar role in real-world construction, making work easier by allowing heavy loads to roll smoothly from one place to another.

Using ramps, children can experiment with concepts like: 

• Incline and speed - How does a steeper ramp change how fast objects roll? 

• Force and motion - What happens when you add weight to a vehicle? 

• Problem solving - Can you build a ramp that helps a truck deliver “materials” more efficiently? 

Exploring Different Types of Ramps

Ramps can be found everywhere! Consider using a variety of ramps to extend children’s understanding of material properties: 

• Discovery Ramps - Classic Wooden Ramps for Exploration: The Discovery Ramps provide a sturdy surface for endless construction-based challenges. Children can use them to create pathways for rolling objects, test different inclines, and combine with other materials to simulate real-world construction problems. 

• Great for: Creating multi-level ramps, testing force and motion

• Rubber Ramps - Flexible and Bendable: Rubber Ramps are an exciting way to explore curves and slopes. Unlike traditional rigid ramps, these allow children to experiment with bends and waves, helping them visualize the effects of different ramp slopes and shapes. 

• Great for: Experimenting with rolling vs. sliding, adjusting curves for different speeds

• Clear Ramps - See Movement in Action: Clear Ramps bring an added layer of discovery by letting children observe movement from every angle. They can see how objects roll underneath, providing a visual connection to concepts like gravity and momentum. 

• Great for: Observing cause and effect, understanding how motion works

• DIY Ramps - Recycled and Natural Materials: Find your own materials to extend the understanding of material properties by using cardboard tubes, flattened cardboard, gutters, or even tree logs. 

Use the following questions to enhance exploration and discovery of the different types of ramp materials: 

• How do different ramp surfaces (smooth, rough, flexible) affect movement? 

• What happens when we change the angle of the ramp? 

• Can we design a ramp system like the ones we see on construction sites? 

Bringing the Story to Life through Play

After reading Mighty, Mighty Construction Site, set up an exploration area using Kodo ramps, blocks, and loose parts to encourage hands-on learning: 

• Can you build a worksite where trucks must use ramps to deliver materials? 

• How would the construction crew in the book solve a problem using ramps? 

Big Ideas Through Play

At Kodo, we know that children learn best through hands-on exploration. By pairing Mighty, Mighty Construction Site with ramp-based investigations, we create opportunities for literacy, STEM, and problem-solving-all essential for early learning skills. 

Roll into learning with ramps, loose parts, recyclable materials, and other block materials to inspire creative construction play!

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