23 Pyramid-Inspired Activity Ideas 

Teaching about the pyramids certainly doesn’t have to be boring! Whether you’re teaching your students about the ancient Egyptian time period in social studies or introducing pyramids in geometry, there are so many exciting activities you can implement. We believe that learning should be fun and engaging and for this reason, we’ve compiled an awesome list of 23 pyramid-focused activities that you can introduce to your students today! 

1. Marshmallows and Toothpicks

Marshmallows and toothpicks are classics in pyramid-building activities.  This fun activity can serve to meet multiple student learning targets. Students will use the marshmallows to hold the toothpicks together; helping to create a three-dimensional pyramid. 

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2. Sugar Cubes

Sugar cubes are such an easy resource to get ahold of. This activity is a great tool to use to teach the history of ancient Egyptians and their pyramids. Have students stack the cubes to create their own pyramids and then dye them using yellow food coloring.

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3. Cup Pyramid

Use cups to stack and create pyramids. Cups are a great way to help students promote motor skills. You can even time your students to see who can stack the highest pyramid. 

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4. Foldable Activity

Print this awesome template to help students build and learn about pyramids. You can even have the students use watercolor to make their pyramids look ancient.

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5. Lego Pyramid

This is a great activity for distance learning as well as for students in the classroom. Almost every student is familiar with Legos. Challenge your students to build a pyramid using them! 

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6. Paper and Paint Pyramid

This craft is a great filler activity for students who are learning about ancient Egypt and African history. Have your learners cut out different layers of the pyramid, paint them, and glue them onto a piece of paper.

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7. Toothpick Pyramid for Older Kids

This is a great twist on activity #1. This challenging activity has students use hot glue to carefully glue each toothpick together to build a pyramid. 

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8. Egg Carton Pyramids

Egg cartons are available almost anywhere! Cut the egg cartons into individual pieces and have your students paint them. Then, challenge them to build a pyramid by stacking the egg cartons one on top of the other. 

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9. Make Pyramid Blocks

Challenge your students to make these building blocks. After painting the blocks, students can stack the blocks to create pyramids. Challenge them to see how few blocks they can use to make a pyramid.

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10. Straws and Yarn

Challenge your students to use straws, yarn, and beads to create pyramids. Tie a knot in the yarn and thread a bead onto it. Then, ask students to pull the thread through each straw. At the end of each straw will be a bead to hold the ‘joint’. End the shape by tying off the bead. 

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11. Gummy Bear Pyramid

Use gummy bears to hold the ‘points’ of each pyramid together. Students will love this fun and tasty way to learn about pyramids. Give each student a few gummy bears and toothpicks and challenge them to build the biggest pyramid they can. 

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12. Tinker Toys

Encourage your students to use tinker toys to explore the different parts that make up a pyramid. This activity is a great way to help your students identify the planes of the pyramids as well as the edges and corners.

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13. Newspaper Roll Pyramid

Roll up paper newspapers and have your learners glue or staple them together to create a 3D pyramid. This activity is great because it can challenge your students to create a life-size pyramid or a table model. 

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14. Marshmallow Pyramid Catapult

This activity combines the fun idea of using marshmallows and toothpicks to create a pyramid and promotes STEM learning by incorporating a catapult. Have your students follow these easy instructions and add a spoon and rubber band to the materials to get started.

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15. Clay Pyramids

Who doesn’t love to play with clay? This resource provides different ideas on how to have your students build their pyramids. The activity is great for ancient history social studies lessons.

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16. Pyramid Race

Using stacking cubes, have your students experiment with how many rows can be in a pyramid. Encourage your students to race and see who can create the tallest pyramid! 

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17. Nature Pyramid

Incorporating nature into your lessons is a great way to get students involved and excited about their learning. Have your students collect sticks from outside to then glue onto a cardboard or paper prism to make an ancient Egyptian pyramid.

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18. Gum Drops and Toothpicks

Give your students a handful of gumdrops and toothpicks. Challenge them to build a pyramid with their supplies. Time your students and see who can make the tallest pyramid, the widest pyramid, etc. 

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19. Classic Card Pyramid

This activity is not only easy to arrange, but it’s also fun! Your students will love to stack playing cards to build a pyramid. This is a great team-building exercise to have students complete together. Have students stack the cards to build a pyramid shape.

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20. Paper Pyramid

Print off the foldable template or allow your students to complete the origami steps to create a pyramid. Allow your students to decorate their pyramids based on their learning; whether that be ancient Egypt or geometry.

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21. Pipe Cleaner and Straw Structure

Give your students six pipe cleaners and six straws to complete this activity. Ask students to thread the pipe cleaners through each straw and connect the ends. Ask them to then experiment with using 8 pipe cleaners instead of 6.

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22. Cardboard Diorama 

Use cardboard to create a 3D pyramid structure. Group your students so that they can use cardboard cut-outs and a glue gun to create a 3D pyramid. Allow your students to use art supplies to decorate their pyramids to look like ancient Egypt.

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23. Snack Pyramid

Encourage your students to use their healthy snacks to demonstrate their learning. This specific activity uses pineapple pieces for the pyramid and Crispy Rice cereal for the sand. 

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