Clifford’s Bridge Test

Clifford makes a bridge over a pretend river in the garden. Wallace lays blue cloth between two piles of wooden blocks.

They place a strip of card across the gap. Clifford sends his small wooden car towards the middle.

The card bends, and the car slides into the cloth. “Our bridge needs to be stronger,” says Wallace.

Dad asks them to look under the middle of the bridge. There is nothing there to hold the card up.

The boys put a block underneath as a support. They leave a space on each side for pretend boats to pass.

Clifford drives the car across again, very slowly. The card stays flat, and the car reaches the other bank.

Wallace adds a second car made from two small blocks. Their bridge can hold that one as well.

They make roads leading to both ends of the bridge. Now their little town has a safe way across the pretend river.