A popular stick house project involves constructing a building or diorama out of Popsicle sticks. Students can make a house by laying two sticks down, parallel to each other. Add glue to the ends of each stick, and put additional sticks on either end, fashioning a square or rectangle. Continue this process, making a frame for the house. A simple roof involves little more than gluing sticks flat across the top. More advanced junior architects can make an angled roof supported by inner beams or interlocking braces.
Building a stick house structure out of toothpicks is relatively difficult, and should probably be undertaken by children in the upper levels of elementary school. Kids can use either round or flat toothpicks. Flat toothpicks are easier to glue together, but the round kind will give the house a log cabin-type look. Teachers should initially assign a square house design, as anything more complex might prove too difficult, at least at first. See how the kids respond and perform, then perhaps move to something a little more complex. Circular and multi-room houses are options for advanced builders.
For older students, a fun -- though highly challenging -- stick house project asks them to building an entire log cabin home from scratch. This can be done either to scale or as a full-sized structure. In either event, the project requires a significant budget and a lot of man hours, and it should be supervised by an instructor who is familiar with carpentry and possesses advanced construction experience. The best arena for this project is a shop or industrial class with high school students and a specialist teacher. If the class elects to build a full-sized or child-sized house, there are a number of options for the structure, such as donating it to a charity or erecting it in the schoolyard.
For stick house projects best suited for younger children, remember to use safe supplies, like non-toxic glue and rounded toothpicks. Print out instructions so that the construction project can be orderly. This will also improve the students' reading and directional skills.
If a log cabin is on the agenda, make sure the project site is sequestered from the rest of campus and that all the dangerous materials are properly cared for and used. This is why a specialty instructor should be a prerequisite. The cabin should not be designed for anything more than play-time use, as structures designed for human habitation must pass rigorous coding and permitting requirements before construction can begin.