- Handpicked Harrogate
Fun Engineering Projects for Kids
All of these ideas are courtesy of the James Dyson Foundation and there are videos on the site which show the company engineers carrying out the projects. Well worth a look and a fabulous way to have fun whilst learning.
CHALLENGE 01
BALLOON CAR RACE
Make and race a balloon-powered car using just a balloon, a plastic cup, straws, thread and rubber bands.
CHALLENGE 02
SPAGHETTI BRIDGES
Can you build a spaghetti bridge that's strong enough to hold a bag of sugar? The Dyson engineers created a replica of the Golden Gate Bridge for this challenge. https://youtu.be/Pp9U6lyoIqg
CHALLENGE 03
MARBLE RUN
You will need: Cardboard. Sticky tape. Marbles.
Can you build a run that keeps the marble going for at least a minute?
CHALLENGE 04
CARDBOARD CHAIR
This challenge focuses on the principles of design and structure.
Can you design and build a chair from cardboard, that’s strong enough to support your weight?
CHALLENGE 05
MAKE A PERISCOPE
Can you turn a shoebox into an ingenious device for seeing around corners?
CHALLENGE 06
CARDBOARD BOAT
This challenge will test your design and invention skills. Can you design and build a boat from cardboard that’s strong enough to float, even with a weight on board?
There are videos to accompany each challenge or you can download the challenge cards if that works better for your circumstances.