Family and Homeschool Activities for Teaching About the Engineering and Design Process

These family and homeschool activities are designed to complement the BrainPOP Jr. Engineering and Design Process topic page, which includes a movie, quizzes, online games, printable activities, and more.

Engineering Everywhere

Go for a walk around town with your child. Help him or her take note of the many technological advancements that solve problems and improve our lives. For example, point out how a traffic light was engineered as a way to keep traffic flowing, prevent accidents, and allow people to safely cross the street. Visit stores, restaurants, the local library, and other places in your community and analyze features that make the space more safe, efficient, or useful.

Fix It!

Spend time looking around your home for things that need to be fixed–a wobbly chair, a drawer that won’t close, hangers with clothing that slip off, a salt shaker that that pours too fast or too slow, a dripping sink, etc. Help your child identify the problem and brainstorm ways to solve it. Remind them to observe the problem and research ways to address it. Encourage them to pick an idea, make a plan, and test their design. You may need to assist your child in carrying out the plan if it involves using special tools. If the solution doesn’t work, analyze it together and come up with a new idea to test!