Preschool Engineering Activities
Engineering…it can feel kind of like rocket science to most of us, right? But as it turns out, teaching the foundational ideas of physics doesn’t have to be intimidating; it can look a whole lot like play, in fact! We’ve come up with some FUN ways to let your preschool kids explore engineering. Read on for activities.
What a Preschool Child Thinks of Engineering
We know kids’ minds at this age are like sponges, eagerly soaking up new information. Add to that that they’re easily filled with wonder and you can see why it’s a delight letting them explore and learn about engineering! Their reactions might look like this:
“Wow! Making a marble run with my big sister is awesome!”
“Mom! I made a Lego car so strong that it didn’t come apart when I tried to crash it.”
“Guess what? Triangle shapes make strong bridges.”
These principles hold true with all ages, really – because who doesn’t want to learn through play? We offer a wide variety of engineering toys to kickstart learning with ease.
Make a DIY Marble Run
One exciting way to help your preschool (or older) kid learn about engineering is to make a marble run. No fancy connecting tubes? No problem! A few empty toilet paper or paper towel rolls, tape, scissors, imagination, and maybe some popsicle sticks are all you need.
Instructions:
- Let your preschooler help gather the materials and arrange them with your help on a clear section of a wall or refrigerator door. Try different angles and lots of crisscrossing back and forth.
- Position the rolls where you want them. Use lots of tape to hold things securely in place.
- Get rolling! Drop a marble or small ball into the top of your maze and let gravity do the rest.
- If it doesn’t work the first time, no worries! It’s a good opportunity to laugh and try again, lining things up a little differently this time.
LEGO® Dash & Smash Project
Do you have some LEGO® pieces or their bigger cousins, DUPLO®, laying around? Challenge your preschooler to a vehicle building contest with one purpose in mind: Whose vehicle will stand up the best in a crash?
Preschoolers learn best through play, making this a great way to learn about building a solid structure and creating silly competition.
Marshmallow Towers
One delicious – and yes, maybe slightly messy – way teach your preschool child about construction and engineering is to use toothpicks and mini marshmallows to put together shapes and towers. Straws and playdough are another great alternative.
Work together to build a tall tower and talk about what makes it sturdy. Does it have a bigger base than the top level? What made you decide to stop building when you did – was it getting wobbly?
As kids build, they’ll be able to better visualize rectangles, squares, triangles, and even cubes and pyramids.
Investigate Simple Machines
Essential to any engineer are these “simple machine” types:
- Inclined planes
- Wedges
- Screws
- Levers
- Pulleys
- Wheels & axles
Next time you’re at a playground, create a simple scavenger hunt activity by looking around for examples of simple machines in action. Slides, see-saws, cars, ziplines, and twisty/spinning things are all examples.
Additional Ideas for Introducing Preschool Kids to Engineering
The activities above all demonstrate basic engineering principles that your child can build on as they grow. With new science standards focused more on STEM and practical knowledge of engineering-related concepts, you’ll be giving your kid a head start!
Here are some other ways to incorporate these ideas into play-based learning:
- Use a water table or kiddy pool to experiment with how water can be used to make something float, sink, or even spin.
- Make several bridges out of books. Is the bridge more sturdy when the “bridge” book is held up by books that stacked on top of each other or books that are upright (like a narrow column)?
- Ask why – and encourage your preschool-age child to ask why, too! Engineers need to know how things work the way they do, so start teaching this way of thinking early on.
- The library offers a wealth of knowledge in the form of picture books. Look for ones about buildings, construction, how things work, tools, etc.
- Have an “engineering box” of items your kids can use to create on their own. Include things like straws, twist ties, paper clips, toothpicks, playdough or clay, and popsicle sticks.
And finally, have fun watching your child explore and learn! See our Engineering Week Activities for more ideas.
