National Engineers Week

Need ideas to celebrate National Engineers Week? You’ve come to the right place! Check out some of our favorites below and get started.

But first, let’s talk about what engineering is. Here is a quick visual about what is an engineer and what they do:

And this brief video discusses the engineering process, which is the basis for all engineering projects:

Now that we have the basics, let’s get our hands dirty with some cool projects!

1. Rubber Band Car

This is a classic, but the kids love it!

2. Suspension Bridge from Recycled Materials

3. DIY Stethoscope

4. PVC Pipe Tape Dispenser

How about an engineering activity that is also useful? This tape dispenser you can make out of PVC pipes can be used to store crafts for other awesome projects!

5. Bridge Building

Building bridges out of craft sticks and cubes is one of the best engineering challenges for kids. They can learn how to balance weights, try various designs, and let their imagination run wild. Feel free to add other materials as well, such as plastic cups or anything else you have in your craft box!

6. Windmill Engineering

Ready for something fancier and more structured? This printable design will let you build a mini windmill!

7. Engineering for Preschoolers

Do you have a younger child that these projects are just too advanced for? Start simple and introduce them to engineering principles and get them to start thinking like an engineer so they can be ready for the other challenges in no time!

8. Inventioneers

Looking for an educational engineering app to keep the kids busy? Inventioneers is free and lets them build amazing machines to get an object from point A to point B while collecting stars. There is even a sandbox option where they can design their own levels!

Get Inventioneers on Google Play

Get Inventioneers on Apple iTunes

Enjoy!