Isn’t engineering too complex a topic for kids?

No!

Engineering might seem like a very sophisticated lens through which to view the world. There are so many different kinds of engineering, and it manifests in different ways throughout our lives. Without engineering, we wouldn’t be driving over bridges, using prosthetic legs, flying over the ocean, taking photos with our phones, building ever-taller skyscrapers, or doing much of anything else.

So yes, engineering is a massive area of study, but it’s also perfect for introducing science concepts to kids.

Engineering Everywhere

For one thing, engineering is all around us. From the time a baby is wheeled through the maternity unit in a clear plastic crib to get their ears checked, they’re exposed to incredible feats of engineering, and that doesn’t change throughout their lives.

Humans have been using the six simple machines to improve efficiency and explore different ways of accomplishing tasks since ancient times. The lever, wedge, inclined plane, pulley, screw, and wheel and axle are the building blocks for every tool we invent and use to build the world. The first person who picked up a stick and used it to dig a hole or move a rock was an engineer, and that’s the spirit of innovation we want children to be infused with.

Because of its sheer prevalence, engineering is an incredibly accessible science. Everywhere we go—home, school, the grocery store, downtown, parks, playgrounds—we witness the products of engineering. From the roads we build to the skyscrapers we design to the can opener in the kitchen drawer, engineering is in use all around us.

Cross Disciplinary for the Win

When a topic covers a wide range of disciplines, that’s good news. Learning is a holistic venture—we don’t simply focus on the science aspect or the math aspect of a subject. We look at a subject with all its parts—the science, the math, the history, the language, the culture, the art. And engineering lends itself to cross-disciplinary examination because it’s so prevalent in human experience and has been since ancient times.

Historical engineering feats can be especially fascinating for kids. How did ancient Egyptians build the pyramids without cranes and bulldozers? How is it possible that we still use some of the ancient Roman aqueducts?

While some children are fascinated with the HOW of engineering and are eager to gobble up examples of mechanical advantage, others might be better hooked by imagining people throughout history using the same tools we use today to build their infrastructure and make work easier.

Know a child who is fascinated by war and battles? Take a deep dive into catapults and trebuchets. Have a student who loves fashion? Zippers, Velcro, dyes, patterns, fabrics are all made possible through engineering.

Art is another way to expose kids to the wonders of engineering. Sculptor Theo Jansen is known for his wind-powered sculptures that “walk” along beaches. What he calls Strandbeests are amazing combinations of simple machines and artistry—and kids find them very inspiring, both in terms of how they work and why Jansen came up with them.

Hands On!

Have you seen toddlers with a set of wooden blocks? Have you watched a preschooler with a bin of Lego bricks? Have you noticed a bunch of elementary aged kids repurpose a playground structure for new and exciting imaginative play? What about middle schoolers designing a Rube Goldberg contraption? They are all engaging in the innovative work of engineering.

Kids are born engineers. Tinkering is a very human urge! When we pair experiential learning with books that include text, fun facts, and links to online videos, we get a learning experience that reaches more kids than any one teaching method alone.

That’s why books from Nomad Press include hands-on activities in every chapter. This is easy to do in books about engineering—what better way to explore the different types of levers than figuring out how to design and build a marshmallow launcher? Or learn about inclined planes by building a contraption that uses ramps and magnets to accomplish a simple task like ringing a bell?

When kids have the opportunity to apply their knowledge to a practical task, they digest that knowledge in a way that’s deeper and richer than when they simply read the book. For some kids, that’s their main way of learning. Not everyone is comfortable gleaning knowledge by reading a block of text—some people learn more deeply and efficiently by exploring with their hands and materials. Other people find videos to be the best way to learn. No one way is the right way! When kids have learning options, that’s when they thrive.

Project-based learning offers up another opportunity that might seem counterproductive at first glance: failure. Because at some point, a student is going to design and build something that just doesn’t work. Maybe the measurements were off, or the materials weren’t quite right, or the table was slanted, or the wind blew in the wrong direction. Failure happens all the time in science labs and engineering departments. It’s how we deal with that failure that marks the learning moment.

Failure teaches kids resiliency: trying again, redesigning, fixing broken parts, choosing new materials. In engineering, resilience is a key part of the process. In fact, resiliency is a key part of being human, whether you’re a kid building a contraption or an adult organizing a work project.

Engineering—a great way to show kids that the world is built on trying again!

Check out our two new engineering books!

Wacky Contraptions: Gadgets That Whiz, Whoosh, Whirl, and Twist with Hands-On Engineering Activities
ages 9-12
9781647411404  $24.95
9781647411435  $19.95

Engineering: How the Six Simple Machines Support the World
ages 12-15
9781647411442  $24.95
9781647411473  $19.95

SPONSORED BY