I love reading blogs, as a parent, a teacher, as just a human in general, blogs are great resources for information and entertainment. Yesterday I was reading one of my favorite parenting blogs when I came across a post focused on encouraging our young ones to develop engineering skills. As a mom and a teacher I was instantly drawn to it. Long story short it was a huge advertisement for Legos. Don't get me wrong, I adore Legos, my kiddos are huge fans, however, there are plenty of options to encourage critical thinking, planning, and problem solving skills associated with engineering that are non-Lego related. Here are some great examples....
Household items are great tools to inspire your little builders. Using unconventional materials, like straws, tape, and craft sticks, also give your child the opportunity to be creative and think outside the box. Try giving these things to your kids and asking them to build a stand for your change, or build a bridge for their toy cars. You'll be amazed at what they come up with!
Use what nature provides. Sticks, twigs, and stumps are all awesome building materials that lend themselves well to open ended building projects.
Up cycling your old things is another creative way to sharpen engineering skills. Old pool noodles like these, milk jugs, shoe boxes, Pringles cans, the possiblilities are endless. Up cycling gives your child the ability to recreate, and imagine things being used in a new way, which leads to more advanced problem solving skills.
These are just a few things you can do at home to encourage engineering skills in your little ones, there are tons of other great ideas. What things have you tried at home or in your classrooms that encourages engineering skills?
Crystal Drye
NC PreK Assistant
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