At Home Engineering – Kansas Children's Discovery Center

Pool Noodle Stacking Challenge: Discovery at Home

What you need:

Pool noodle discs with hole down the center.
Dowel rod.
Cardboard box.
Timer.

Directions:

Create the stand for the game.
Poke a hole in the bottom of the box.
Thread the dowel rod through the hole so the cardboard box acts as a stand for the dowel rod. This is where you will slide the pool noodle discs for the challenge.
Cut out several pool noodle discs that you can thread onto the dowel rod.
Decide on how long you will have to stack the discs and set the timer. (Try to start with 15 seconds).
Discuss any additional rules you want to add.
Start the timer and begin stacking! How many can you stack?
Try it again!

Ways to Expand the Activity:

Change it up. Identify a certain amount of discs and then time yourself to see how long it takes to stack all of the discs.
Add a constraint. Identify a pattern (colors, sizes, etc.) in which the discs must be stacked in order for the tower to be correct.

What Kids Learn:

Basic engineering skills. Engineers solve problems with constraints. They learn to solve problems by using the engineering design process: asking questions, coming up with solutions, building, testing and improving.
Spatial or visual thinking. Being able to imagine the positions of objects and how they interact is an important skill for learning math.
Fine motor skills. Kids practice using the small muscles in their hands later used for writing.
Experimentation! When kids experiment, they're learning how to learn. Failure is an important part of experimenting, so let kids try things that won’t work. It’s how they figure things out!
Hand eye coordination. Young children can use activities like this to help improve communication between their minds and bodies.

Pool Noodle Balancing Act: Discovery at Home

Ways to Expand the Activity:

Add a time constraint. Is it more difficult when you have a constraint to deal with?
Try holding the stick in your mouth instead of your hand. Is it easier or harder to see and build when it is closer to your eyes? Is it more or less stable when you hold it with your mouth?

What Kids Learn:

Basic engineering skills. Engineers solve problems with constraints. They learn to solve problems by using the engineering design process: asking questions, coming up with solutions, building, testing and improving.
Spatial or visual thinking. Being able to imagine the positions of objects and how they interact is an important skill for learning math.
Experimentation! When kids experiment, they're learning how to learn. Failure is an important part of experimenting, so let kids try things that won’t work. It’s how they figure things out!
Hand eye coordination. Young children can use activities like this to help improve communication between their minds and bodies.

Clothespin Bridge: Discovery at Home

Ways to Expand the Activity:

Add a time constraint. Can you create a bridge that holds weight in seven minutes?
Add one other material. What happens when popsicle sticks are added? Or straws? Does it make it easier or more difficult to create?

What Kids Learn:

Density is what decides whether an object sinks or floats in water. If something is less dense than water, it floats. If something is more dense than water, it sinks.
Basic engineering skills. Engineers solve problems with constraints. They learn to solve problems by using the engineering design process: asking questions, coming up with solutions, building, testing and improving.
Fine motor skills. Kids practice using the small muscles in their hands later used for writing.
Experimentation! When kids experiment, they're learning how to learn. Failure is an important part of experimenting, so let kids try things that won’t work. It’s how they figure things out!

Pool Noodles and Pipe Cleaners: Discovery at Home

Ways to Expand the Activity:

Add a constraint. You could add a time limit, only use a certain number of pieces, etc.
Add an objective. Create a structure that can hold two books using only pipe cleaners and pool noodles.

What Kids Learn:

Basic engineering skills. Engineers solve problems with constraints. They learn to solve problems by using the engineering design process: asking questions, coming up with solutions, building, testing and improving.
Spatial or visual thinking. Being able to imagine the positions of objects and how they interact is an important skill for learning math.
Fine motor skills. Kids practice using the small muscles in their hands later used for writing.
Experimentation! When kids experiment, they're learning how to learn. Failure is an important part of experimenting, so let kids try things that won’t work. It’s how they figure things out!
Creativity! There are so many different ways to create when it’s up to your imagination. These exercises build skills to help broaden creativity.

CD Hovercraft: Discovery at Home

What you need:

CD.
Balloon.
Recycled bottle.
Tape.

Directions:

Cut the top portion off of the bottle (about an inch and half from the top). Air will go through the space where the lid goes. We will use the top part of the bottle in this activity, you can save the rest of the bottle for another project!
Tape the larger opening of the bottle to the label side of the CD so it covers the hole in the center.
Tape the bottle enough so that air does not leak out from the sides.
Air up a balloon and twist the opening so air does not immediately escape.
While the balloon is twisted shut, stretch the end of the balloon over the opening of the bottle.
Set the hovercraft on a smooth surface and untwist the balloon so the air moves out of the balloon, through the bottle, and escapes through the bottom of the CD.
Tap the hovercraft to move it across the table.

Ways to Expand the Activity:

Turn it into a game! When the hovercraft is flying over the table, pass it back and forth with someone else.
Create a tabletop obstacle course, and direct the hovercraft through the course.

What Kids Learn:

Kids explore the power of air and the impact of friction! When the air is forced out of the balloon, the air has less space inside the bottle. The force created pushes the bottle upward. When the air is forced out of the bottle, it creates a moving cushion of air that reduces friction and allows the CD to glide freely.
Experimentation! When kids experiment, they're learning how to learn. Failure is an important part of experimenting, so let kids try things that won’t work. It’s how they figure things out!
Basic engineering skills. Engineers solve problems with constraints. They learn to solve problems by using the engineering design process: asking questions, coming up with solutions, building, testing and improving.

Vocabulary:

Constraint. A limitation or restriction. Materials, time and space are common constraints. Real engineers have to work around constraints all the time!
Air pressure. The weight of air molecules. Air moves from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure. The same phenomenon that causes your CD to float is what causes weather, like wind, tornadoes and hurricanes.
Friction. The resistance caused by objects rubbing together.
Force. Energy caused by a push, pull, or gravity.

Elevator Pulley: Discovery at Home

What you need:

Recycled items.
String or yarn.
Tape.
Scissors.

Directions:

Create a structure that would lift a bucket or basket and its contents safely from the floor to a table.
The structure needs to be able to be used multiple times.
Start by creating a structure with a rod in the middle of two supports of either side.
Attach the structure to a table.
Make a basket that can hold a small toy using recycled items.
Attach a piece of yarn or string to the basket and set the basket on the floor just below the structure on the table.
Set the other side of the yarn/string over the structure so that when you pull one end of the string down on the other side, it raises the basket up to the table safely.
Test your structure with different weights.

Ways to expand:

-Enhance your structure so it can support more weight.
-Attach the pulley to a wind turbine project to see if you can lift the weight using the wind turbine.

What kids learn:

Basic engineering skills. Engineers solve problems with constraints. They learn to solve problems by using the engineering design process: asking questions, coming up with solutions, building, testing and improving.
Experimentation! When kids experiment, they're learning how to learn. Failure is an important part of experimenting, so let kids try things that won’t work. It’s how they figure things out!

Vocabulary:

Pulley. A wheeled object that has a string or cord passing through it and redirects forces to assist in lifting heavier objects.

Ask a Rocket Engineer with Tony Castilleja, Boeing

Join us on Thursday, June 25 at 10 a.m. for Ask a Rocket Engineer LIVE with Tony Castilleja, Boeing Engineer, Space Launch System Rocket. The session is hosted by the Kansas Children's Discovery Center on Facebook with generous sponsorship from Bartlett & West. Tony will discuss his experiences as a rocket engineer and take your questions live!

Tony is a member of the Global Sales & Marketing Team for Human Spaceflight Systems at Boeing. Tony's focus areas include the Space Launch System for Deep Space Exploration, and the Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft for Low Earth Orbit. He serves as Campaign lead in the Launch Products & Services Market in support of Boeing Government and Commercial Customers. With more than 10 years in Aerospace, he has worked in areas of Propulsion Systems on the Space Shuttle program, Mission Control Support, Human Factors and Training Systems for Starliner, Affordability, Program Integration, Systems Engineering, and International Business support. He is an advocate for STEM Workforce development in the US and in Global campaigns, having achieved National Recognition from the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, and Great Minds in STEM. He holds a Master's and Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University where he serves as honorary staff in support of the DREAM: Achievement through Mentorship STEM Program he co-founded in 2007.

Wind Turbine Design: Discovery at Home

What you need:

Paper.
Tape.
Scissors.
Recycled materials.
Fan.

Directions:

Create a support structure that includes a rod sticking out away from the structure that will allow the blades to spin around.
Create a series of blades on one piece of material that would turn like a fan.
Attach the blades to the support structure ensuring the blades will spin around the rod.
Make sure you include a feature that will ensure the blades stay on the support structure.
Turn on and point a fan at the wind turbine. You will know it is successful if the blades turn. The faster the blades turn without this structure being destroyed, the better!

Ways to expand:

Change the number of blades on your structure and observe the differences.
Make your structure move an object when the blades move.
Is there a way to make the blades move without a fan blowing?
Attach the blades to the elevator pulley project to see if they can assist each other.

What kids learn:

Basic engineering skills. Engineers solve problems with constraints. They learn to solve problems by using the engineering design process: asking questions, coming up with solutions, building, testing and improving.
Experimentation! When kids experiment, they're learning how to learn. Failure is an important part of experimenting, so let kids try things that won’t work. It’s how they figure things out!

Vocabulary:

Constraint. A limitation or restriction. Materials, time, and space are common constraints. Real engineers have to work around constraints all the time!
Air pressure. The weight of air molecules. Air moves from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure.
Force. Energy caused by a push, pull, or gravity.
Push. An action when you move something away from your body or an object.

Walking Tape Roll: Discovery at Home

Wind Marble Maze: Discovery at Home

What you need:

Recycled materials, LEGO bricks, or something to use as obstacle walls.
Straw.
Marble or small ball.

Directions:

Use recycled materials to create an obstacle course for the marble to travel through.
The course should have two sides that would trap the marble inside throughout the course.
Create a start and finish point for the course.
Set the marble at the beginning of the course.
Without touching the marble, blow into the straw which will push the wind you create through the straw to move the marble throughout the course.

Ways to expand:

Create dead ends in your course to make it more difficult.
Make it competition! Have more than one marble racer at a time.
Build more than one entry and exit point.
Have one person give directions to the one controlling the marble.
Add in hills and different terrains within the course.
Have someone else create the course and then try to conquer it as quickly as possible without planning.

What kids learn:

Basic engineering skills. Engineers solve problems with constraints. They learn to solve problems by using the engineering design process: asking questions, coming up with solutions, building, testing and improving.
Creative problem solving. There are multiple issues that will need to be solved. Kids will constantly need to test the force and direction of the air hitting the marble, and figure out the directions needed to escape the course.
Air flow. Kids will test the direction and force needed to make the marble go where they need it to go.
Social and emotional skills. Taking turns is an important skill to learn and practice throughout life.
Experimentation! When kids experiment, they're learning how to learn. Failure is an important part of experimenting, so let kids try things that won’t work. It’s how they figure things out!
Hand eye coordination. Young children can use activities to help improve communication between their minds and bodies.

Vocabulary:

Constraint. A limitation or restriction. Materials, time, and space are common constraints. Real engineers have to work around constraints all the time!
Air pressure. The weight of air molecules. Air moves from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure.
Force. Energy caused by a push, pull, or gravity.
Push. An action when you move something away from your body or an object.

More Discovery at Home Projects

More Discovery at Home Projects