There’s a new way to entertain and educate children, with the launch of free to download Exploring Engineering Challenges on our website.
Designed to inspire young people to take an interest in engineering, each challenge encourages participants to think about real-world scenarios and the science and technology that goes into them.
The Animal Crossing gets children thinking about bridges, their construction and their use. Focusing on the movement of animals, this challenge asks participants to think beyond their own needs to consider the safety of smaller creatures, addressing topics ranging from safety to structures and materials.
Water Cleaning is about the importance of drinking water. This challenge requires careful thought to go into the order of processes, as well as highlighting the hidden work that goes into creating a resource many people take for granted.
Roller Coasters emphasises the involvement of engineers in fun activities too. However they aren’t only about thrill-seeking, this task requires the consideration of safety measures to ensure no one is injured while out enjoying themselves.
Education Officer Aileen White explained: “Children learn many important lessons in the classroom, and these activities are about taking those lessons and putting them into the real world, helping young people – and their responsible adults – to appreciate the application of engineering skills in the real world.”
The activities were originally created as part of Junior Technology Tournaments, which the Rochester Bridge Trust established as part of an initiative run by Rotary Club of Great Britain and Ireland. They were extensively trialled in classrooms and after school clubs and have been written to be run by people with no prior knowledge of the subject.
Each challenge can be run as a whole day event, two half-days or as four 90-minute sessions.
To find out more and download the free resources, click here.