Mar 17, 2023

Do young children need knowledge of engineering? If you think of engineering as a complex technical speciality, then it would seem that children are not ready for it. However, engineering is the ability to translate knowledge into practical applications. And in this context, everyone requires it from childhood!

The skills of invention and the practical implementation of ideas are essential for any person. Otherwise, the dreams of success will remain only dreams. You can come up with a very useful mechanism - like a car or a robot - but how do you connect all those parts and wires so that the design works? Engineering skills allow you to quickly get down to business and turn your ideas into reality. Kids receive a lot of benefits from learning engineering:

• Logical thinking: children learn the mechanics of movement and understand what must be done to make the mechanism work.
• Independence: kids will no longer need to ask their parents how to mend a broken toy - they’ll sit down and work out how to solve the problem.
• Development of imagination: engineering invites us not just to replicate but also to invent. This encourages children to innovate and gives them the courage to put their ideas into practice.
• A headstart in the study of STEM subjects at school: after being acquainted with the basics of engineering for children, kids will more easily comprehend physics and mathematics. After all, they’ve already experimented with these laws in the real world!
• Self-confidence: having constructed a toy or a robot, children will understand that all doors are open and they can take on more complex tasks.
• Increased prestige among peers: when kids can help their friends fix something or properly assemble a mechanism, they enjoy the respect they get from others.
• Preparing for a future career: in many cases children enjoy engineering and invention so much that they decide to follow the engineering professional path.

For every child, parents are the most important people in the world. So the best way to instill a love of engineering is to make something together with them. And don't be afraid to ask your child’s advice! They’ll love it when you ask: "Do you think we should attach this wheel here or there?"

There are many children's books with excellent illustrations that explain in an accessible and simple way the various laws of physics and how they can be applied in practice. Read them with your child and try to answer all the questions!

There are special courses, developed for children of different ages, that offer engineering for kids. They offer the chance to meet like-minded kids and join them working on many complex and interesting projects. And there’s nothing more inspiring than inventing and constructing amazing projects with your peers!

Children love to be treated and trusted like adults. After all, they instinctively know they can cope with any challenges thrown at them! You can nurture this confident creativity by giving them little projects to complete, starting with simple ones and making them progressively more difficult. For example, you could task them with building a box with several compartments to store small toys, or constructing a bridge over a large puddle in the yard.

Buy your child a Lego or other construction kit. Modern game models allow children to master not only engineering but also coding skills - kids first assemble mechanisms of varying complexity and then bring them to life with the help of a programme.

Unless you’re an engineer yourself, it isn’t possible to source and buy all the latest educational toys and use them to make complex mechanisms with your child. Therefore, the ideal option for introducing a child to STEM subjects is to attend Maker engineering courses for children in Singapore. The programmes are designed for kids of different ages: from 3 to 5 years, 6 to 9 years, and 10 to 13 years old. We have collected the best creative engineering kits that are guaranteed to inspire and delight children:

• Chibitronics
• Lego
• Squishy Circuit
• Quibits
• 3D pens and puzzles and much more

By learning engineering for kids in the company of peers, children acquire knowledge more efficiently because they share it with each other! On top of this, they can participate in competitions and receive awards. So, entrust the development of engineering skills in your child to Maker, and you see them transform into a multi-skilled thinker, creator, designer, and constructor, ready to face the future!