Recommended age: 7 - 11 years old
Goal: Build a shelter to fit your favorite stuffed animal / toy!
Estimated time: 45 minutes
Prize Deadline: Fill out our survey by October 26, 2020 to be entered in a raffle for some fun prizes!
Use whatever materials are convenient at home. Don't worry about
having every material on this list!
Here are some suggested materials:
Breaking news! In the aftermath of a hurricane, thousands of people in Massachusetts need emergency shelters, and they need them fast.
Q: What is an emergency shelter? Who might need one, and why?
Engineers and inventors help rebuild lives by inventing and designing temporary housing that can be built quickly, easily, and cheaply, so that people can have a safe (and warm!) place to live.
How can you make sure your design conserves energy by keeping heat in when it's cold outside?
What shapes are the strongest? Watch this video for a quick demonstration of the strength of a rectangle vs arch vs triangle.
Q: How can you apply this information to your design?
Prototyping should be done quickly. Test the prototype and, if it doesn't work, redesign (maybe several times).
Try lots of different solutions to see what works and what doesn't work! Make sure your toy can sleep comfortably in the shelter. 😉
We are excited to see what you created and learn about your design process. 😄