Solve a Home Problem

Your child spots a small everyday annoyance around the home, designs a fix, builds a rough version from materials on hand, and tests whether it actually works. Real problem-solving with a made object at the end.

How to do it

1. Ask your child to name a small, recurring annoyance at home (tangled cables, a door that bangs, shoes always in the way).
2. Have them sketch one or two possible fixes and pick the one they want to try.
3. Let them build a rough first version from materials you already have, such as cardboard, tape, string, or containers.
4. Have them test it in the real spot where the problem happens and note what worked and what did not.
5. Encourage one round of changes based on the test, then a final try-out.

What you need

• Annoyance
• Scrap materials
• Scissors
• Pencil and paper
• Basic tools

Make it yours

Younger, 9-10 years: Choose the problem together and keep the build to tape and cardboard with no tools. Older, 12 years and up: Add measuring, a second design option compared against the first, or a simple materials list and cost. Siblings: Tackle the same annoyance separately, then compare which fix worked better and why.