Take It Apart Study

With an adult, your child carefully takes apart a broken everyday object that a grown-up has already cleared as safe, looks at how the pieces fit, and works out how it used to work.

How to do it

1. An adult chooses and pre-clears one safe broken object, then removes any batteries, cords, glass, springs, or sharp metal before the child touches it.
2. Set up at a table with the cleared object, the right screwdriver, and a tray or bowl to keep every small piece together.
3. The adult stays beside the child throughout; your child undoes the fasteners one at a time and lays each part out in the order it came off.
4. As they go, ask what each part might do and how it connects to the next one.
5. When it is apart, have your child explain the path from one part to the next, then help gather every piece back into the tray so nothing is left loose.

What you need

• Broken object
• Screwdriver
• Tray

Make it yours

Younger, 6 to 8 years: The adult does the fasteners and the child sorts, names, and lays out the parts. Older, 10 to 12 years: Challenge them to sketch a labelled diagram of the parts and try to explain the whole path from input to output. Siblings: Only one child handles the object and tools at a time while the other sketches or sorts; both stay under the same adult's watch