Design and technology articles
6 parent-friendly STEM activities
Supporting children to develop their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) skills is becoming increasingly important. It’s a necessary element in children’s education but can be intimidating for many parents who may not know where to begin or how to help with their child’s STEM learning.
Simple scientific makes for kids
Transform and recycle household objects into a Rubber-Band Racer and a Balancing Bird toy with an extract from scientific makes book Mr Shaha's Marvellous Machines. All you need to help you develop skills in key STEM areas are a few household items, some time to create and lots of imagination.
Best cookery books for kids
Help your child master kitchen skills that’ll set them up for life with these brilliant cookbooks for every age. From cookery basics to elaborate bakes, they’ll enjoy getting stuck into a whole range of family-friendly recipes.
Best kids' activity packs to download
Top up the resource bank and keep the kids busy at home with reading, puzzles, crafting, science and other screen-free activities. They're all available to download for free and you won't need any special equipment, so head off the "I'm bored!" moans and buy yourself a few moments of peace so you can get some of your own work done!
Best YouTube channels for home education
Whether you want your child to learn about maths, geography, science or history, they'll be happy to watch a video about it – and these YouTube channels introduce topics through songs, animations, experiments, skits and riddles. From phonics for new readers to physics for keen scientists, these are the educational channels to subscribe to.
Best design and technology home schooling resources
Make, build, code, construct, design, invent and engineer – each of these websites is packed with design and technology learning to keep your child learning, testing and creating at home.
3 easy animation activities for kids
Making your own animations needn’t be a daunting prospect – creating simple but effective animations with even the most basic artistic skills has never been easier! Children (and parents!) can have great fun making up characters and seeing them come to life, and the brilliant results might just surprise you! Trevor Young, author of animated eBook Galdo's Gift, has tips to get you started.
Museums reviewed by parents: Museum of Science and Industry Manchester
Be awed by past and future science and technology in Manchester with a trip to one of the UK's most atmospheric museums, on the site of the oldest surviving passenger railway station and in the heart of the world’s first industrial city. We highlight what the Museum of Science and Industry has to offer parents, children and families.
How to future-proof your child's learning
Is your primary-school child getting the education they'll need to thrive in the 21st century? Jill Hodges, CEO and Founder of Fire Tech technology classes and camps for kids, describes the five skills young people will need, at work and in life, to make the most of our technological society's opportunities.
6 great things your child learns in the kitchen
Cooking with kids is about more than just licking the bowl. GBBO winner and cookbook author Nadiya Hussain shares some great reasons to involve your child in the kitchen.
What is forest school?
Taking children out of the classroom and into the great outdoors, forest school is growing in popularity – but what does it actually involve?
Learning through LEGO
Is your child obsessed with LEGO? Here’s how it could give their learning a boost.
Museums reviewed by parents: Cambridge Museum of Technology
The Cambridge Museum of Technology is a fascinating, hands-on look at how things work for all ages, within easy distance of the historic centre of Cambridge. Our review for parents explains what the museum has to offer for families.
Museums reviewed by parents: National Maritime Museum
The world's largest maritime museum is packed to the gunwales with intriguing objects, fascinating galleries and hands-on exploration opportunities for children and families. Head to Royal Greenwich to find out more about seas, ships and sailing.
Science, technology, engineering and maths for girls
As STEM industries consider how to combat a future skills shortage, could your daughter one day become an expert in the field?
Cooking and nutrition in primary schools
For the first time ever, practical cookery lessons are compulsory in primary schools. We explain what your budding MasterChef might learn.
Museums reviewed by parents: Eureka!
One of the best children's museums in the world, Eureka! is packed with hundreds of hands-on exhibits designed to inspire children to learn through play. Our family testers were amazed at what's on offer and determined to be regular visitors in the future.
Museums reviewed by parents: Manchester Museum
Travel back in time to Ancient Egypt, see reptiles and amphibians from Costa Rica, walk beneath a giant whale skeleton, come face-to-face with a tiger and meet a life-size Tyrannosaurus rex... just a few of the highlights of a visit to Manchester Museum. Our family testers report back.
Museums reviewed by parents: Museum of Liverpool
Dress up as a dock master, play in a pint-sized port, explore first- and third-class travel in Victorian times and fall in love with the sounds of the 1960s... it's all waiting for you (and it's free!) at the Museum of Liverpool. Our parent review highlights the child-friendly activities on offer.
Museums reviewed by parents: Look Out Discovery Centre
Build a dam, tile a roof, shake your own hand (in an optical illusion) and build a 3D puzzle of the human body − there's all this (and more) to discover at the Look Out Discovery Centre in Bracknell. Read our parent review to find out more.
Museums reviewed by parents: York's Chocolate Story
Bring learning to life with a visit to one of our parent-recommended museums and experiences. For a delicious, immersive visit into the world of chocolate, take a guided tour at York's Chocolate Story.
Museums reviewed by parents: World Museum Liverpool
Our parent-recommended museums make bringing learning to life easy and fun. For the chance to explore creatures and people from our past and our present, head to World Museum Liverpool (just watch out for the giant spider!).
Museums reviewed by parents: The Geffrye Museum of the Home
Bring classroom learning to life with a visit to one of our parent-recommended museums, or explore the website to explore from afar. For hands-on fun and a fascinating trip through our Tudor and Victorian past we love the Geffrye Museum of the Home in London.
Best construction toys for kids
Want to develop your child’s problem-solving skills, understanding of physics and fine motor control (essential for handwriting)? Time to get out the building blocks! We pick eight of the best construction toy sets for budding engineers, architects and designers.
100 of the best educational toys: EYFS
Learning toys that are packed with play value, too, our 100 best educational toy picks will help your child identify numbers and letters, learn their high frequency words, understand rhyming and even get to grips with primary-school programming and physics. Get great gift ideas with our recommendations for nursery and Reception children!
100 of the best educational toys: KS2
Your child will be having so much fun playing these games they won't even realise they're practising their times tables, improving their vocabulary, boosting mental maths skills and revising geography facts. Hands-on fun is guaranteed with every learning activity, from writing in hieroglyphics to dissecting a body and observing the night sky.
How to create a budding engineer
Engineering underpins almost every aspect of modern life. So what will your child learn about engineering and technology at school, and how can you encourage their enthusiasm? Lucy Dimbylow finds out.
5 at-home design and technology projects for primary children
Design and technology is part of the national curriculum. Teacher and parent Phoebe Doyle offers some practical D&T project ideas and suggestions to help your child get hands-on, boost their confidence and have fun (and make mess!) with materials at home.
What is taught in KS1 design and technology
Here’s your guide to the Key Stage 1 design and technology curriculum and how you can support your child's DT learning at home.
Key Stage 2 design and technology: what children learn
Get clued up on what your child will be learning in Design and Technology so you can help them build on their lessons at home.
10 messy (but educational!) ideas for kids
Most kids love getting up to their elbows in stuff. Feeling, squidging, kneading, squeezing – it’s instinctive. What’s more, this sort of play is crucial for learning; it forms the building blocks of knowledge about the world, its materials and how they work. Whether they’re five or ten, watch them get really stuck in to these educational activities.
Key Stage 3 design and technology explained
Find out about what your child will be doing in their KS3 design and technology classes and help them get ahead at home with our helpful tips.
The primary design and technology curriculum
Is your child a budding designer? We take a look at what design and technology lessons involve.
Foundation Stage design and technology explained
We offer advice on how to introduce your child to the topics covered in Foundation Stage Design & Technology.
Cooking with kids: the educational benefits
Cooking with children has some great educational and health benefits, from practising maths skills to exploring different ingredients. We take a look at what your child could learn in the kitchen.
Creating a child-friendly garden
Whether you have an acre of land or a window box, it is possible to create a garden that will encourage your child to learn a whole host of different skills. We take a look at all that gardens have to offer, and give some great advice on how you can turn your child's fingers green.
What's so educational about model building?
You may think model building is a thing of the past, but in fact there are more exciting and diverse kits available than ever. And with so many educational benefits to them, there really is no better time to unplug the games console and give it a try.
DIY for children – what it teaches them
Have you ever considered keeping your kids busy round the house with a spot of DIY? Find out what it could teach your child, plus some handy activities to try.
Is technology changing the way children learn?
If you’ve ever seen your toddler load a DVD, then you’ll already have realised just how quickly today’s children take to technology. But why is technology so important in primary education? Camilla Chafer reports.