You will need: • A machine, or toy that can be taken apart • Tools and space (with a drop cloth or newspaper in case of mess). You may need a set of alum keys • To ensure that you do not need to put the machine or toy back together

You can:

• Allow your child time to work on the ‘project’

• Support and help with tools or screws if needed

• Monitor small parts

• Talk about the parts and what work together (e.g. screws or cogs hold this together)

You can also:

• Use a magnifying glass to look at things more closely. (N.B. Make sure the magnifying glass is not left in the sun as it could cause a fire)

• Try making machines out of boxes and junk

• Use a hammer and nails to make something

• Look for moving parts around you, e.g. hinges, cranes or pullies

• Notice how different things are constructed and held together

Did you know:

“Wisdom begins in wonder”

What your child is learning:

• How parts make a whole

• How two and three-dimensional objects fit together and move

• Hand-eye coordination

• To enquire, research, explore, and generate their own working theories about how our world works

• Technology and its place in the world

• Experimentation

• Observation

• New vocabulary