Young Designers
Does your child invent things? Play with construction kits? Draw imaginative ideas and creations? Do they wonder how things work - take things apart, fix things that go wrong . . .? How can we help you encourage these skills and interests while they have not been distracted by many of life's toys and all absorbing devices?
Where can thy refine and hone their making skills? Focus on projects with practical outcomes and real purpose. Maybe your child has a future in designing and making solutions for others as opposed to being just a consumer of products and services.
Designers have to learn to think clearly and make sound decisions with logical reasoning. They need to be taught to ask key questions and explore the answers. Designers and makers make high quality products that meet the needs of other people but only through practice and experience. Invention comes naturally, Design is a learned strategy for life. Design is not actually about things - it's is very much about people because things we make need to serve people.
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A key aspect to design is the consideration of the function and use of a product by a person. Design is greatly needed in many areas of life and not just engineering. A designer should be able to design anything because they understand that at the outset they may know very little about a product or its use, they may not be able to make it themselves. But they find someone who does/can and their job is to create a working solution to a real need.
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Specific projects in 2026/ 27 are TBA but here's a video of YD in 2025 ​
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Classes of up to six friendly people, work together sometimes in friendly competition, having fun designing making and finishing products and perhaps selling them . . .
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What happens:
We take an issue such as 'bedside lighting' and research what people need bedside lighting for. Once we have some ideas of the needs we look at what is available. Once we identify some opportunities for creativity we develop some ideas and test these to see how well they work. This takes multiple sessions and benefits from some working from home on your ideas and research. We encourage you to make best use of your freedom as a Home Educator to develop your ideas at home and bring these to the class.